Growing up in a small town in NC, I knew that at some time, I had to leave to make my mark, I was just unsure when that would be. I started that journey by attending the UNC, Chapel Hill (Go Heels!) in 1973. I stayed for 2-3 years in Chapel Hill after graduating, before I threw caution to the wind and in 1978, moved to NYC. I went to work for an Israeli-based bank; so needless to say, this was culture shock in its truest form. I developed great relationships with the international staff and clients, but after a couple of years, I found myself wanting to return to the South. I moved to Atlanta intending to stay 2-3 years before returning to NC, but instead, I have stayed 36 years and count