Public Policy Committee

After years serving as the people operations leader for one of the nation’s fastest-growing media companies, Katherine Daniel, SHRM-SCP, now shows other growth-minded businesses the way to increased productivity: employee satisfaction and engagement. Through Montani Consulting, Katherine (Founder and President) serves as a confidant and trusted advisor for senior executives seeking guidance on HR and all people-related matters. Work aside, Katherine enjoys catching live music, spoiling her rescue pup, Alice, and hosting friends at her home in Wilmington, NC. 

Jack, originally from Asheville, North Carolina came across the state to study at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Graduating from UNCW in 2019 with a degree in Business Administration and concentrations in Marketing Strategy, and Entrepreneurship, Jack immediately entered the work force. As a first job out of school, Jack briefly worked for a real estate marketing and sales company. Shortly after Jack started his own full service digital marketing company, Socialry Marketing. Jack is also an Eagle Scout, CrossFit Coach, and involved in Young Life locally. 

Shaun Olsen
Founder and CEO, CloudWyze, Inc.
CloudWyze, Inc. founder and CEO, Shaun Olsen is an entrepreneur and community leader who strives to empower businesses and consumers through technology. A veteran of the IT industry, Olsen started CloudWyze in 2012 after having played pivotal roles in several startups. Each of these offerings delivers a combination of IT, voice and data, and multimedia systems. Olsen is a graduate of the Cameron School of Business at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and continues to be active on numerous boards include the university’s Center for Entrepreneurial Development and the Cameron Executive Advisory Board. He is also Chairman and founder of AcoustiCreations, Inc., a NC-based professional audio-video firm

Chakema Clinton-Quintana is vice president of Inclusive Small Business at Live Oak Bank, where she leads the inclusive small business center. She focuses on strengthening and supporting inclusive small business growth in our communities and verticals through research, job creation programs, capital allocation, mentorship, and programming. Chakema has 19 years of banking experience and has a degree in business management from Strayer University in Herndon, Virginia. Her background includes foreclosure, real estate short sales, loss mitigation, relationship management, and compliance. Chakema currently serves on the board of directors for three non-profit organizations, including treasurer of Voyage Wilmington, treasurer of Red, Black, & Love, Inc., and board chair for The OOPS Foundation.

I am the Chief Academic Officer for New Hanover County Schools. My primary responsibilities include overseeing academic programs and policies. Before this role, I served as an Executive Leadership Coach for Wake County Schools. I am currently in my twenty-seventh year in education. Throughout my career, I have found pleasure in serving my community by enhancing students’ lives. 

Ben Morman's career and experiences have spanned many industries and economic cycles.  After being made redundant through another corporate synergy exercise, Ben found founded The Works Insurance here in Wilmington, NC.  Ben now owns and operates a portfolio of small businesses and brands invested in the Insurance, Pet Food, Financial Services, Hemp, and Real Estate Industries.  These businesses are in varying stages of the business cycle and are all anchored around Ben’s passion for providing the best quality product and services supported by the best possible customer service.

I am a Professional Engineer practicing in Land Development Civil Engineering.  I am currently working with Summit Design and Engineering in the Wilmington Office.  I recently relocated from Ellicott City, Maryland, located in the Baltimore - Washington DC corridor, where I was born and raised.  I graduated from the University of Maryland College Park - College of Engineering.   I owned an engineering, land surveying, land planning, and landscape architecture firm for 8 years. 

I have one daughter, who is a University of Maryland Graduate in Fire Protection Engineering, where she met her husband, who is a Fire Protection engineer as well. I have two beautiful little grandsons.  They all reside in Saudi Arabia, where they both work for Saudi Aramco, the oil company, in Dhahran.

Hello! I am Buffy Andrews -the owner of the Made Well Center for Wholeness, a functional mental health + wellness center in Wilmington, NC. I also am your local "Wellness Buff" and offer 1:1 functional mental health healing intensives, along with keynote speaking, and women's retreats. I coach individual on their mental health + wellness journey's as well as coach individuals looking to grow their businesses. 
Feel free to learn more about our wellness center here: www.madewellcenter.org and more about 1:1 mental health + wellness coaching by visiting www.wellnessbuff.org

 

Jay Oglesby is Senior Director of Development for Liberty Senior Living, a division of Wilmington-based Liberty Health ("Liberty") that oversees acquisitions, development, and operation of Liberty's senior living community portfolio. Jay oversees Liberty’s Active Adult (55+) development projects, two properties under construction, and three in lease-up. Before commercial real estate and between undergrad at Ole Miss and business school at Thunderbird School of Global Management, Jay worked as a junior high teacher and chef. He and his wife, Jackie, of 30+ years have lived in Phoenix, Dallas, San Francisco, Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale, Charlotte, and Birmingham. They relocated to Wilmington last winter as empty nesters and have since immersed themselves in the local food and music scenes.

My tech journey began at UVA Nursing School with Excel and VBA in a rural depression study. At Rite Solutions, I evaluated new EMRs for the U.S. Army. At the University of Virginia, I led quality reporting and data warehousing. At Sentara, I built HL7 integrations, and at Riverside Regional Medical Center and Novant Health, I managed financial systems and ERP solutions.

At Johns Hopkins Hospital, I managed BI initiatives and contributed to COVID-19 response strategies, leading to the creation of StayNeighbor. As Director of Technology at CORE, I developed COREConnect and crafted an analytics framework for Curogram. In 2022, I launched CloudFruit, focusing on app development, enterprise analytics, AI/ML integrations, and system integrations. Today, I lead BotOracle and am crafting Ethereal Wraiths.

I am passionate about blending technology with practical solutions to enhance lives globally.