Professionals united to advance the Charlotte Region.

Avery Bonifati is the manager of engagement for the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance. She works closely with the CLT Alliance’s Advocacy team and spearheads the Power of Women program through innovative and informative events. 

“We are thrilled to have Avery join the Engagement team,” Ashley Hedrick, director of engagement, said. “In her role, she will engage our investors in a meaningful way. With her Political Science degree and work in Congresswoman Alma Adams’ office, we are confident she will help push our policy priorities forward through educational opportunities and connectivity.”  

Karen Brand is the Vice President of Small Business Acceleration for the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance. She joined the organization in April 2025 as senior program manager, bringing with her decades of communications and marketing experience and a deep commitment to help business owners thrive.

As vice president, she leads the CLT Alliance’s small business acceleration strategy, including enhancing collaboration with the city, regional counties, and our economic development partners, and leveraging the collective strength of the CLT Alliance and its network so small businesses can succeed in a thriving regional economy.

Alyssa Brown Moseley has a decade of experience in economic and workforce development, having worked across verticals including marketing, research, and business recruitment, both at the local and state levels. With a collaborative approach, she implements creative marketing and data analysis strategies to support economic development projects and has successfully supported numerous headquarters, corporate hub, and manufacturing facility announcements. In her current role as the director of strategy for the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, Alyssa leads the economic development strategy for the 14-county region.

Kyle Brun is an investor relations manager for the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance. In this role, he works on the organization’s Investor Relations Team to support stakeholders and investors across the expansive 14-county, bi-state Charlotte Region.

Kyle, a Charlotte transplant from Indianapolis, grew up around the nonprofit development space.

Rob Buddo serves as the director of business recruitment for the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, where he leads targeted economic development efforts to attract high-impact corporate investment, strengthen the region’s industry clusters, and deepen global market engagement across Charlotte and its 14-county region.

Rob has built his career in economic development and commercial real estate. Prior to joining the CLT Alliance, he spent much of his career in downtown place management, serving as the manager of the Downtown Business Improvement District in Birmingham, Alabama, and later as president & CEO of Downtown Huntsville, Inc. During that time, he led strategies related to COVID recovery, retail and office recruitment, development consulting, and other initiatives focused on creating vibrant urban districts.

Colleen Cooke began her career with the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance’s legacy organization, the Charlotte Chamber, back in 1991. Colleen was hired as a word processor and her job has evolved over the years. She is now Executive Administrator, supporting the CLT Alliance President & CEO as well as the rest of the C-Suite. 

Colleen is passionate about her job and loves the Charlotte Region. Having moved here in 1981, she has seen the city of Charlotte grow significantly and knows the value that a strong voice for the business community like the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance plays in this growth.

Jessica Cooke serves as the Database and Website Director for the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, where she oversees the organization’s website and CRM to ensure both platforms are accurate, reliable, and user-friendly. Her work supports a wide range of audiences, including businesses exploring relocation opportunities, out-of-market visitors, and local community partners and investors.

Jessica manages the CLT Alliance database with a focus on data integrity, usability, and actionable reporting. She ensures reports provide leadership with timely insights aligned with the organization’s mission.

If you have attended a CLT Alliance Economic Outlook meeting or reviewed the Annual Plan, you already know Darius Corry’s work.

Darius joined the CLT Alliance Marketing and Communications after several months of doing graphic design work for the organization on a contract basis.

Prior to joining the CLT Alliance, Darius worked for Food Lion, Odyssey Logistics and Technology, and most recently at INSP entertainment network as the program coordinator for creative materials. 

Shawn Cummins grew up on Air Force bases as the child of military parents, an upbringing that instilled in him discipline, adaptability, and a sharp attention to detail. From an early age, he discovered a passion for both creativity and technology—writing music, building computers, and exploring the worlds of geometry and statistics.

In 2015, Shawn found the perfect intersection of these interests when he discovered Geographic Information Systems (GIS) while studying at UNC Charlotte. He graduated in 2019 and began his professional journey with Esri, applying his skills in mapping and spatial analysis. He later transitioned into economic development research in Iredell County before joining the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, where he continues to combine data, design, and strategy to drive regional growth.