Board of Advisors 2007-2008
Gary Tomlinson, Chairman
President & Co-Founder, Women's Edge Magazine
Gary Tomlinson has been a serial entrepreneur for over 30 years. He started and sold two medical homecare equipment companies before he turned 30. His first homecare company pioneered infant monitoring to help prevent crib death, oxygen concentrators, and was the first to take patients home on total life-support equipment. In 1982 he founded a medical manufacturing company and ran it for 17 years before selling out to his partners. His manufacturing company created over 6,000 custom-designed protective covers and carrying cases for medical, musical, and hand-held electronic equipment.
Since 1999, Tomlinson has been in the business of educating professionals. He created a business curriculum entitled Organizational Excellence. Its purpose is to find the best business education, package it so that it’s simple and concise, and share it in a way that others can’t ignore it. He has delivered this education through public speaking, published articles, corporate consulting, and individual coaching.
For the past 16 years, Tomlinson has been a guest speaker at NC State's College of Management. He lectures on entrepreneurship, leadership, communication, corporate culture and professional speaking education.
Today, Tomlinson is the President and Co-founder of Women’s Edge Magazine. Women’s Edge is a monthly publication for and about professional women. Their purpose is to be a voice for professional women, a vehicle to help mentor those who are up-and-coming and a strong advocate for women supporting women. He lives in Raleigh with his wife, Sara.
Jeffrey M. Raxlin J.D., Vice-Chairman
Senior Vice President, Southern Division, AXA Advisors, LLC
Jeffrey M. Raxlin, J.D., joined the Raleigh Branch of AXA Advisors in 2007 as Senior Vice President and District Manager for the Southern Division. As a Senior Vice President with AXA Advisors, he focuses on recruiting experienced financial professionals to work with clients to help them define their financial goals and create strategies to help them achieve their objectives. Throughout his 27 years of experience in the financial services industry, Mr. Raxlin’s personal practice has focused on financial planning for high net worth individuals, with an emphasis on providing strategies for asset accumulation, retirement planning, education funding, estate planning, business continuation planning and executive compensation. Mr. Raxlin holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Cincinnati, and he earned a J.D. from the Woodrow Wilson College of Law in Atlanta, GA. Active in the industry and community, Mr. Raxlin is a member of the Wake County Estate Planning Council; a member of and volunteer for the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce; and a Wake County advisory board member of the North Carolina Community Foundation.
Slee Arnold
CEO and Publisher, Women’s Edge Magazine
Slee Arnold is the founder, CEO and publisher of Women's Edge magazine, a
monthly publication dedicated to professional women in the Triangle. Slee has been in the Publishing business for over 17 years as the Managing Editor of a regional business magazine and as a Publisher with Primedia, a Fortune 100 company. She is a board member of the United Arts Council, NC State University College of Management Entrepreneurship Education Program and the Association for Corporate Grow th. Slee is a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners , the Raleigh Professional Women's Forum and is also involved in Boy Scouts of America and the Raleigh Boy Choir.
Wendy Coulter
President, Hummingbird Creative Group
With more than a decade of experience in advertising and design, Wendy Coulter, President of Hummingbird Creative Group in Raleigh, N.C., is widely recognized as a principal professional in her field. Wendy opened the company in 1995, and she and the team at Hummingbird have won numerous design awards including three American Corporate Identity awards in 2006, Triangle ADDY Awards in 2004 and 2005, and silver and bronze international Summit Awards in 1999 and 2000. Hummingbird Creative Group was also named Business of the Year by the Cary Chamber of Commerce for 2007. Wendy was honored as one of the Triangle’s top 25 businesswomen and presented with the Triangle Business Journal’s prestigious Women in Business Award in 2005 for her exemplary leadership skills, as well as the 40 Under 40 Leadership Award in 2004. The company was also honored by the Cary Chamber of Commerce as Employer of the Year in 2001 and with a Successful Achievement Award in 1999. Wendy is actively involved in a variety of community and civic endeavors such as the Carying Place Board of Directors, the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce Communications Board, the planning committee for Hospice of Wake County’s Big Bad Ball and immediate past chair of the Young Executives Board at the Capital City Club. Wendy is frequently asked to present on topics such as branding, marketing, advertising and design, including presentations to NAWBO, the Kenan-Flagler Business School, Wake Tech, Durham Tech, the Capital City Club, the Cary Chamber of Commerce and the American Institute of Architects.
Christina Cummings
Realtor, Keller Williams Realty
With over 5 years of experience, Christina Cummings is an award-winning Real Estate Broker with Keller Williams Realty. She earned degrees from both NC State University and Meredith College, majoring in Business Management with a concentration in marketing and in Interior Design. While her real estate career keeps her very busy, she remains an active member of the NC State Alumni Association, Alpha Delta Pi Alumni Association, the Agent Leadership Council of Keller Williams, and the National Association of Realtors.
Julie Gavaghan
Co-CIO and Executive Vice President, Keystone Corporation
Julie Gavaghan is co-chief operating officer and vice president in charge of residential development. Prior to joining Keystone, Gavaghan founded Julie's Cleaning Service, which she operated until selling the business in 1997. She received the "Young Entrepreneur of the Year" award from BTI and the Council for Entrepreneurial Development, including a $2,000 scholarship. In 1993, she graduated Summa Cum Laude from NC State University where she served as Chancellor's Liaison, member of the Chancellor's Roundtable Committee, and board member for the Student Union's Leadership Development series. She now serves as a member of the Council for Entrepreneurial Development, is a licensed North Carolina real estate broker, and holds a NC General Contractors Liscense.
Kyle Greer
Broker, NAI Carolantic Realty
Kyle Greer joined NAI Carolantic Realty after selling his own network and computer consulting company, which he founded and operated for four years. As a proven independent thinker with strong analytical skills, he is a real asset to Carolantic. Currently, he is working directly with Steve Stroud on commercial real estate transactions.
Greer is a graduate of N C State University College of Management with a bachelor's degree in business management. He is actively involved with Triangle Commercial Associations for Realtors and Young Life Ministries. He is also an active member of the Cary-Page Rotary Club.
Dr. J.C. Poindexter
Associate Professor of Finance, NC State College of Management
With a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina, JC Poindexter teaches corporate financial management, money and financial markets and money and macroeconomics as an associate professor at NC State University's College of Management. His research specialties include financial risk and performance, applications of finance in litigation and financial burdens of cyberlaws. His recent publications addressed cyberlaw and e-commerce, money, financial markets and economy, macroeconomics and macroeconomia.
Penn Shore
President, Northwestern Mutual Breakfast Club of the Triangle
The Breakfast Club is the Triangle Franchise of Breakfast Club America, an exclusive membership business organization. Former Head of the SAE Alumni Advisors, 2005-2007, and past President of the Rotary Club of the Capital City. Penn is also the former Chairman of the EEI Board of Advisors.
David P. Tomick
Dave has spent the last 30 years raising money for high growth companies, primarily in the media and telecommunications industries. Most recently, he was the CFO of SpectraSite Communications in Cary, which was started with $10 million in 1997 and after listing on the NYSE for couple of years was sold to American Tower Corporation for over $3 billion. During that time he raised nearly $5 billion in various capital markets, both private and public. Since 2004 he has been serving on private and public company boards, and has most recently been acting as a mentor in the EEI program and serving as Virtual CFO of Transloc, which is headed by EEI alumnus Josh Whiton.
Dewayne Washington
Asset Manager, Greenfire Development
Dewayne Washington has 12 years' experience in the NFL, playing for the Minnesota Vikings from 1994 to 1997, the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1998 to 2003, and most recently, with the Kansas City Chiefs. He retired from the NFL in 2007. He graduated from NC State with a degree in multiple disciplinary studies with a concentration in community relations management. Washington was an All-America selection by The Sporting News, Super Prep and USA Today while at Northern Durham High School, NC, in 1989. He also sponsors a football camp for underprivileged youth in North Carolina. Washington served as the Steelers spokesman for the United Way and serves as a national spokesman for Spina Bifida. Co-hosting a weekly radio show in Pittsburgh on ESPN Radio 1250 are also among his credits. Dewayne is currently an associate of Greenfire Development in Durham, NC.
Alan Wrobel
Legal Counsel, SAS Institute Inc.
Alan Wrobel is legal counsel with SAS Institute Inc. in Cary. His practice focuses on licensing and sales and marketing related matters. Alan received his education from his parents, the Michigan State University Honors College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law. In addition to working with EEI, among other things, he is actively involved in the community through his work as a member of the Board of Advisors of the North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology and as a member of the Board of Directors of N.C. SAFETeens, Inc.
Mike Noël, Alumni Representative
Management Trainee, Noël Group, LLC
Michael is currently a management trainee at the Noël Group, LLC, the parent company of several different plastic and synthetic material transformation companies. His work at the Noël Group currently finds him as Associate Project Manager for the start-up of a Chinese branch of Nomacorc, LLC, a synthetic wine closure manufacturing company. While in China, he is also helping establish a Chinese branch of Focal Point Architectural Products, Inc., a synthetic trim and moulding company. Mike graduated magna cum laude from the College of Management at North Carolina State University with what he calls a focus on entrepreneurship thanks to the classes he took with the EEI.