MEET THE "NOTABLE" AUTHORS
Author GREG GREENAWALT- As a Veteran with more than 30 years in destination, hospitality, and tourism sales and marketing, author Greg Greenawalt has made his career promoting destinations and cities throughout the U.S. With his true passion for marketing, Greg has approached Destination: Charlotte as a labor of love for Charlotte and the surrounding Piedmont region. “It is an honor to provide an exciting new visual perspective of Charlotte and its vibrant energy to residents, newcomers and visitors”. Greg is President of Destination Concepts LLC and resides in the greater Charlotte area with his wife Cindi, daughter Alexandra and dog Max.
Author DORIS WASHINGTON- is a Spiritual Writer, Author, Poet, and Disability Advocate who resides in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania with her husband and son John. Doris takes the inspiration from her poetry from an unfortunate incident that involved her 18-year-old son with autism, and two police officers in December 1993. This incident impacted Doris' life greatly. She was empowered to advocate for a statewide program for police officers to be aware of and recognize persons with special needs. And it was through this period of Doris' life her writing began.
Author Barb Furman Hall- Do you realize how much of an impact you have as a parent? Do you have a parent who helped shape and mold who you are today? Dealing with hard-hitting issues like death, blending families, and achieving overall life satisfaction, Barb Furman Hall recounts the life of her esteemed father as she blazes a trail through her own existence. She candidly discusses the influences her father had, and she talks openly about the emotions behind having a step-mother. Sourcing strength from the deeply-rooted Christian life her father led, Barb recounts invaluable lessons about her own childhood to adulthood. She then parlays those ideas into applications for a wider audience to take advantage of. Dr. Lowell was a beloved individual and created a legacy that extends much farther than even Barb realized. Join Barb Furman Hall as she explores that legacy and develops her own life with Lessons From Dr. Lowell. 
Author & Actor J. LEON PRIDGEN II- J. Leon Pridgen II is the baby boy of Timothy Garfield and Mamie Sue Mitchell Pridgen Jr. Born in Aberdeen, MD, moved to Germany and returned to the United States at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Leon makes his home in North Carolina, with his wife and two children. Out of High School he followed the family path to the United States Army and the 82nd Airborne Division. Leon had he honor and privilege of making his father’s retirement jump with him and his older brother. After honorable service to his country and completing his collegiate career, Leon would follow his true passion in life – acting. He has performed commercials too numerous to count, stage productions, television and a number of film projects, including starring opposite Halle Berry and Omar Epps in the college football film- The Program. As life would have it, he is now enjoying his affair with the written word and the result is “Hidden Secrets, Hidden Lives.” He invites you to walk the pages of his affair and discover that if we live long enough, Your Past Catches You.
Author MARY E.B.SMITH- m.e.b.smith grew up on North Carolina legends so it was inevitable that she would write about what she loves – mysteries. She is the author of The Scent of Gardenia: A Killing in Princeville, The Keepers of Carifa, and Blood of Their Sons. Her stories intertwine, each having a thread in the other because, as she says, “all things are connected.”
As a writer, Mary explores questions about life and death, good and evil; right and wrong, and everything in between. She writes about choices and consequences recognizing that even the worst of events and circumstances can have a silver lining. At their core, her works conclude that: “Without purpose there is no life. Without death there is no purpose. But who among us may judge how we approach either?” Mary is a graduate of the University of North Carolina-Pembroke. She resides in Charlotte, NC. Learn more at: http://www.frogshairpress.com/, her self-publishing company.
As a writer, Mary explores questions about life and death, good and evil; right and wrong, and everything in between. She writes about choices and consequences recognizing that even the worst of events and circumstances can have a silver lining. At their core, her works conclude that: “Without purpose there is no life. Without death there is no purpose. But who among us may judge how we approach either?” Mary is a graduate of the University of North Carolina-Pembroke. She resides in Charlotte, NC. Learn more at: http://www.frogshairpress.com/, her self-publishing company.
Author PAT SCHULZ- Pat J. Schulz is the author of Making Sweet Lemonade (2007) and Metamorphosis-A Life Journey (1996). The poetry of Metamorphosis-A Life Journey is featured in the best-selling novel 'If This World Were Mine', by E. Lynn Harris. Pat J. Schulz holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and obtained additional studies at the University of North Carolina Charlotte in Psychology. She has over twenty years of business experience that includes Financial Operations Management, Operational Auditing and Compliance, End User Business Systems Training and Development, Performance Management Systems, Diversity Training and Project Management. She is a 1995 graduate of Charlotte’s Focus on Leadership program. She has served on the Mecklenburg County Domestic Violence Advisory Board, and avails herself to public speaking engagements on the topic of Child Observers to Domestic Violence. She has served numerous community service agencies, including The Council for Children - Board of Directors, The United Way - Loaned Executive and Speaker, as well as Mecklenburg Women's Commission Advisory Board - Past Chair and Equality Day Finance Chair. Among her other community service achievements, in 1994 Schulz was awarded the Charlotte Area Woman of the Year Award by the American Business Women's Association.
Author THOMAS POTUZAK SR- Joe Thomas Potuzak, Sr. was born on Long Island, in the State of NY. in 1943, during World War II. He now resides with his wife of 46 years by Lake Norman just above Charlotte, NC. He retired early in life at the age of 45 from his Long Island businesses. He has been President of three Corporations and three other companies since 1965. After retiring, or as he says, semi-retiring, he and his wife spent the next 14 years in South West Florida enjoying life and traveling around America. He also worked with the Attorney General's Office, State of Florida. With his extensive knowledge in business, he proceeded to gather evidence for a deceptive business fraud case. He helped them from 1991 to 1993. He received a letter of recognition for a job well done, which came directly from the Attorney General himself. In 2002, he and his wife moved to North Carolina. Up to this point, he felt he had done quite a bit in his life, but he also had one other major project to do. He started this book on his birthday in 2004. It is a timeless book, for all to read from 9 to 90. This book is right up to date today, and he tries to look ahead, so all of us might benefit from his observations in life. This book is written with good family values and morals. In this book, he tells many entertaining instructional stories. You will notice he avoided using last names unless absolutely necessary and for a good reason. Simply put, he did not want to embarrass anybody or unintentionally hurt any of the families of those that have passed on. Joe is also very appreciative of the fact that during his lifetime he has had the pleasure of meeting some really outstanding individuals; both personally and in the course of doing business with them. Joe is a member of the prestigious North Carolina Writer's Network, and he will be looking forward to attending some of their many functions in the future. Also, he will not recommend or endorse any product, service, or any retailer, that he has not personally tried and tested over time. In the coming years, Joe and his wife will be on a book tour. With his background in Radio in the 90's, he will be doing talk radio, and TV, shows all across America, and then on to Hawaii. He will be looking forward to meeting some of you good folks who make the great American dream work every-day, with hard work, unselfish dedication and perseverance.
