Dianne Kepley joined the SBTDC’s Hickory office as a Business Resiliency Counselor in the summer of 2020. Dianne is an experienced business development professional with a background in retail, technology, media and healthcare software, and non-profits. She has experience in impact and innovation initiatives, customer relationship management, vendor management, and leadership. Dianne owned a data storage company, DataBank Co., for 14 years, selling the company in 2004. 
Business Resiliency Counselors
Our team of Business Resiliency Counselors are available to work with business owners recovering from the impacts of COVID-19 on cash flow and financing, exploring new marketing opportunities, stabilizing operations, safely welcoming back customers, digital marketing, and more. Scroll down to view bios as well as the statewide Business Resiliency Counselor map.
| Hickory |
Dianne Kepley Dianne Kepley×Dianne Kepley joined the SBTDC’s Hickory office as a Business Resiliency Counselor in the summer of 2020. Dianne is an experienced business development professional with a background in retail, technology, media and healthcare software, and non-profits. She has experience in impact and innovation initiatives, customer relationship management, vendor management, and leadership. Dianne owned a data storage company, DataBank Co., for 14 years, selling the company in 2004. |
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| Raleigh |
Gene Holland Gene Holland× Gene Holland joined the SBTDC’s Raleigh office as a Business Resiliency Counselor in the fall of 2020. Gene brings experience in financial analysis and businesses credit underwriting after spending nearly five years as a Commercial Banker and Business Credit Instructor at BB&T (now Truist). He co-founded CORK & TEE, a boutique travel company specializing in customized experiences, and helped grow it into a profitable, $4 million business. |
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| Chapel Hill |
Gene Holland |
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| Greenville |
Michael Thompson |
Cheryl Young |
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| Charlotte |
Alisa Atkinson McDonald Alisa Atkinson McDonald× Alisa Atkinson McDonald serves as a Business Resiliency Counselor at the SBTDC’s office in Charlotte. Alisa has experience as an executive leader at several Fortune 100 companies, holding leadership roles in integrated marketing solutions, IT, information security and cybersecurity, business continuity, supply chain, project development, change management, and mergers and acquisitions. She has a Bachelor's in Mathematics and Computer Science from UNC Chapel Hill and an M.B.A. from UNC Charlotte. |
Jason Boudrie Jason Boudrie× Jason Boudrie serves as a Business Resiliency Counselor at the SBTDC’s office in Charlotte. Jason has over 25 years of experience in the fitness, wellness, and sports industries. He has built dozens of fitness and sports facilities and a nationally recognized corporate wellness consulting company. Jason has a background in finance and economics, an NYU Certification in Global Sports Management, and a passion for athletics and youth development. |
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| Triad |
Alisa Atkinson McDonald |
Jason Boudrie |
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| Elizabeth City |
Michael Thompson Michael Thompson× Michael Thompson serves as a Business Resiliency Counselor at the SBTDC’s office in Elizabeth City. Michael is a retired pilot who accrued more than 20 years of active service in the U.S. Navy. During his career with the U.S. Navy, he was also a Division Career Counselor, providing individual counseling to active-duty soldiers and their families. Michael served as the GEAR-UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) Coordinator for Weldon City Schools for four years. He also operated a small home repair company. |
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| Asheville |
Dianne Kepley |
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| Wilmington |
Cheryl Young Cheryl Young× Cheryl Young serves as a Business Resiliency Counselor at the SBTDC’s office in Wilmington. Cheryl spent 13 years as a business consultant with the Pennsylvania SBDC at Shippensburg University where she assisted small businesses with business plans, financial analysis, marketing plans, and start-up guidance. During her time in Pennsylvania, Cheryl and her husband owned and operated three restaurants. She has a Bachelor’s in Business/Marketing from Penn State University. |
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| Pembroke |
Joseph James Joseph James× Joseph James joined the SBTDC’s Pembroke office as a Business Resiliency Counselor in the fall of 2020. Joseph has more than 10 years of experience helping small and large organizations reach their potential by applying industrial organizational psychology and business strategies to help strengthen performance. He founded his own consulting business, Higher Up Consulting, LLC, in 2018. Joseph has a Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. |
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| Fayetteville |
Joseph James |
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