Meet the Reporters

Tammy Stanard, Editor

Tammy relocated to the Charlotte area in 2018 with her husband Pat and transferred to the Junior League of Charlotte from the Junior League of Greater New Haven where she spent her Provisional year in 2017. She has more than 20 years of business and marketing experience and is currently working full-time for Kyndryl Corporation as a project manager. Tammy is also an adjunct professor at Wentworth Institute of Technology in the College of Computer Science and Engineering. She is currently following another passion, interior design, by taking classes at CPCC. She holds a bachelor's degree in Transportation Management from the University of New Haven and a master's degree in Business Administration from Michigan State University. In addition to volunteering and meeting new people, Tammy loves nothing more than spending time with her family, especially her four grandchildren, Braxton, Evie, Beckley and Esra.

Shellisa Multrie, Assistant Editor

Shellisa has lived in Charlotte since relocating from Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2004. She holds a master's degree in Educational Policy and Leadership from Marquette University and bachelor's degree in Writing Intensive English. She joined The JLC in 2018 to gain a broader experience in serving the community and to build a wider network. She is a long time learning and leadership development professional with a long history in financial services and retail. Currently she is a senior leader in Global Culture Programs and North & Latin American Employee Experience at HubSpot. Shellisa enjoys volunteering with the YMCA, teaching the art of charcuterie and writing in her spare time. She is a wife and mother of two wonderful children, Jamison and Savannah.

Cara Tucker, Reporter

Cara relocated to the Charlotte area from Virginia in 2014. She is a health law attorney with a J.D. from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University and a bachelor's degree in healthcare administration from Mary Baldwin University. Currently, she is legal counsel with Ensemble Health Partners where she assists hospitals and providers in their revenue cycle needs. She became a member of the Junior League of Charlotte in 2016 to join like-minded women in the service of the Charlotte community. She is wife to Matthew, an air traffic controller, and mother to one energetic and wonderful little boy, George.

Jessica Bush, Reporter

Jessica or “Jess,” is from Clarksburg, NJ. She received her Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership Studies from Gonzaga University in 2008, and her Bachelor of Arts in History and Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from Tulane University in 2006. Jess joined the Junior League of Oakland East Bay in 2013 and transferred to the Junior League of Charlotte in 2015 after her move to the Charlotte area. Prior to moving to Charlotte, Jess and her husband Matt lived in California, Georgia and Arizona during Matt’s active-duty Army service. She is a stay-at-home mom to four young children, and previously worked onsite in recruiting for LendingTree, Google and Safeway corporate. She enjoys crafting, reading, traveling and spending time outdoors with her family and their goldendoodle, Griffin.

A native of North Carolina, Dr. Watson earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at NC A & T State University in 2000. She began her professional journey in corporate America, but before long, realized ensuring children received a quality education was her passion. She went on to earn an Elementary Education (K-6) teaching license from East Carolina University, a Masters of Education in Curriculum & Instruction from NC Central University and an English as a Second Language license from NC State University. She also holds a Masters of Education in Supervision and Administration from the University of Phoenix. In 2011, Tomekia received her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Fayetteville State University. She soon became a strategic intervention specialist helping school districts identify and address chronic issues affecting student achievement for at-risk students. Currently, she works as an adjunct professor at Liberty University and as Executive Director of Queen’s Advantage, a nonprofit organization she founded in 2021 to give back to the community by educating and mentoring underprivileged youth.

Jessica James-Hill, Reporter

Jessica, originally from Tampa, Florida, received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology, MS in Sport Management and graduate certificate in Fundraising Management from the University of Florida. She worked for the Florida Gators athletic department in ticketing, compliance, student-athlete development, marketing and donor/sponsor relations. She switched to academics as a full-time fundraiser for UF's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She joined the Junior League of Gainesville in 2015. In 2018, her husband Mike became the athletic director for the Charlotte 49ers which moved them to the Queen City. In 2021, while seven and a half months pregnant, Jessica landed a dream role fundraising for the Wikimedia Foundation, parent company to Wikipedia. She has three children - Luke (stepson and junior at UF), two and a half year old Eloise “Ellie” and three month old Robert “Bobby.”

Spencer Lash

Spencer is originally from Las Vegas, but has lived in Charlotte for the past seven years. She has been in the JLC for the past five years, currently serving as the League’s first Chief of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She is an Emmy award winning producer for the NBC here in Charlotte. She currently lives in the Steele Creek area with her husband, Ian and their two dogs. She enjoys reading, traveling and hesitantly working out at Orangetheory.

Mallory Pearce

Mallory grew up with half her family in Charlotte, and has lived in North Carolina her entire life. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degrees in French and History from Appalachian State University and chose to continue her studies in the Library Science and Higher Education Masters programs at East Carolina University. She is happy to bring her archival knowledge to cover some of the most unique parts of history throughout the last 95 years of the JLC. Mallory joined the Junior League of Charlotte during the 2019-2020 year and took an interest in working with the JLC’s sustainers in the preservationist role. Mallory’s current roles are JLC Marketing & PR chair and 100th Anniversary Task Force member. For her day job, Mallory is a process improvement librarian and architect for Wells Fargo. In her spare time, Mallory enjoys volunteering for Second Harvest Food Bank, traveling to as many countries as she can, trying new breweries and spending time with her pug Millie.

Claire Magee Ferguson

Claire moved to Charlotte seven years ago, by way of Boston College, Georgetown University Law Center and her hometown of Port Jefferson, NY. She is the assistant general counsel to Gray Television (parent company to WBTV here in Charlotte), and is currently on the JLC’s AJLI Centennial Board Taskforce. She lives in Uptown with her husband Russ and their infant daughter Murphy Bea.

Amanda Bagwell

Amanda transferred to the Queen City in 2013 for her job with US Airways, now American Airlines, as a flight attendant. The Nashville native joined the JLC in 2015, knowing that it would be a great way to serve the community, meet new people and get to know her new home as her grandmother, aunts, and mother are all former Junior League members. She has held multiple leadership roles in her years with the JLC and currently serves on the Board of Directors. Amanda, her husband, Ryan, and their sweet pup, Kuechly, live in the South Park area where they enjoy hosting friends, time outdoors and cheering on the Gamecocks and Panthers, despite some rough years.