Our Team
Charles Bradley is a coach, facilitator, strategic thinker, and an expert in systems change who oversaw the full continuum of child welfare services for one of the largest governmental entities in the Carolinas. From 2013 to 2024, Charles served as director of Youth and Family Services, a division of Mecklenburg County’s Department of Social Services, where he managed a staff of over 450 with an annual budget of $55 million. During his tenure, he and his team reduced by nearly half the number of children in foster care by placing more children with relatives. Prior to joining YFS, Charles worked for the Connecticut Department of Children and Families. He earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology from Trinity College and his master’s degree in social work from Fordham University. Charles was awarded the prestigious Annie E. Casey Foundation Children and Families Fellowship in 2019. In April 2024, he retired from Mecklenburg County and founded Charles Bradley Consulting, LLC, to provide coaching and consultation to professionals, government agencies, and nonprofits. Charles lives in Waxhaw, N.C.
Pastimes: Mountain biking, exercising, and spending quality time with family
Reading recommendations:
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant
The Four Pivots: Reimagining Justice, Reimagining Ourselves by Shawn A. Ginwright
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
Robin Howarth, Ph.D., is a researcher, author, and retired professor who is passionate about reforming policies and systems directly impacting the prosperity and well-being of underserved communities. Most recently, as senior researcher and ultimately director of research for the Center for Responsible Lending, Dr. Howarth led a seven-member team focused on the racial wealth gap, predatory lending, and student debt. She’s published numerous articles and white papers and prepared testimony for state and federal legislative sessions. Her research has been covered by Forbes, The Atlantic, The Hill, American Banker, and Marketwatch as well as think-tank publications for Brookings, the Aspen Institute, and the National Consumer Law Center. Dr. Howarth was a visiting professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for 13 years, where she taught classes on economics and community development. She’s also served as a consultant to the university’s Center for Urban and Regional Studies and the U.S. Treasury. Dr. Howarth has extensive experience in grant writing and policy advocacy, and she holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Stanford University. In 2000, she received her doctoral degree from UNC-Chapel Hill in city and regional planning with concentrations in economic development and urban redevelopment.
Reading recommendation:
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport, et al.
Meagan Palmer is a certified corporate trainer and facilitator with a remarkable talent for engaging all types of leaders and connecting with people from all walks of life, whether she’s conducting an intimate focus group or leading a brainstorming session in a large auditorium. With three decades of experience, Meagan retired from Mecklenburg County in July 2019 and founded her own leadership development business, Meagan Palmer Consulting, LLC. Among her clients are the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, Alexander Hancock Associates, and Central Piedmont Community College. Meagan began her career as a social worker for the county’s Child Protective Services, eventually becoming a supervisor and manager. Meagan is certified by some of the nation’s top leadership development programs, including FranklinCovey, KenBlanchard, VitalSmarts, Essential Facilitation, and Emotional Intelligence. Her recent assignments include facilitating a nine-session workshop on artificial intelligence, steering committee meetings for the Mecklenburg County Behavioral Health Strategic Plan, the Opioid Crisis Settlement community events, and a potentially contentious meeting between the Mecklenburg County Board of County Commissioners and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education. Meagan received her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, and master’s degree in social work with a concentration in administration, policy, and community organization, from the University of Georgia. She lives in Denver, N.C.
Pastimes: International travel with her adult kids, playing tennis and pickleball with her best friends
Reading recommendation:
Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change by Kerry Patterson, et al.
Jeff Quire is a visual storyteller, illustrator, writer, and editor who can synthesize data and complex ideas into compelling infographics and report covers. For more than 30 years, he’s worked in the marketing and graphic arts professions for a variety of industries, including health care, fashion, tourism, association management, spirits, outdoor lifestyle, collegiate and professional sports, and real estate. As founder of Jeff Quire Design, LLC, his current areas of focus are branding and identity, graphic design for print and digital media, infographics and maps, illustration, and product design. He also writes and edits content for multiple platforms and works with clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small startups. Before starting his own business, Jeff was creative director of a team of 15 designers, creating graphics and product designs for major fashion and outdoor brands. He has also worked as a graphic artist for a sports marketing company, designing projects for major universities and NCAA championships, including the Final Four. Jeff received his bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Western Kentucky University. He lives in Brevard, N.C.
Pastimes: Fly fishing, mountain biking, traveling, spending time in the mountains of Western North Carolina
Reading recommendations:
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl, et al.
A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
Jonathan Scott, founder and director of Datacentrix, is a researcher, strategist, and storyteller with 37 years’ experience in public relations and nearly a decade consulting for behavioral health and human services organizations. A former freelance journalist, Jonathan became self-employed (for the second time) in 2001, eventually narrowing his focus to being a spokesperson for commercial real estate developers who transform polluted, brownfield sites into New Urbanist, sustainable communities. In 2016, he was given the opportunity to conduct a community needs assessment for Foundation for the Carolinas, and since then he has worked for nonprofits such as the United Way, the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the Mary Black Foundation, Spartanburg Regional Foundation, North Carolina Partnership for Children, and Smart Start of Mecklenburg County. Jonathan is author of Navigating the Maze, Taming the Octopus, and Making the Leap, and he recently wrote the report for the Mecklenburg County Behavioral Health Strategic Plan. He was the first student at Valdosta State College to be awarded a Ralph McGill scholarship from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He lives in Asheville, N.C.
Pastimes: Whitewater kayaking, mountain biking, trail running, woodworking
Reading recommendations:
You Look Like a Thing and I Love You: How Artificial Intelligence Works and Why It’s Making the World a Weirder Place by Janelle Shane
The Death of Truth: How Social Media and the Internet Gave Snake Oil Salesmen and Demagogues the Weapons They Needed to Destroy Trust and Polarize the World—and What We Can Do About It by Steven Brill
Shannon Teel is Datacentrix’s research associate. She also assists with new business development and event planning. In February 2023, Shannon became the first teammate to join our consortium of independent consultants, helping with qualitative research for the Mecklenburg County Behavioral Health Strategic Plan. In her prior positions, she worked in marketing and leasing for Liberty Property Trust (now Prologis), Jones Lang LaSalle (formerly Keystone Partners), and Trammell Crow Company (now CBRE). She also has experience in the health care, advertising, and insurance industries. Since 2022, Shannon has served as a volunteer for the nonpartisan organization You Can Vote. She lives in Charlotte, N.C.
Pastimes: Reading, hiking, traveling
Reading recommendation:
Elastic: Flexible Thinking in a Time of Change by Leonard Mlodinow