I‘ve refereed youth soccer games at many different venues across the state. When I pass some of those fields, even many years later, I inevitably recall some regrettable, specific decision. OK, a fan would say I made a bad call.
Seeking perfection doesn’t mean we attain it, and no one regrets an error more than the person who made it, I’ve concluded.
Our Power List 2024 was a prodigious annual project published in May. We’re proud of the chance to spotlight 500 influential state leaders. We’re not proud of mistakes that occur when our editing and proofreading fail.
BEAU CUMMINS is vice chair and chief operating officer at Truist. His responsibilities were listed incorrectly.
SCOTT HAMILTON is CEO of he Golden LEAF Foundation. His organization was listed incorrectly.
LOREN HILL is Carolina Core Regional Economic Development director. The group has helped create more than 50,300 jobs. The number listed was incorrect.
GREGORY POOLE III is CEO of Gregory Poole Equipment. His grandfather co-founded the business. It has more than 1,400 employees. His relationship to the company’s founders and the number of employees were incorrect.
LISA TUCKER is CEO of Shoe Show. The names of the Shoe Show and Shoe Show Mega brands were incorrect.
GREG WALTER is executive vice president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway. His title was incorrect.
TED WHITEHURST is CEO of PB Financial, which acquired Coastal Bank & Trust in April. The acquired bank’s name and transaction date were incorrect.
DONTÁ WILSON is chief consumer and small business banking officer at Truist. He has an MBA from the University of Maryland and has served in leadership roles for more than 25 years at Truist and predecessor BB&T. He oversees more than 1,900 branches. His MBA school, tenure and the number of branches were incorrect.
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ROBERT VAN GEONS
CEO
Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development
Fayetteville
Best Advice: Count to 10 before you throw a stone. Whatever you believe, you may be wrong. (Paul Thorn)
Favorite passions: Music and tennis
Won’t do again: Forget to ask, “Are we on the record?”
Favorite book: “Relationship Economics” by David Nour
Favorite musicians: The Dead South
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TODD HALL
CEO
Truliant Federal Credit Union
Pfafftown
Truliant continued its rapid expansion, topping $5 billion in assets last year and building its franchise in the Triad, Charlotte and Greenville, South Carolina, markets. Hall joined the credit union in 2012 and became CEO in 2020.
Education: BS University of South Carolina, MBA, Wake Forest University
First job: Bartender while in college.
Best advice: No one can impact the amount of effort you put into your job except for you, so always out hustle your competition. (Father)
Career accomplishment: CEO at Truliant Federal Credit Union.
Best life change: Marrying my wife, Shannon,
30 years ago.
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MIKE MAYER
CEO
First Bank
Southern Pines
Mayer joined the largest North Carolina community bank in 2014 after a career that included a stint at Bank of America. Starting in Troy in 1935, the bank now counts 118 branches across the Carolinas. Its First Bancorp holding company had total assets of $12 billion as of
Dec. 31, up 14% from a year earlier.
Education: BS Clemson University
Best advice: Never bet against the Fed.
Favorite passion: Spending time at the beach, and playing golf.
Person I admire: My daughter, Virginia Mayer. She combines IQ and EQ in just the right measures.
Never do again: Making the mistake of saying something I’d never do again.
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DAVID REA
President
Salem Investment Counselors
Winston-Salem
Rea and Salem have concentrated on high quality companies with good growth prospects since 2007. CityWire named it the state’s fastest growing investment advisor last year, while USA Today and CNBC have rated it among the best U.S. financial advisory firms.
Education: BA Wabash College; MBA Indiana University; JD Wake Forest University
What would a competitor say: Smart, honest
and experienced.
Best advice: Work hard and have fun. (Dad)
Favorite book: “Lessons in Chemistry” by
Bonnie Garmus
Career accomplishment: CNBC ranking our firm No. 1 nationally.
Best life change: Switching to finance from law.
