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The Charlotte Area Fund, Mecklenburg County’s Community Action Agency dedicated to combating poverty for over fifty years, is very pleased to announce Nicholas Wharton as President and Chief Executive Officer. This announcement comes during the initial stages of a strategic planning phase conducted by the board of directors and Next Stage Consulting, LLC, a leading Charlotte consulting firm.
“The board is very pleased that Mr. Wharton will be leading CAF through the strategic planning process of revitalizing the agency services and beyond,” said Charlotte Area Fund Board Chair Reginald Johnson. “He has the passion and the unique organizational development expertise building human capital strategies across multiple educational, civic, community and corporate environments addressing multi-generational and economically underserved populations to propel CAF into its next exciting chapter,” Johnson said.
Wharton has led premiere access and equity change initiatives in juvenile justice, K-12 public/private educational systems, higher education, and in the corporate sector. A staunch public policy advocate and leader for educational opportunity and workforce development, Wharton’s led lobbying efforts on behalf of community colleges and workforce development in the New York State Legislator and to the US Congress in Washington DC. A mindful diversity thought leader, he has influenced global strategic partnerships with educators in Europe, South Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean and has led given critical conversations on diversity leadership, educational opportunity, workforce development, organizational trust, gender equity, cultural competency, and strategic community engagement.
“I’m eager to work with board, staff, and critical stakeholders torestore the Charlotte Area Fund to its once storied role combating poverty that has now become metastasized in segments of our community as indicated by the Harvard/Berkley study findings,” said Wharton. The launch of our Dorothy Counts Scoggins Community Accelerator Partnerships aligns the agency’s historic anti poverty mission with Leading on Opportunity to help the most disadvantaged in Mecklenburg County. Wharton added.
Most recently, Wharton served as the Urban League of Central Carolina’s Interim CEO & President and Chief Operating Officer and previously as Chief Partnership Officer and COO. Wharton has held leadership roles with Wachovia Bank (Wells Fargo), Corning Incorporated, Charlotte Latin School, Ithaca City School District, Binghamton University, and Ithaca College. Wharton also served as adjunct organizational communication faculty at the Roy H. Park School of Communication, Ithaca College. His community board engagement involves serving as Vice Chair, Women’s Intercultural Exchange Inc / Co-Chair Men’s Champions, Vice Chair, WFAE 90.7 NPR Affiliate, External Relations Committee, Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, The Diversity Forum, and the Chris Canty Foundation. He also served as Co-Chaired CMS African American Boys Task Force and is a Trustee Emeritus, State University of New York. He holds a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology from the State University of New York at Cortland and a Master’s of Science in Organizational Communication from the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College. Nick is married to Regina Wharton, SVP HR Executive with Fifth Third Bank. They have three adult children and attend The Park Church.
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