Darren Ash

Executive Director

Darren serves as full-time Executive Director at no salary. His main role is to connect student participants to the construction industry in the form of mentorships, apprenticeships and permanent job placement. He was one of three founding partners of Apartment Realty Advisors (ARA), the largest private multifamily investment sales company in the U.S. until it was purchased by a publicly traded firm. He also founded and ran Charlotte Family Housing (CFH) for seven years, now the largest shelter to rapid rehousing agency in North Carolina. After CFH, he founded and ran Common Wealth Charlotte (CWC), a trauma-informed financial education and emergency loan program for low-wage workers. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 1982 with a Masters of Tax and CPA designation.

Email Darren at dash@roccharlotte.org

Margaret Thornton

Associate Director

Margaret serves full time for The ROC as Associate Director. Before The ROC, Margaret worked at Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) under Carl Perkins Federal Program as a Career and Technical Education Coordinator. Prior to working at CPCC, Margaret owned her own small design and construction company. Margaret’s nickname is “Mother ROC”! 

Email Margaret at mthornton@roccharlotte.org

Tom Derthick

Lead Instructor

Tom Derthick has been a Carpentry/Construction Management Instructor at Central Piedmont Community College since 2007. This summer (2024) he is moving to ROC Charlotte as Lead Instructor. He’s known the value of the trades and the doors they can open since his first summer job.

Email Tom at tderthick@roccharlotte.org

Hailey Brown

Career Pathway Coordinator

ROC College

Hailey Brown serves The ROC by developing student career plans and providing student support. Prior to joining the ROC, Hailey was a CMS middle school teacher, and has always had a passion for creative, hands-on learning. Hailey holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Florida State University in Education.

Email Hailey at hbrown@roccharlotte.org

Jane Jacobs

Career Pathway Coordinator, ROC Direct

Julius L. Chambers High School
Garinger High School

Jane Jacobs serves The ROC by developing student career plans and providing student support. Prior to joining The ROC, Jane was a Student Success Navigator at Central Piedmont Community College; helping students through their enrollment process and connecting them to services and resources. Jane holds a Bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University and a Masters degree from University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Email Jane at jjacobs@roccharlotte.org

Makenzie Ward

Career Pathway Coordinator, ROC Direct

West Mecklenburg High School

Makenzie serves The ROC by developing student career plans and providing student support. Prior to joining The ROC, Makenzie was a CMS middle school teacher and student case manager, pushing students to be the best versions of themselves. Makenzie holds a Bachelor’s degree from Winston Salem State University and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree from Fayetteville State University.

Email Makenzie at mward@roccharlotte.org

Vivian Scharager

Career Pathway Coordinator, ROC Direct

Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology
Harding University High School
West Charlotte High School

Vivian Scharager serves The ROC by developing student career plans and providing student support. Prior to joining the ROC, Vivian worked for the Environmental Health & Safety department at Central Piedmont Community College. She has a strong background in facilities management, operations, and project coordination. Vivian is a strong advocate for multicultural exchanges and is deeply committed to showing young people that there is a whole World out there to explore.

Email Vivian at vscharager@roccharlotte.org

Dr. Melissa Wilson Balknight

Deputy Superintendent for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Dr. Melissa Wilson Balknight is the Deputy Superintendent for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Her career in education began as a middle school science teacher. Dr. Balknight has served as a school administrator and held a variety of leadership roles at the district office level in a previous public school district. Her husband and son (both named Ricky) keep her very busy.

Alex Camps

Board Chair

Preconstruction Manager – Gilbane Building Company

Alex Camps has more than 20 years of construction management experience and currently serves as the Preconstruction Manager for Gilbane Building Company in Charlotte, North Carolina. He directs and coordinates the execution of preconstruction services with a specific emphasis on estimating services for large complex construction projects. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Temple University and a Master of Science in Project Management from Drexel University College of Engineering.

Bird Anderson

Executive Vice President of Homebuilder Banking, Wells Fargo

Bird is head of Homebuilder Banking for the Commercial Real Estate Group at Wells Fargo. He provides banking services to regional and national homebuilders and land developers across key markets in the U.S. Bird graduated with a bachelor’s from Vanderbilt University in 1985.

Melanie Reddrick

Project Architect, Little Diversified Architectural Consulting

Melanie is a project architect with the Community/ Schools studio at Little Diversified Architectural Consulting, focusing on K-12 school design. Little offers architectural, engineering, and graphic design services for a variety of project types, including civic, retail, higher education, healthcare, and corporate clients.

Daniel Cooper

President of Construction- Crescent Communities

Daniel has over 17 years of construction management experience in a wide range of urban and suburban high-density projects. Daniel currently serves as Senior Vice President of Construction for Crescent Communities and previously served at the executive level at Fortune-Johnson, Inc., one of the nation’s premiere urban multifamily and mixed-use general contractors. Daniel holds a Board seat with the East Carolina University Construction Department and has actively participated in a wide range of local community and industry based charitable projects. He earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Georgia Terry College of Business.

Trent Haston

President/CEO, Roby Family of Companies

A graduate of Harding High School, Trent has been laborer, carpenter and project manager to now president and CEO of the Roby Family of Companies, a company his grandfather and father built. Trent understands and appreciates what it takes to do every job within the construction industry. He graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2000 and was previously president of the Home Builders Association.

Armando Perez

Vice President of Construction Operations, Rodgers Builders

Armando Perez is a Vice President of Construction Operations at Rodgers Builders, a highly recognized and top leading general contractor in the North and South Carolina region. He has been part of numerous complex construction projects in Charlotte which have really helped reshape our growing city. Armando graduated as a Civil Engineer from Georgia Tech and also acquired a masters of finance at the University of Miami in Florida before moving to Charlotte in 2008.

Ronnie Andrawis

Operations Manager- Gaylor Electric

Ronnie has more than 20 years of electrical contracting and energy market experience. He currently serves as the Operations Manager for Gaylor Electric, managing the mid-Atlantic region. He is an Operation Enduring Freedom combat veteran with the 82d Airborne Division. Ronnie holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from California State University San Bernardino. He will complete his MBA with specializations in International Business and Innovation and Entrepreneurship from the Darla Moore School of Business in February 2025

Lieutenant LeBraun Evans

Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD)

Lieutenant Evans is a 27-year veteran of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) and oversees the Community Engagement Division. Lieutenant Evans has done extensive work in the juvenile justice and electronic monitoring fields and currently manages all programs that offer engagement and second-chance opportunities for youth that enter the criminal justice system.

Josh Vallimont

Senior Project Manager - DPR

Josh is a graduate of Penn State University’s Architectural Engineering program and has more than 23 years of construction experience. He recently managed the delivery of the largest LEED Gold certified commercial interior renovation project in Charlotte. Currently, he works for DPR and is actively involved in various community volunteer efforts. Previously, Josh served as Senior Project Manager at Balfour Beaty and was also the past Chair of the Charlotte ACE Mento Program.

Matthew Brewster

Vice President - MSS Solutions

Matt is a mechanical engineer by training and education with over 15 years of experience in the construction industry. Currently, he oversees Mechanical Construction, BIM, Custom Fabrication, Pipefitting, Sheet Metal, and Workforce Development at MSS Solutions. Matt’s passion for improving his community through the built environment has driven him to continually improve himself both professionally and personally.

Franklin Chacon

Recent ROC Graduate- Assistant Superintendent Whiting-Turner

Franklin, a native of Honduras, joined the ROC as a high school junior. After graduation, he continued his studies at CPCC, where he completed his Associates in Construction Management. While maintaining his commitment to school, he worked full-time for Liles Construction as a field engineer. In 2023, Franklin accepted a position as Assistant Superintendent at Whiting-Turner. With his strong work ethic and attention to detail, Franklin is dedicated to building a successful career in the construction industry.

Margaret Thornton

Associate Director, The ROC

Darren Ash

Executive Director, The ROC