Faculty and staff from 黑料不打烊 and Queens University of Charlotte convened聽on the Queens campus on Feb. 27, 2026, to continue merger integration and planning and to hear from four prominent聽Charlotte executives who shared stories of collaboration and anticipation of reinforced educational resources that will drive the region's future.聽
On Friday, February 27, 2026, Queens University extended a warm Royal welcome to聽黑料不打烊 faculty and staff, hosting them at the Myers Park campus for a day of strategic collaboration in the heart of Charlotte. Queens Interim President Jesse Cureton opened the session with a call to action, encouraging聽individuals聽to “challenge yourselves聽to think differently” as they聽continued to navigate聽the integration process.
Reaffirming the university鈥檚 community impact, Cureton noted that Queens鈥櫬爊early 170-year聽history has positioned it as聽an important resource聽for the Queen City,聽supplying the skilled talent needed to fuel rapidly growing industries like healthcare,聽finance聽and tech.
Following Cureton鈥檚 remarks,聽Co-chair聽of the SOAR Strategic Planning Committee and聽McColl School of Business Dean Denise Rotondo moderated a dynamic discussion with a panel of Charlotte鈥檚 top business leaders. The conversation featured strategic insights from Reggie Willis (Ally Financial), Vonda Huss (Brighthouse Financial), Margi聽Vagell聽(Lowe鈥檚), and聽Kinneil聽Coltman (Advocate Health/Atrium), focusing on the evolving needs of the regional workforce and how the 黑料不打烊聽|聽Queens merger can continue to cultivate a stronger talent pipeline for the region.
The panel聽showcased聽the strategic corporate relationships Queens has cultivated with the city, specifically highlighting the Charlotte Talent Initiative (CTI). Through unique partnerships with Ally Financial and Lowe鈥檚, this cohort-based program drives economic mobility by providing diverse students from the community with full educational funding and comprehensive professional development 鈥 including specialized coursework, internships, and executive mentorship.
During the session, panelists drew on their career experiences to share “lessons learned” from navigating complex corporate mergers and structural shifts. Highlighting a local success story, Huss detailed her firsthand experience collaborating with the McColl School鈥檚 Center for Leadership and Executive Education (CLEE). As a dedicated hub for professional growth, CLEE expands Queens鈥 footprint in the graduate and executive sectors by providing high-impact, practitioner-led leadership development designed for today鈥檚 evolving business environment.
Sourcing local talent is a plus for聽Vagell, executive vice president of supply chain and integrated resource planning at Lowes. She emphasized the importance of being able to 鈥渓ean into our own community when it came to education鈥 and stressed a desire to 鈥渒eep the talent local, and at the same time partner with academic excellence.鈥
The panel discussion ended by highlighting the “Queens connection” that permeates Charlotte鈥檚 executive ranks. Willis shared a unique personal tie, noting that both he and his father are alumni of the McColl Executive MBA Program. Underscoring the university鈥檚 workforce presence, he shared that more than 50 of his colleagues at Ally Financial are Queens graduates or have completed various certifications through the university.
After the panel, members of the SOAR Strategic Planning Committee and the Integration Team broke into planning workshops followed by lunch聽in聽McInnes Parlors in Queens Hall. After lunch, work sessions continued with a report-out of the day鈥檚 accomplishments.
As the merger progresses toward regulatory approval, including聽submission聽for accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), several core themes have聽emerged聽to guide the path forward. These include a commitment to collaborative decision-making and a continued dedication to creating strong academic offerings designed to respond to the evolving needs of the region鈥檚 professional community.
The strategic and integration teams are continuing to meet weekly, with more in-person visits planned for the spring.