Economic Development Services

Kenny McDonald
Executive Vice President, Economic Development Services
kmcdonald@charlotteusa.com

Kenny McDonald serves as Executive Vice President of Economic Development Services for the CRP for which he oversees and executes business development initiatives. McDonald joined the Partnership in 2003 after working in various economic development and site location consulting roles. Most notably, he worked for the Global Location Strategies unit of Fluor Corporation for more than five years, assisting dozens of companies define their facility location requirements and helping communities and regions shape their economic development policy. McDonald works closely with economic developers in the 16-county Charlotte USA region and markets the Charlotte region worldwide, assisting consultants and corporations.
 
McDonald holds an M.P.A from Georgia Southern University and an undergraduate degree from the Dickinson State University (N.D.). He also is a graduate of the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma and Leadership North Carolina.  He earned his Certified Economic Developer designation in 2003.


David Swenson
Vice President, Economic Development Services
dswenson@charlotteusa.com

David Swenson serves as Vice President of Economic Development Services for the CRP for which he executes business development initiatives.  Swenson joined the CRP team in 2006 after working for 11 years in local and regional economic development and site location consulting.

Juawana Colbert
Project Manager
jcolbert@charlotteusa.com

Juawana Colbert serves as Project Manager of Economic Development Services for the CRP and is responsible for managing the Partnership’s business development initiatives. Colbert joined the CRP in 2006, after working for The Indy Partnership in Indianapolis, Ind., where she served as the Manager of Business Development Services for 2 ½ years.  At the Indy Partnership, she was responsible for gathering requested information and compiling detailed response packets for businesses considering relocation to, or expansion in, the Indianapolis region.

Colbert received a Bachelor of Science degree in business management from Northwood University. She is also a graduate of the Economic Development Institute and plans to sit for the CEcD certification in 2008.

Dianna Whisnant
Research and Marketing Associate
dwhisnant@charlotteusa.com

As Research and Marketing Associate, Dianna Whisnant is responsible for conducting custom research upon request for internal and external recipients. She was previously a project manager with a small commissioning firm in the Washington, D.C., metro area.

Whisnant joined the Partnership in April, 2008. She holds a B.A. in economics from the University of Virginia and an M.P.A. in economic development and comparative international affairs from Indiana University, Bloomington.

Vanessa Goeschl
Vice President, Research
vgoeschl@charlotteusa.com

As Vice President of Research, Vanessa Goeschl is responsible for managing economic and demographic data for 16 counties within the Charlotte region, conducting custom research upon request and assisting with related economic development projects. She has previous experience as an economic development specialist with the Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission in Waveland, Miss., and has worked for the USDA Rural Development State Office in Jackson, Miss., as a community development specialist. Goeschl joined the Partnership in 2003.

Carlton Gideon
Research Assistant
cgideon@charlotteusa.com


Charlotte Regional Film Commission

Beth Petty
Director, Charlotte Regional Film Commission
bpetty@charlotteusa.com

Beth Petty joined the Film Division of the Charlotte Regional Partnership in 1998.  As director, she works as a liaison between film production companies and our community.  Among the projects Petty has recruited to the Charlotte region are "The Patriot," "Shallow Hal," "Talladega Nights" and "Leatherheads." She worked closely with Universal Pictures to bring George Clooney and Renée Zellweger back to the Charlotte region for "Leatherheads" premiere and Whistle Stop Tour.  Petty also researches, photographs and categorizes location sites within the 16-county Charlotte USA region.

Petty is a two-time graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts. Her first degree is in dance before returning to graduate from the Film School. While earning her second degree, she taught dance, worked as a choreographer and served as the Dance Company Coordinator for Wake Forest University. She has served on the Board of Advisors for the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts and currently is a member of the Central Piedmont Community College film program advisory board.

Kathleen Byrne
Assistant, Charlotte Regional Film Commission
kbyrne@charlotteusa.com



Marketing & Communications

Gina Howard
Director of Communications and Public Relations
ghoward@charlotteusa.com

As Director of Communications and Public Relations, Gina Howard develops and implements communications strategies to increase awareness of the Charlotte region. She has more than 20 years experience promoting international corporations and universities in both Carolinas, as well as extensive writing and editing credits.

Howard earned her B.A. from Duke University and currently is pursuing her M.A. in liberal studies from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. A Leadership Charlotte graduate, Howard is actively involved in the community. She joined the Partnership in 2007.


Laura Foor
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
lfoor@charlotteusa.com

Laura Foor serves as the Marketing and Communications Coordinator for the CRP. Mrs. Foor is responsible for planning and executing marketing events that pomote the region and the CRP. Mrs. Foor joined the CRP in March 2007, after working five years as the Existing Business Manager for Lincoln Economic Development Association. At LEDA she was responsible for the retention and expansion of existing industry in Lincoln County.

Foor holds a M.P.A. from Western Carolina University as well as a Bachelor of Science from WCU. She has also completed the Basic Economic Development Course at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.



Budget & Finance / Administrative Services

Melissa Hendrick
Chief Financial Officer
mhendrick@charlotteusa.com

Melissa Hendrick joined the Partnership in 2007 as the Director of Finance and Operations and was promoted to CFO in 2008. She is responsible for managing all of the accounting, budgeting, financial and operational aspects of the CRP. Hendrick has more than 20 years of experience in her field and was the Associate Director of Financial Services in the Structured Settlements business unit at MassMutual Financial Group where she worked for seven years. She also served as Fiscal Officer for Mercer County Economic Development Corporation.

Hendrick was an honor graduate and holds a Bachelors of Science degree in business administration with majors in both accounting and management from Concord University in Athens, W.Va.

Shirley McCarthy
Finance and Administrative Assistant
smccarthy@charlotteusa.com


Kathy Lazarides
Administrative Assistant
klazarides@charlotteusa.com



Information Technology

Philip Ciccarello
Director of Information Technology
pciccarello@charlotteusa.com

Philip Ciccarello is responsible for keeping the Partnership on the cutting edge of the information technology field for the office network and for the www.charlotteusa.com Web site. Ciccarello also provides technical support to the developers in the 16-county Partnership region. 

Before joining the Partnership in 2007, Ciccarello was an IT Consultant for the Virginia Department of Transportation.  While at VDOT he worked closely with the Help Desk and Server Administrators to ensure the stipulations of the Seat Management Contract were satisfied. After moving to Charlotte, Philip transferred his degree to CPCC and is looking forward to entering Queens University to peruse a Bachelor of Arts degree with a Business major.