CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 12, 2014 – Junior Achievement of Central Carolinas (JACC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing the state’s youth for the future, and the North Carolina Chamber joined forces on November 18 to induct the 2014 laureates into the North Carolina Business Hall of Fame. This year’s honorees are: James Rogers, retired chairman of the board, Duke Energy Corporation; Steven B. Tanger, president and CEO, Tanger Factory Outlets, Inc.; and Thad Woodward, president and CEO of the North Carolina Bankers Association (NCBA). The ceremony was held at the Ritz-Carlton Charlotte and featured two receptions and a seated dinner and induction ceremony.

In addition to his position with Duke Energy, Rogers is the current director of Cigna® and Applied Materials, Inc. Under Rogers' leadership, Duke Energy has been recognized as a leader in sustainability – balancing the "triple bottom line" of people, planet and profits. A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Rogers earned his bachelor’s degree and juris doctor degree from the University of Kentucky.

Tanger is the president and CEO of Tanger Factory Outlets Inc. Instrumental in leading the company to become one of the most prominent players in the outlet industry in the United States and Canada, Tanger is also the name donor for the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts in Greensboro, North Carolina. He is a class of 1970 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed courses as part of the Executive Program at the Stanford University School of Business in 1977.

Woodard has been a fixture in North Carolina’s banking industry for 36 years, having joined the then Community Bankers Association (now NCBA) in 1978. He was instrumental in the passage of North Carolina’s landmark anti-predatory lending law, and created the Camp Challenge financial literacy program twenty years ago. The program serves nearly 8,300 middle school students from low-income families in North Carolina. Woodard will retire from the NCBA in January 2015.

JACC has partnered with the North Carolina Chamber to present the annual North Carolina Business Hall of Fame event for 27 years, honoring the accomplishments of 106 outstanding business leaders from across the state. Each laureate is selected by a panel of business and community leaders for their significant contributions in building and defining the North Carolina business landscape. Top 2014 event sponsors included MetLife, Ralph Lauren, Shelton Vineyards, Spiracle Media, Tanger Outlet Centers, Inc., TIAA-CREF and UTC Aerospace Systems. The VIP reception was sponsored by HSBC Bank USA, and the general reception by Bank of America Merrill Lynch. The awards sponsor was Publix Supermarkets and the media sponsor was Pace Communications.

For more information about this year’s event, visit http://www.jacarolinas.org/events/nc-business-hall-of-fame/.

QUOTES:

“We are honored to celebrate alongside such revered business leaders who have had an outstanding impact on North Carolina, both socially and economically,” said Sarah Cherne, president and CEO of JACC. “We are proud to be able to instill the same character and entrepreneurial traits that they exhibit every day to more than 30,000 students across North and South Carolina each year.”

“The North Carolina Chamber is proud to join with Junior Achievement to identify outstanding members of the state’s business community whose contributions to North Carolina’s business community will leave a lasting impression on our state,” said Lew Ebert, president and CEO of the North Carolina Chamber. “This year’s Laureates are business heroes for the next generation to look up to and have made outstanding contributions in defining and reshaping the North Carolina business landscape. On behalf of the statewide business community, I would like to thank the 2014 inductees for the example they have set for our young entrepreneurs in a time when focus, dedication and fortitude is required.”

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https://twitter.com/JACenCarolinas

NC Chamber Facebook page:

www.facebook.com/ncchamber

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www.youtube.com/user/northcarolinachamber

ABOUT JACC:

Junior Achievement (JA) is the world’s largest organization dedicated to providing young people in grades K through 12 with the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for the future, and make smart academic and economic choices. Junior Achievement of Central Carolinas (JACC), headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, operates offices in Asheville, North Carolina, and Rock Hill, South Carolina, and serves more than 33,000 students annually through its hands-on and experiential educational programs. Delivered by corporate and community volunteers, JA programs provide relevant, engaging experiences that educate and empower students in the areas of financial literacy, workforce readiness and entrepreneurship. For more information, visit http://www.jacarolinas.org/.

ABOUT THE NORTH CAROLINA CHAMBER:

The North Carolina Chamber is a nonpartisan business advocacy organization that works in the legislative, regulatory and political arenas to proactively drive positive change to ensure that North Carolina is a leading place in the world to do business. Strengthening the state’s ability to attract, retain and grow jobs is the Chamber's highest priority. Central to that effort are four “Pillars of a Secure Future” for North Carolina which include Education and Talent Supply, Business Climate, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Infrastructure and Growth Leadership. For more information, visit www.ncchamber.net.

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