Betsy Bodien joined Bank of America in 2005. She provides enterprise-wide legal advice and subject matter expertise on U.S. bank regulatory matters. Betsy graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Law Betsy is actively involved with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and helps coordinate Bank of America’s participation with the Annual Light the Night Walk. She is a past Board Member of the Girl Scouts Hornets’ Nest Council and continues to volunteer with the Scholarship Committee. She is a graduate of Leadership Charlotte – Class XXIV. Betsy moved to Charlotte in 2000 and now enjoys cycling and running Charlotte’s greenways with her husband and son. She is committed to working towards a sustainable Charlotte for all of its residents.

Blair Boggs moved to Charlotte in 2018, after living and working in some of the world’s great cities across the US, Europe, and China. He spent his career in the automotive aftermarket as a senior executive at Valvoline, Driven Brands, and, most recently, LINE-X. A native of Baltimore, Blair has a passion for cities and urban planning. He has a lifelong interest in building vibrant communities and has proudly supported numerous civic organizations, most recently serving on the Executive Board of the Catawba Lands Conservancy and the Carolina Thread Trail. Blair is a proud graduate of both Indiana University and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Robert is a Senior Associate and the Environmental Department Manager at Terracon in Charlotte, a full-service engineering consulting firm. As a native North Carolinian and professional steward of the environment, Robert has been actively involved in creating safe environments for Charlotte residents since relocating from Western North Carolina in 2006. Robert is a graduate of Brevard College, where he studied environmental management and first developed his passion for preserving the natural world. Outside of a brief study abroad in London in 2004 to study international business, Robert has been a resident of North Carolina his entire life. When he is not advancing the status of Brownfields redevelopments or guiding his staff of 20+ engineers, geologists, and scientists, Robert is often found exploring the many attractions of our incredible city with his wife and two daughters or out on the soccer pitch.

Jolaine Elien is principal at Blueprint 4 Good. Formerly, Jolaine was chief financial officer of YWCA of Central Carolinas, where she oversaw all financial, administrative and reporting activities for the organization. She’s also held multiple positions in accounting and finance, including as chief finance and administrative officer at Loaves & Fishes/Friendship Trays and accounting manager at Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region. Jolaine earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queens University of Charlotte and a Master of Business Administration from Duke University.

Jolaine loves to travel, attend live performances, and spend time with family and friends. She moved to Charlotte in 2006 and has witnessed the tremendous growth and development of the city. She is excited to be a member of the Sustain Charlotte team to help Charlotte remain one of the best places to live without sacrificing sustainable choices.

Joni is a civic leader who retired from Bank of America as a vice president in 2024. She worked as a program manager in Global Risk, where she supported program strategy and implementation in risk management. She’s a career development mentor and serves on the Global Risk Management Employee Engagement, Development and Inclusion Council. Joni was raised in Augusta Georgia, and earned a BA in political science from Hampton University in 2003. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, running, and kickboxing.

Michael Gander is a Vice President and Commercial Market Manager with Carter Bank & Trust, a regional community bank with local operations on Morehead Street, where he specializes in commercial real estate lending. Michael is passionate about facilitating smart growth for the greater Charlotte region. He is a proud graduate of Appalachian State University with a degree in finance and banking. Michael enjoys spending his free time with his twin boys, Landon and Jackson, and his wife, Tara. Michael’s motto is “Try to be a positive influence every day in what you do.”

Vaama is a licensed architect at Gresham Smith with nine years of experience across a wide range of architectural services and project types. She specializes in sustainable design and is passionate about implementing sustainable design practices on the projects she works on. She currently co-chairs AIA (American Institute of Architects) Charlotte’s Committee on the Environment and has helped organize educational programs for the AIA and non-AIA members. She actively volunteers her time for various USGBC and AIA initiatives. She hopes to play an instrumental role in Charlotte’s growth by offering her expertise to Sustain Charlotte’s mission.

Hannah O’Connor is a Principal Consultant for Slalom Consulting, where she helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. During her consulting career at IBM and Slalom, she has been a trusted copilot, respectful challenger, and unwavering champion for each of her clients as they tackle some of their biggest challenges in a variety of industries – oil and gas, manufacturing, retail, insurance, and health technology, among others. 

Hannah graduated with honors from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business
Administration (Kenan-Flagler Business School) and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Latin American Studies.
Continuing her passion for service, Hannah served as a volunteer or fundraiser in organizations like the
Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation, Keep Charlotte Beautiful, the Greater Boston Food Bank, and the American
Liver Foundation.

As a third-generation native Charlottean, Hannah is passionate about dreaming bigger, moving faster and
building better tomorrows for all of the Mecklenburg County community sustainably. In her free time, she
enjoys training for marathons on local greenways, traveling wherever possible, and spending time with her
family.

Bill graduated from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler School in 1969 with a BS in Business Administration. From there, he earned an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1971. After touring Europe by car for 12 weeks upon graduation, he joined Interstate Securities Corp. in Charlotte as a securities analyst. In his 14-years+ career he became Director of Research, Senior Vice-President, and a director of the firm.

On leaving in 1985, he launched Staton’s Stock Market Advisory and in 2001 began managing money through Staton Investment Management. The firm continued to grow as they merged into Novare Capital Management in 2017 and he became a partner.

Since moving to Charlotte, he has been or is now involved in various organizations as a volunteer, fundraiser, or board member. These include Opera Carolina, Boy Scouts, Catawba Lands Conservancy, United Way, Arts & Science Council, and Myers Park Methodist Church. He has taught investing at Charlotte Country Day School since 1986 and at Mecklenburg County Jail for six years, plus numerous schools across the county. He especially enjoys interacting with young people and helping them become proficient with their money.