Charles Page currently leads Cool Spring Center, Inc. as President and Senior Facilitator. Cool Spring Center, an innovative corporate training company, specializes in people development programs such as individual and team assessments, strategic planning, leadership development and experiential teambuilding retreats. His career includes leadership positions in both the public and private sectors spanning the Charlotte region. He served in the United States Army Reserves as a company commander, basic combat training, 108th Division (Tng).
Ryan Repp is a Business Support Manager for U.S. Trust Philanthropic Solutions in Charlotte, NC at Bank of America. Philanthropic Solutions provides specialized advisory, consulting, administrative and investment solutions to both nonprofit organizations and private philanthropic clients that help transform their missions and charitable goals into meaningful action. Ryan graduated from Truman State University in Missouri where he earned his Bachelors of Science degree in Accounting. His father retired as a Colonel in the US Army’s 21st General Hospital, his older brother served 5 years as a US Naval officer and his younger brother serves in the US Air Force Reserves and previously served as a US Army crew chief for Chinooks in the Middle East for 18 months, the majority in Ballad, Iraq. Several of his uncles and extended family have served in the US Army as well. Through his involvement in the Charlotte community with veteran related charities as well as the Harley Owners Group, he has a connection to many extraordinary veterans for which he holds the most gracious admiration.
Rob Bañuelos is a Senior Vice President and National Sales Manager for Health Benefit Solutions, a unit within Bank of America’s Global Wealth and Investment Management group. Rob enlisted in U.S. Navy as a Hospital Corpsmen in July 1980. While based on the west coast he served on the USS Dixon AS-37 and received the Navy Expeditionary Medal for operations conducted during the Iranian hostage crisis. He then served at the Naval Regional Medical Center in various critical care units and administrative roles. In 1984 he was selected for Deep Sea Diver training at the Naval Diving Savage Training Center in Panama City, FL and graduated with qualifications as a Deep Sea Diving Medical Technician (8493). He was then stationed at the Naval Underwater Systems Center in Newport, RI. After active duty he transitioned to the Naval Reserves and was assigned to Mobile Diving Salvage Unit Two Detachment 101. In January 1991 he was activated for the First Gulf War: Desert Storm/Desert Shield and later returned to his unit after the war. During his tenure he was awarded the three separate Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals one of which was for saving a life. He also received the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal. He retired in September 2002 with over 22 years of service. Rob earned a Master’s Degree in Health Care Administration from Emmanuel College in Boston and he is an active member of Bank of America’s Military Support & Assistance Group (MSAG).
Charlie Eadie is the Vice President of Business Development for Claris Construction, a design-build contractor. Charlie enlisted in the Army as a Combat Engineer and served in the 25th ID before gaining admission to the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY. While at the Academy, he was a member of the Parachute Team and served as the 2nd Regimental Commander. He won the Truman Scholarship and the Marshall Scholarship and completed graduate studies in London. Charlie served as an infantry officer in the 82nd Airborne Division—deployed to Iraq as a platoon leader—and as a detachment commander and Aide-de-Camp for the Commanding General of the Rule of Law Field Force—Afghanistan, where he was awarded the Bronze Star. He completed the following schools: Ranger, Sapper, SFAS, Airborne, Military Free Fall, Pathfinder, and Air Assault. After leaving active duty, he has worked in the construction and commercial real estate industry as a Vice President of a NY firm, the Director of Business Development for InterCon, and now the Vice President of Claris Construction in Charlotte, NC. He serves on the Board of Advisors for The Data Incubator, and volunteers as the President of the West Point Society of Columbia.
Jessica Cogan Millman is the Executive Director of the Elsa & Peter Soderberg Charitable Foundation. The mission of the Soderberg Foundation is to enhance access to quality health services and economic empowerment opportunities by boosting the quality of life for all people with a specific emphasis on improving the lives of women.
Jessica is an expert and leader in urban planning and environmentally sustainable development and known as a passionate and energetic organizer for the public good. Jessica is a member of the Strategic Planning Committee and the School Safety Committee of the Skaneateles School Board, Chair of the Skaneateles Lake Association Education and Outreach Committee, and a member of the Skaneateles Music Guild. In addition, she has served on numerous committees including the Town of Skaneateles Planning Board.
Jessica has extensive experience working at all levels of government and in the non-profit arena. Through the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Green Neighborhoods Program, Jessica worked with communities around the country to design, plan, and catalyze the building of model, neighborhood-scale development projects that combine equity, environmental justice, green stormwater infrastructure, efficient transportation options, green building, public health practices, smart growth, and new urbanism.
Jessica served as the Planning Director for the Coalition for Smarter Growth, an organization dedicated to the adoption of sound planning policies around the Washington region. Jessica has held many other positions including: Deputy Director of the Smart Growth Leadership Institute at Smart Growth America (where she ran a technical assistance grant program); Chief of Staff for the Governor’s Office of Smart Growth in Maryland (where she helped directed the State budget towards the Governor’s top environmental priorities); and a variety of grant-making positions at the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Liz has spent her career in advertising, both as an award winning writer and creative director for brands such as Audi, Land’s End, NASDAQ and Nationwide Insurance. Along the path, she has touched everything from Superbowl commercials to long-form videos to branded web series. Liz even starred in a reality show about advertising called, “The Pitch.” Most recently, Liz was Executive Creative Director of McKinney in Durham, NC and has served as a juror for the most highly regarded award shows in the industry, including the Cannes Festival of Creativity. Liz has also been a panelist at the 3% Conference where the mission is to increase female leadership in the advertising industry. Currently, she is working on documentaries and reality show ideas with Hocus Pocus Productions. Liz is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, is married and has three children.
Ms. Schweizer moved from New York City to Charlotte in 2013 and before moving she worked on Wall Street for many years. Her broad and powerful life experiences have directly resulted in her passion for philanthropy. Her dedication to this country and our veterans is something near and dear to her heart after witnessing the events of 9/11 from only a couple of blocks away. As she continues her mission to paint for charity auctions worldwide she is bringing her ongoing dedication to Purple Heart Homes.
Darrin Sirois is a Service Connected Disabled Veteran with 26 years of active duty experience with the U.S. Army. He served from 1989-2014, and spent most of his career at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina in Special Operations. His tours include Operation Just Cause (Panama), Gulf War, Bosnia, Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Operation Iraqi Freedom. As a retired Sergeant Major, he now teaches tactics and communications at Ft. Bragg in North Carolina.
Sherry Yaskin is Vice President of Human Resources, U.S. Stores and Operations, for The Home Depot. She is responsible for all human resources functions for the Company’s 1,977 stores in the United States, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Sherry joined The Home Depot in 2004 as Director of Learning and has held positions of increasing responsibility, including Director of Talent Management and Organizational Effectiveness, Senior Director of Human Resources for both the Western and Northern divisions, Senior Director of Human Resources for U.S. Operations and the Pro Business. Prior to joining the company, Sherry was a District Manager with Circuit City. She also spent more than 14 years with Gap, Inc., where she held a variety of leadership positions. Sherry holds a Bachelor’s of Speech Communication from the University of Florida.