The Charlotte Ledger Podcast

The Charlotte Ledger
The Charlotte Ledger Podcast

We talk with Charlotte leaders about important and interesting issues, with an eye toward making you smarter, telling you things you don’t know and introducing you to people with insights about trends in Charlotte. charlotteledger.substack.com

  1. 3 DAYS AGO

    A widow's hopeful message, with Kelly Weeks

    In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, we are sharing a speech by Kelly Weeks at the Rotary Club of Charlotte. She is the widow of U.S. Marshal Tommy Weeks, who was one of four law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in a shootout in east Charlotte on April 29, 2024. In her talk, she discusses what her day was like on that awful day — how it started, how she found out he had been shot — and all the support she has received from the community and law enforcement. She talks about: * how she and her family are coping with her husband’s death * what they have learned as they have moved forward, even through tough times * her passion for encouraging people to appreciate and support the good things in this world, including law enforcement This is a recording of her speech at Rotary on November 19, 2024. Many thanks to the Rotary Club of Charlotte and to Kelly Weeks for allowing us to share this audio with you. In this recording, she is introduced by Rotary’s executive secretary, Christine Cipriano. Weeks mentions several charities that have been helpful, including the Tunnel to Towers Foundation and the U.S. Marshals Survivor Benefit Fund. You can find out more about The Charlotte Ledger at TheCharlotteLedger.com. The Charlotte Ledger Podcast is produced by Lindsey Banks. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit charlotteledger.substack.com/subscribe

    28 min
  2. Checking in on the N.C. mountains

    NOV 8

    Checking in on the N.C. mountains

    For many people in Western North Carolina, everything changed on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. Hurricane Helene brought record levels of rainfall, reaching as high as 30 inches in some places and triggering massive flooding and mudslides. Roads, buildings, trees, power lines and entire water systems were wiped out, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. More than 90 people died in North Carolina. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Ledger editor Tony Mecia talks with Ledger staff reporter Lindsey Banks about the storm and its aftermath. Banks is a Buncombe County native with close ties to Western North Carolina, and she spearheads The Ledger's Mountain Updates newsletter. The Ledger created it in September 2024 as a pop-up (temporary) newsletter focused on the crisis and recovery in the North Carolina mountains. The two talk about her experience growing up in the mountains, what it was like seeing her hometown destroyed by the hurricane, what her friends and family have described in the aftermath and the experience of reporting and writing about the mountains. All issues of Mountain Updates can be found online here. If you’re not on The Ledger’s email list, you can sign up for Mountain Updates and other newsletters at TheCharlotteLedger.com. Ledger subscribers can sign up for Mountain Updates on their account settings page. This podcast was produced by Lindsey Banks. For more information about The Charlotte Ledger, or to sign up for our newsletters, visit TheCharlotteLedger.com. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit charlotteledger.substack.com/subscribe

    25 min
  3. Catering to change, with Melissa Sutherland of Best Impressions Caterers

    OCT 19

    Catering to change, with Melissa Sutherland of Best Impressions Caterers

    In 2019, Melissa Sutherland made a dramatic career shift, leaving her role as a bank executive at Bank of America to join Best Impressions Catering as the company’s chief operating and financial officer. Her move from a global financial institution to a small catering business offered her the chance to take her expertise to a new industry, she says, helping the company expand from a single location in Charlotte to three, including Raleigh and Charleston. But just as she was settling into her new role, the Covid pandemic hit. Facing a sudden halt in operations, Sutherland and her team pivoted to launch "Table & Twine," a home delivery service that helped keep staff employed and kitchens running during the shutdowns. Today, Table & Twine remains a successful arm of Combined Caterers, showing how innovation during a crisis can create lasting change. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Sutherland talks with host Steve Dunn about the transition from a big banking job to a small catering company, the challenges of navigating a small business through the pandemic, what she learned from watching Hugh McColl, former CEO and president of Bank of America, and more. Sutherland was a recipient of The Ledger’s 40 Over 40 Award in 2024. The awards celebrate often unheralded people over the age of 40 who are making important contributions to Charlotte. This episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast is presented by Trinity Episcopal School, marking 25 years of creating scholars, nurturing spirituality and embracing diversity in Charlotte's center city. Trinity offers a unique K-8 curriculum with a focus on critical thinking, curiosity about the world around us, and service to the community. Learn more about the admission process for the 2025-26 school year and register for an open house at TESCharlotte.org. For more information about The Charlotte Ledger, or to sign up for our newsletters, visit TheCharlotteLedger.com. This episode is part of a series in which we interview winners of The Charlotte Ledger 40 Over 40 Awards, which honor people aged 40+ who are making our community a better place. Find out information about those awards at Ledger40Over40.com. This podcast was produced by Lindsey Banks. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit charlotteledger.substack.com/subscribe

    27 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

We talk with Charlotte leaders about important and interesting issues, with an eye toward making you smarter, telling you things you don’t know and introducing you to people with insights about trends in Charlotte. charlotteledger.substack.com

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