Since 1990, the World Affairs Council of Charlotte annually presents the World Citizen Award to prominent citizens (and organizations) who have enhanced our community’s standing in the world their accomplishments of international significance and contributions to the city, this region and our international community.
The World Citizen Award Dinner has become an important part of the educational and cultural fabric of the greater Charlotte region. Each year, a capacity audience gathers to celebrate and recognize the achievements of the recipient.
This year, the Council is honored to present the 2015 World Citizen Award to Tim Belk, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Belk, Inc.
World Citizen Award Dinner 2015
Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2015
VIP & General Reception: 6:00 p.m.
Dinner: 7:15 p.m.
Venue: The Westin Charlotte (601 S. College St., Charlotte, NC 28202)
Cost:
$175 (Dinner & General Reception)
$250 (Dinner & VIP Reception with Tim Belk and distinguished guests)
Attire: Black Tie
Dinner Co-Chairs:
| Iris and George Battle, Jr. Cathy Bessant Margaret and Smoky Bissell Betsy and Bill Blue Crandall and Erskine Bowles Tricia and John Boyer David Carroll Janis and Frank Dowd IV Lisa and Philip Dubois Lynn and Brian Good Peggy and Jim Hynes |
Kathleen Jameson Shanon and Michael Jones Leslie and Michael Marsicano Hugh McColl, Jr. Meg and Bob Morgan Anna and Tom Nelson Sally and Russell Robinson Pat Rodgers Margaret and John Switzer Ann and Michael Tarwater Betsy Fleming and Ed Weisiger, Jr. Beth and Tony Zeiss |
Previous World Citizen Award Recipients:
| Rev. Billy Graham Loonis McGlohon William (Bill) Lee General H. Hugh Shelton (Ret.) Hugh McColl, Jr. Irwin (Ike) Belk Dr. LeRoy Walker Jerry Richardson Dean Rusk Erskine and Crandall Bowles Elizabeth Dole Dr. Graham Allison |
William (Bill) Friday Francis Robicsek, M.D. John Belk Herman Blumenthal Habitat for Humanity Charlotte Charlie Rose Carolinas Freedom Foundation James (Jim) Rogers Marshall Larsen Sandra and Leon Levine Margaret and Smoky Bissell Michael Tarwater |
AMBASSADOR SPONSORS
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ENVOY SPONSORS
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Crandall and Erskine Bowles |
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| Consul Sponsors Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte Observer Discovery Education Duke Energy Foundation For The Carolinas King & Spalding LM Global Partners Marie-Claire Marroum, M.D. Michael Kors |
Consul Sponsors (cont.) Mint Museum National Gypsum Perry Ellis International Rodgers Shanon and Michael Jones Tata Consultancy Services The Cato Corporation |
| Attaché Sponsors Accenture AREVA Bank of America Bechtler Museum of Modern Art Betsy and Bill Blue Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Carolina Panthers Chapter IV Investors Charlie and Kathy Izard / Scott and Anne Perper Charlotte Business Journal Charlotte Chamber of Commerce Charlotte Country Day School Charlotte Hornets Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Charlotte Radiology Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority Davidson College Deloitte / Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein DeSoto Holland Wealth Management Group Elliott Davis Decosimo Fishman & Tobin GreerWalker / Moore & Van Allen Haddad Brands Iris and George Battle, Jr. JPMorgan Chase & Co. K&L Gates Karen Kane Inc. KPMG Levine Museum of the New South Lilly Pulitzer Lisa and Ted Gardner Luquire George Andrews Management inSites McGuireWoods MetLife Nautica Peerless Clothing |
Attaché Sponsors (cont.) Piedmont Natural Gas PNC Bank Providence Day School Queens University of Charlotte Randa Accessories Randstad Technologies Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson Rufus Dalton Sally and Russell Robinson Samsonite/American Tourister/Hartmann Showalter Construction Company Syncot Plastics The Dickson Foundation UNC Charlotte UNC Charlotte – Office of International Programs Under Armour US Bank VF Jeanswear Wacoal America Windstream Hosted SolutionsEmissary Sponsors Charlotte Latin Dixon Hughes Goodman Nancy Robson National Retail Federation Pappas PropertiesDonors Margaret and Smoky Bissell Peggy and Jim Hynes |
World Citizen Award Dinner 2015
2015 Harold P. Josephson Award Recipient
Robert K. Holcombe
Immediate-Past Chairman, World Affairs Council of Charlotte (2009-2014)
US Regional Manager, AREVA Federal Services
He served in the US military with the US Army Corps of Engineers for 21 years and has subsequently held numerous engineering management positions with international energy and engineering companies both in the US and overseas.
As an army engineer, Mr. Holcombe was commissioned a second lieutenant with the Army Corps of Engineers in 1971, graduating from the United States Military Academy with a Bachelors of Science Degree, and served in numerous engineering units at all levels of supervisory and managerial responsibility. As a junior officer he managed quarry operations and road construction projects in the U.S., supervised electrical engineering projects for the Defense Intelligence Agency in Turkey and managed engineering operations for airfield construction activities in support of the U.S. Army Rapid Deployment Force. Serving as a mid-level officer, Mr. Holcombe was an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at the United States Military Academy and later managed the engineering operations of a 2,500 man Engineering Group in Germany. As a senior officer, Mr. Holcombe commanded an airborne combat engineering battalion in the first Gulf War and served as the Assistant Corps Engineer for the XVIII Airborne Corps and US Army Rapid Deployment Force, overseeing all international engineering and infrastructure projects in support of global deployments.
Upon leaving the military in 1992, Mr Holcombe joined Duke Energy Corporation, a global energy company with electrical generation and transmission facilities in 17 countries on five continents, and served in various senior management positions to include: Senior Engineering Manager and Director of International Business Development, overseeing international project development and acquisition; Vice President of International Engineering, responsible for the management and executions of international projects and services in support of Duke Energy Corporation acquisition of over 30 power plant and electrical transmission and distribution systems globally; and President of Duke-Atec Engineering & Services Company, a joint-venture energy engineering company headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, providing engineering services for hydroelectric, fossil, and bio-mass power plants and transmission systems to the energy markets of Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador.
In 2002 Mr. Holcombe joined AREVA Corporation, a global full-services nuclear engineering corporation, in an acquisition from Duke Energy Corporation. With AREVA, Mr Holcombe continued to serve in senior international engineering management positions for the South American region until moving in 2004 to serve as a US Regional Manager for AREVA NP and later for AREVA Federal Services, an engineering and services company of AREVA that exclusively serves energy projects in support of the U.S. Department of Energy.
Mr. Holcombe has been a Director on the board of the World Affairs Council of Charlotte since 1998, representing Duke Energy Corporation and later AREVA, and until recently, served for over five years as the Chairman. He and his wife, Geralyn, came to Charlotte upon leaving the military in 1992 and have made Charlotte their permanent home ever since.
Mr. Robert K. Holcombe has over 40 years of military and civilian engineering and management experience ranging from project engineering and execution to operations and management of engineering organizations and companies globally.