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Administration & Finance
Area Agency on Aging
Community Economic Development​
Regional Planning
Strategic Engagement & Technical Services
Workforce Development Board

Centralina employs a team of experts that work collectively to further the mission of the organization. Interested in joining this dynamic team of professionals? Visit our Insights page for available job opportunities. 

 

Administration & Finance

Geraldine Gardner

Executive Director, Centralina Regional Council

Geraldine Ide Gardner began her role as Executive Director of Centralina Regional Council in January 2019. She previously served as Director of Urban and Regional Policy at German Marshall of the United States (GMF) in Washington, D.C. At GMF, Geraldine the led program’s transatlantic initiatives to convene policymakers and practitioners from U.S. and European cities to explore key issues in the transatlantic urban agenda. Her expertise lies in the integrated policies and cross-sector partnerships needed to build sustainable and inclusive cities…

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Denise Strosser

Finance Director, Centralina Regional Council

Information coming soon.

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Larry Johnson

IT Manager
704-385-4249

Jimmy Loftin

Accountant I
704-348-2738

Destiny Richardson

Accountant I
980-500-9225
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Tisha Steen

Accounting Manager
704-348-2727
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Venecia Rock White

Human Resources & Operations Manager
704-348-2733

Michele Yard

Office Services Specialist
704-385-7557

CENTRALINA AREA AGENCY ON AGING

Katie Kutcher

Director, Centralina Area Agency on Aging

Katie Kutcher is the Aging Programs Director for Centralina’s Area Agency on Aging, which focuses on strengthening care options across the continuum, from home and community‑based aging services to long-term care communities. She leads and oversees programs and services that support older adults, caregivers and aging service providers across the nine‑county Centralina region.

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Laurie Abounader

Aging Program Administrator
704-688-6501

Austin Caton-Isham

Aging Program Specialist
704-348-2708

Amanda Dawson

Aging Program Coordinator
704-385-4789
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Hillary Kaylor

Regional Ombudsman Program Manager
704-348-2724

Rachel Kiel

Regional Ombudsman
704-348-2739
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Cindy Kincaid

Aging Program Manager
704-348-2715
Debi Lee

Debi Lee

Assistant Director, Aging Programs
704-348-2714

Kelsey Lieungh

Aging Program Specialist
704-348-2710

Kelly Mach

Aging Program Coordinator
704-688-6509

Caitlin McElrath

Aging Program Administrator
704-348-2726

Rochelle McIver

Regional Ombudsman
704-348-2736

Kisha High

Regional Ombudsman

Jeanette Mullies

Regional Ombudsman
704-688-6504

Molly O’Day

Aging Program Coordinator
704-385-4461
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Evelyn Pressley

Aging Program Financial Coordinator
704-688-6505

Kristen Srouji

Aging Program Manager
704-348-2729

CENTRALINA COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

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Christina Danis

Director, Centralina Community Economic Development

Christina Danis, Ph.D., AICP, is the Director of the Centralina Community Economic Development Department. She is responsible for Centralina’s work related to regional and community economic growth with a focus on urban-rural prosperity, economic resilience and the creation of equitable housing and communities. Her work is dedicated to empowering local governments and regional stakeholders to work collaboratively to create a prosperous and globally connected greater Charlotte region for all.

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Anggie Fernandez

Community Economic Development Specialist
704-385-4137
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Anna Lu Wilson

Community Economic Development Coordinator
704-385-4790

CENTRALINA REGIONAL PLANNING

Lynne Hair

Director, Centralina Regional Planning

Lynne Hair is the Director of Centralina’s Regional Planning Department, where her primary focus is on delivering high-quality planning services and support to member local governments. Her work centers on helping communities address growth, governance and land use challenges through practical, responsive planning assistance and strong local government partnerships.

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Joyce Liu

Senior Regional Mobility Program Planner
704-348-2720

Andy Grzymski

Regional Mobility Program Manager
704-688-6507

Lela Ijames

Regional Planner II
704-688-7038

Melissa Jamison

Regional Planner I
704-777-4191

Sarah Niess

Senior Planner
704-372-2416

Megan Upchurch

Senior Planner
704-688-7035

CENTRALINA STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT & TECHNICAL SERVICES

Kasia Thompson

Director, Strategic Engagement & Technical Services

Kasia Thompson is the Director of Centralina Strategic Engagement & Technical Services. In this role, she is responsible for engaging member governments and federal and state offices in advancing the region’s priorities. Her focus is to meet the current and future needs of local communities, identify opportunities for success and build collaborative relationships between key stakeholders.

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Narissa Claiborne

Strategic Engagement & Technical Services Coordinator
704-348-2701

Shanta Watkins

Strategic Engagement & Technical Services Coordinator
704-348-2718
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Kelly Weston

Strategic Engagement & Technical Services Manager
704-348-2728

CENTRALINA WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD

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David Hollars

Director, Centralina Workforce Development Board

David Hollars is the Director of Centralina Workforce Development Board (WDB). In his role he provides the expertise and resources to support the work of Centralina WDB, partnering with economic development, education and businesses, creating innovative strategies to serve job seekers and employers and investing in the future of the community…

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Solomon McAuley

Solomon McAuley

NextGen Program Leader
704-348-2725

Kenny Parker

Business Services Leader
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Christen Robinson

Workforce Development Board Assistant Director
704-348-2725

Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the ongoing policy and practice of Centralina to provide equal opportunity in employment to all employees and applicants. No person shall be discriminated against in any condition of employment because of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, genetic information, disability, veteran status or any other status protected by applicable law.

Federal funds are commonly passed through state agencies in North Carolina before being awarded to local governments, which can make the original funding source less obvious. Before proceeding with a procurement, local governments should verify whether an award originates from a federal source. This determination affects compliance obligations, including procurement standards, reporting, and audit requirements.

When a construction or repair contract over $300,000 involves a building, the procurement and contract are subject to additional requirements under N.C.G.S. 143-128. Therefore, this question must be answered to determine whether the additional statutory requirements apply to this procurement scenario.

The micro-purchase threshold is a federal procurement threshold under which competitive procurement is not required. The default micro-purchase threshold is $15,000, but local governments may increase the micro-purchase threshold up to $50,000. An explanation of increasing the micro-purchase threshold and a template for the required annual self-certification is available here.