For Bill Geiger, non-profit leadership roles are “bookends” to a 20+ year business career. Prior to moving to Charlotte in January 2016, Bill was President / CEO of the McGaw YMCA in Evanston, IL for 11 years. In addition to leading the YMCA, Bill was a founding partner of Evanston’s collective impact initiative and was elected to and served on the Board of Education of Evanston Township High School. Bill served in interim leadership roles as a LevRidge consultant at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden (2016-17,) McColl Center for Art + Innovation (2017-18,) Safe Alliance (2018-19,) and Hope Haven (2019) in addition to consulting to The Cornwell Center (2018) and Crisis Assistance Ministry (2019.) Bill has participated in the RMJJ Racial Equity Workshop, consults in leadership development to equity-seeking organizations, served as a consultant to Read Charlotte, serves on the Board of Charlotte Bilingual Preschool, and is a graduate of Leadership Charlotte Class 39. Bill’s business career included 10 years at Steelcase Inc. working with its independent dealers in the US providing interim management and structuring ownership transitions. He and his family moved to Germany for three years where he worked in international dealer development. Prior to Steelcase, Bill was an on-site crisis and turnaround manager. After graduating from Dartmouth College with a bachelors degree, Bill taught middle school social studies in an Evanston public school, was a youth programs and resident camp director at the Evanston YMCA, and worked for a non-profit fund raising / strategic planning consultancy. “Non-profit leadership provides a venue for me to use my business and non-profit skills and experience and is an opportunity for me to give back. It’s important to me to engage in community-strengthening and support the work of the many dedicated people – staff, Board, and other volunteers – in making my new community more equitable and inclusive so that all children, families, and adults of all ages can thrive.”

Loán Lake (pronounced Lo-An) is a public relations and communications professional and published writer who most recently served as the Marketing Manager for Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture. She is excited to use her skills and talents to make a positive impact in the communities in which she lives and previously co-founded economic development summits that connected the U.S. Virgin Islands diaspora living abroad to opportunities in the local community. Loán has worked with Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations, the federal government, and tourist destinations to increase brand visibility, develop content and messaging, engage community and corporate stakeholders, and develop marketing and communications strategy. She holds a Masters in Tourism and Hospitality Management from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Maryland at College Park. In 2009 she was inducted into Temple University’s Gallery of Success for her work in the tourism industry. Loán resides in Charlotte with her husband.

Kevin Loux has a background in technology, economics, and law. Kevin most recently served at a bipartisan non-profit economic development organization led by a sitting Governor and Congressman as Director of Strategic Partnerships in Kentucky focused on transitioning the next generation into careers for the new economy. In addition to his economic development experience, his technical expertise positioned him to lead software development teams serving as a Scrum Master and Product Owner. His work experience and certifications in agile, scrum, and lean six-sigma methodologies enable him to creatively solve problems through technology to deliver increased value and improved efficiency. This unique perspective has enabled him to develop strategic plans for educational and workforce development efforts along with the strategic selection of KPIs and metrics for an evidence-based approach. Kevin completed his four‐year Bachelor Degree in two calendar years; receiving a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus in Business Economics from the University of Central Florida. He also received his Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky while attending as a recipient of the Provost Fellowship. Aside from his formal education, technology has been an interest of his since a young age. Kevin lives in Charlotte along with his fiancée Tammy, and together they own a home in the city.

A native of Charlotte, Nandi Relford is a motivated and results-focused professional adept at solving problems with integrity, ingenuity, and sensitivity while supporting the administrative needs of executives and teams. With a background in operations management and customer service, Nandi is skilled at assessing the urgency of priorities and managing stakeholder expectations. Nandi also holds the title of Third Class Petty Officer in the United States Navy. She currently serves in the United States Navy Reserves to support her fellow sailors and their families providing medical support and patient care. Nandi has been a servant partner in all her professional roles. Nandi is excited to assist organizational efforts to improve economic mobility in her hometown by leveraging her successes in previous administrative and operational supporting roles. Nandi is in the process of completing her Master’s Degree in Public Administration at Strayer University. She holds a Bachelors of Arts in History from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University in Greensboro, NC. Nandi lives in Charlotte with her son Evan.