Ed McMahan, Former NC Rep.

At War: Dennis Blair

AS CONFLICTS CONTINUE TO GROW AROUND THE WORLD, AMERICANS ARE ASKING BIGGER QUESTIONS ABOUT MILITARY READINESS AND OUR GLOBAL STRATEGY. WE’RE JOINED BY SOMEONE WHO HAS SEEN THE REALITY OF WAR FROM THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE LEADERSHIP. DENNIS BLAIR IS A RETIRED FOUR-STAR ADMIRAL, FORMER COMMANDER OF U.S. PACIFIC COMMAND, AND SERVED AS DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE UNDER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA.

Meet Mac Everett: A Charlotte Pioneer in Business and Politics

N A TIME WHEN COMPROMISE OFTEN FEELS LIKE A DIRTY WORD IN POLITICS, WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM LEADERS WHO BELIEVED CONSENSUS WASN’T WEAKNESS — IT WAS HOW YOU GOT THINGS DONE? OUR “PIONEERS IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS” SERIES CONTINUES WITH SOMEONE WHO SPENT DECADES HELPING BUILD CONSENSUS DURING SOME OF CHARLOTTE’S MOST IMPORTANT MOMENTS. AS A SENIOR BANKING EXECUTIVE, MAC EVERETT HELPED TRANSFORM CHARLOTTE INTO A NATIONAL BANKING CENTER. BUT HIS ROLE IN THIS CITY WENT WELL BEYOND BUSINESS.

Cathy Bessant: Affordable Housing

CHARLOTTE HAS SPENT YEARS TRYING TO CLOSE THE GAP ON HOUSING — BUT THE NUMBERS KEEP MOVING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. INCREASINGLY, IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT LOW-INCOME HOUSING — IT’S ABOUT WORKFORCE HOUSING… TEACHERS, FIRST RESPONDERS, AND YOUNG PROFESSIONALS BEING PRICED OUT. JOINING ME NOW IS SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN AT THE CENTER OF THIS ISSUE FROM BOTH THE BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY SIDE. CATHY BESSANT IS A FORMER TOP EXECUTIVE AT BANK OF AMERICA, WHERE SHE HELPED OVERSEE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING REVITALIZATION INITIATIVES. MOST RECENTLY SHE SERVED AS CEO OF THE FOUNDATION FOR THE CAROLINAS — ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATIONS IN THE REGION. LEARN HOW SHE BECAME ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN BANKING AS WE CONTINUE OUR PIONEERS IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS SERIES.

Attorney Bill Graham

The court cases shaping policy — from Washington to North Carolina. Recent rulings on voting rights, redistricting, education and abortion access aren’t just legal decisions — they’re determining who holds power. Bill Graham has decades of experience working at the intersection of law, public policy, and government.

Chris William

The line between business and government is getting harder to see… and the decisions made in one are driving the other, from prices at the checkout line to decisions about hiring, investment, and growth. And those decisions don’t stay in the boardroom — they impact prices, jobs, and the broader direction of the economy. Chris William is the host of Carolina Business Review and a longtime observer of business and economic trends across the Carolinas.