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INSIDE ▼ McGinn seeks Senate rematch PAGE 2A Friday, December 19, 2025 • Vol. 25 • No. 51
thecharlotteweekly.com
School board members sworn in CHARLOTTE – The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education welcomed four new members to the board Dec. 9.
Judge Faith Fickling-Alvarez swore in all four newly elected members and two incumbents: • Board member Charlitta Hatch represents District 1, located primarily north of Charlotte. She is the chief data and analytics officer and deputy director of innovation and technology for the City of Charlotte. • Board member Shamaiye Haynes represents West Charlotte's District 2. She is a leader at the nonprofit Queen City Family Tree, a guest lecturer at UNC Charlotte, a CMS parent and a community organizer with a focus on equity.
• Board member Cynthia Stone represents District 5, which covers parts of South Charlotte and Matthews. She is a retired elementary school teacher who brings a wealth of education experience to the board. • Board member Anna London who represents South Charlotte's District 6. She is president and CEO of Charlotte Works, North Carolina’s largest single-county workforce board. • Incumbent Chair Stephanie Sneed, challenged in her race, will continue to represent District 4 on the east side of Charlotte. • Incumbent Vice Chair Dee Rankin ran unchallenged and will continue to serve District 3 which makes up much of central Charlotte.
They join the board’s at-large members Lenora Shipp, Monty Witherspoon and Liz Duvall-Monterrey. "The board of education welcomes all new board members who each bring a unique and important perspective to the board," Sneed said. "And although they each bring unique personal and professional experiences to their new role, they all share one common belief -- that all students deserve an exceptional education and that CMS is here to deliver on that promise. The board looks forward to doing this important work with our new colleagues." The board reelected Sneed as chair and Rankin as vice chair.
BofA donates $250K to youth charity in honor of executive
D. Steve Boland’s career with Bank of America spanned more than three decades, beginning in 1990 as a management trainee in the retail bank. He rose to serve as president of retail banking in 2020. When Boland retired earlier this year, he served as a member of the executive management team and as chief administrative officer.
Photos courtesy of Carolina Youth Coalition
CHARLOTTE – Carolina Youth Coalition announced a $250,000 donation from Bank of America to support its Torch Fellows Program and leadership training.
The donation was made in honor of longtime Bank of America executive D. Steve Boland and his 30-plus years with the company. The Torch Fellows Program is Carolina Youth Coalition’s flagship, no-cost college initiative, which pairs high school students in Mecklenburg County with mentors and a set of college-prep resources. “Carolina Youth Coalition’s mission is admirable, and their programs produce lasting results for high-achieving, under-resourced students,” Boland said. “I am humbled by Bank of America’s gift in my honor, which will support the nonprofit in its critical work. The organization is personally meaningful to me and my family, and we look forward to celebrating their continued success.”
The $250,000 gift will help Carolina Youth Coalition expand the program to include oneon-one mentorship and college advising, career exploration and exposure, and financial literacy and leadership development. The program serves 320 fellows and aims to scale up to 500 participants by 2028. The donation will also support professional development and leadership training for Carolina Youth Coalition senior leaders and program coaches. Carolina Youth Coalition recently announced the newly established Boland Family Community and Excellence Award in recognition of Boland’s distinguished leadership and enduring impact. “Carolina Youth Coalition is honored to be selected by Steve Boland for this contribution celebrating his retirement, and we are deeply grateful for the enduring support the Boland family and Bank of America have shown our organization since our founding,” said Aaron
Randolph, co-founder and executive director of Carolina Youth Coalition. “We are proud to recognize their extraordinary commitment to leadership, mentorship and community engagement through the new Boland Family Excellence in Community Award, which will annually celebrate a Bank of America volunteer who goes above and beyond in their service to Carolina Youth Coalition and our fellows.”
Museum exhibit highlights Kuba textiles from the Congo CHARLOTTE – The Mint Museum will display “Designing Dynamism: Kuba Textiles from the DR Congo, The Wesley Mancini Collection” from Feb. 21 to Aug. 23 at Mint Museum Randolph.
“Designing Dynamism” celebrates the visual language and craftsmanship of the Kuba people from the Kasai region of Democratic Republic of Congo. Through labor intensive techniques, Kuba artists transform natural materials, such as palm fibers and tree bark, into complex textile designs. Kuba design, known for its distinctive asymmetrical patterns, has inspired generations of modern and contemporary artists. The exhibition highlights outstanding examples of Kuba
artistry, examining both the influence of these motifs on global design trends and the creativity of contemporary artists working in the Democratic Republic of Congo today. The exhibition space is designed by Stephen Burks and Malika Leiper of the studio Stephen Burks Man Made. All works in the exhibition are recent gifts to The Mint Museum from Wesley Mancini, a Charlotte-based textile designer who has assembled one of the region’s most significant collections of Kuba textiles. “This exhibition honors a powerful artistic tradition that continues to influence contemporary design worldwide,” said Annie Carlano, senior curator of craft, design and fashion at The
Kuba textiles found in The Wesley Mancini Collection feature distinctive asymmetrical patterns. Photo
courtesy of The Mint Museum
Mint Museum and curator of the exhibition. “We are thrilled to share the richness of Kuba creativity with our community, and we are grateful to Wesley Mancini for gifting his collection Story continues, see EXHIBIT page 3A
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Emmy Lou’s wine bar opening Dec. 19 CHARLOTTE – Emmy Lou’s will open its doors Dec. 19 in Dilworth.
Chef Adriana Cavazos, pastry chef at Customshop, will take the lead as chef de cuisine of the cozy wine bar concept by Andres Kaifer and Alex Bridges. “Working alongside Alex and Andres over the years has shaped me immensely as a person and a chef,” Cavazos said. “I’m honored that they trust me to lead this new kitchen and I feel more ready than ever.” She’ll focus on building rotating seasonal lunch, dinner and dessert menus to pair with the wine list. “Chef Dre has been such an important part of our team over the years, and I’m really proud of how much she’s grown, both as a talented chef and as a leader,” Kaifer said. “It’s been awesome watching her step out of her comfort zone and really find her stride in the kitchen.” Guests can expect shareables like meat and cheese boards, carpaccio, shrimp cocktail and a baked Brie. The opening lunch menu will feature sandwiches, salads and toasts, including the Elena Ruz (baguette, roasted turkey, fig jam and cream cheese) and Mortadella Sandwich (Verdant sourdough, mortadella, idiazabal, arugula, pepperonata and evoo aioli). More than 20 different wines will be served by the glass as well as a variety of local and domestic beer selections will be available. The beverage program will include canned and bottled non-alcoholic drinks. “Our goal will be to focus on producers when selecting the wines we work with at Emmy Lou's,” Bridges said. “We want to highlight producers who do things the right way in the vineyard as well as the winery. We hope to have a nice blend of well known regions as well as up-andcoming places that don't get as much shine.” Emmy Lou’s will double as a drop-in neighborhood bottle shop, offering a curated retail experience. It will also carry wine totes and wine keys as an ode to Bridge’s experiences at New York City local wine stores where customers reuse their tote every time they stop by to refill on their favorite bottles or try something new. “We set out to create a space that removes the pressure and makes wine feel approachable and fun and it has been amazing to see the response from the pop ups we have hosted so far,” Bridges said. Want to go?
Emmy Lou’s opening hours starting Dec. 19 are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. On the web: emmylouswinebar.com