Wilmington 2024 Event

Natalie English - President & CEO, Wilmington Chamber

Natalie English currently serves as president & CEO of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce. She has served for over 25 years in a chamber of a commerce leadership role and over 35 years advocating on behalf of business.

Natalie received her B.A. in Communications from North Carolina State University and achieved her designation as a Certified Chamber Executive in 2012, one of only several hundred. In 2009 and 2013, the Mecklenburg Times named Natalie one of the 50 Most Influential Women in Charlotte. In 2019 and 2020, Natalie made the WilmingtonBiz 100 list as an influencer in the community.

Natalie is also an active volunteer, serving as a member of the board of United Way of the Cape Fear, the Ports, Waterways & Beaches Commission, and the Tourism Development Authority. Natalie is a co-chair of the Mayor’s Ad Hoc Clean Energy Policy Task Force.

Tony Lathrop - NC Board of Transportation

Tony Lathrop, a member of the North Carolina Board of Transportation since March 2017, chairs the Board's Finance Committee (formerly the Funding/Appropriation Strategies (FAST) Committee). He also served as an Advisory Member of the NCDOT’s NC FIRST (Future Investment Resources for Sustainable Transportation) Commission.

As a partner with Moore & Van Allen PLLC, his expertise lies in complex commercial litigation, transportation, zoning and land use law, and dispute resolution. He served on the Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission from 2011 until 2017 and chaired the commission for three years, from 2014 until 2017.

Lathrop also serves on the Charlotte Unified Development Ordinance Advisory Committee, which he chaired from 2016 until 2023. He holds both undergraduate and law degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Chad Kimes - Division 3 Engineer, NCDOT

Chad Kimes, PE was born and raised in Franklinville, NC, and is currently residing in Surf City, NC. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1994 in Civil Engineering and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of North Carolina. He began work with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) while attending college in 1989 and began a fulltime engineering career with the Department in 1994. He has held various positions including Project Engineer, Pender County Maintenance Engineer, District Engineer, Resident Engineer, Division Operations Engineer, Division Construction Engineer, and most recently, Deputy Division Engineer.

In November 2019, Chad was promoted to Division Engineer for Division 3. In his current role, he manages all planning, project development, maintenance activities, and construction projects in Brunswick, New Hanover, Pender, Onslow, Duplin, and Sampson Counties. Chad is very grateful for being able to make needed improvements to the transportation system in our region.

Marc Finlayson - Chair, NC Go!

Marc Finlayson founded Finlayson Consulting to take advantage of his decades of experience in various disciplines of public affairs work ranging from public relations and news media relations to legislative and regulatory affairs, community relations and association management. His principal clients include the Highway 17/64 Association, Allies for Cherry Point’s Tomorrow (ACT) and the Carolinas Concrete Pipe & Products Association. Marc serves as chair for the NC Go board of directors.

Prior to launching his company, Marc served as Weyerhaeuser’s North Carolina Communications Manager, Government Affairs Manager for the North Carolina Textile Manufacturers Association, and as reporter, producer and host of Stateline and Legislative Report with UNC-TV.

Mark Johnnie - SVP & Chief Operating Officer, Balfour Beatty US

Mark Johnnie serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Balfour Beatty’s US Civils business where he oversees operations and delivery of the company’s highway and bridge projects throughout the Unites States.

Mark graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Construction Engineering Management and Business Administration. After graduation, he worked for a major national contractor on various projects in the Seattle area including the Seattle Bus Tunnel, Baker Ridge Tunnel, and Third Lake Washington Floating bridge.

Since joining Balfour Beatty in 1998, Mark been responsible for notable projects such as the Golden Gate Bridge North Approach Seismic retrofit and the construction of the new San Mateo bridge in San Francisco. In 2003, he relocated to Wilmington, NC to manage the construction of the Smith Creek Parkway (now known as the Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway). In the 20 years since relocating to Wilmington, Mark has overseen construction of some of the area’s most notable projects including the Wilmington Bypass, Surf City Bridge, Trent River Bridge, Maysville Bypass, Harkers Island Bridge and Havelock Bypass to name a few.

Mark is the current Immediate Past Chair of the Carolinas Association of General Contractors (CAGC). He also served on the 2023 Board of the Wilmington Contractors Association and on the Board of NCGO. Mark also the current president of the Cape Fear Cyclists.

Brian E. Clark - Executive Director, North Carolina State Ports Authority

Brian Clark has served as Executive Director of the North Carolina State Ports Authority since January 1, 2021. Under Brian’s leadership, North Carolina Ports has completed several critical infrastructure improvements including the opening of a new South Gate container complex, the integration of new terminal and gate operating systems, container berth renovations, expansion of the turning basin, air draft improvements and the addition of three neo-Panamax cranes. During his tenure, the Port of Wilmington’s container terminal was recognized as the fourth most productive port in North America and 49th most productive port in the world by the World Bank Group and S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Brian has more than twenty-five years of experience in the maritime industry, having worked in senior positions in port operations in several US locations, including APM Terminals in Port Elizabeth, New Jersey for APM Terminals in Mobile, Alabama. In June of 2022 Clark was appointed by United States Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, to the Maritime Transportation System National Advisory Committee (MTSNAC).

Clark is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy. He is also a graduate of Duke University Fuqua School of Business Executive Education Program.

Jeff Bourk, A.A.E - Director, ILM Airport

Jeff Bourk is the Director of the Wilmington International Airport. Jeff has over 30 years of aviation experience, including 25 years focused on airport operations and management. He got his pilot’s license at age 17, over 30 years ago, and he and his wife Michele share a passion for the aviation industry. In Wilmington, Jeff serves on multiple boards to advance the community such as the Chamber of Commerce and North Carolina’s Southeast regional partnership.

John Dillard - CSX Transportation

Joining CSX in 2004, Dillard oversees the company’s state and local government relations in North Carolina and South Carolina, based in Columbia, SC. His role includes a broad range of responsibilities, including interacting with state legislators, state agencies and numerous local government agencies. Dillard has worked on a variety of projects at CSX, including key expansion initiatives throughout the Carolinas. Most recently, Dillard has worked with state and government officials on CSX’s Carolina Connector intermodal facility in Rocky Mount, NC and Inland Port Dillon in Dillon, SC. Prior to joining CSX, Dillard spent five years at the SC Bankers Association as Director of Legislative Affairs and Economic Development. He is a 2000 graduate of the University of South Carolina’s College of Journalism and Mass Communications.