MOD Society Magazine: Triad January/February 2024 by MOD Society Magazine

January/February MMXXIV

Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem’s Curated Lifestyle & Design Magazine

ELEVATED ELEGANCE

The Kemp Group • the_kemp_group Lee Kemp - 336.848.1096 • lee.kemp@allentate.com Edi Gibson - 336.688.7476 • edi.gibson@allentate.com

interior design · furniture · art · lighting · vintage 513 s elm st. greensboro 336.265.8628 www.vivid-interiors.com

CONT �2 EDITOR’S LETTER

Our editor takes you behind the scenes of the first issue of 2024. You won’t want to miss all that’s in store for the year ahead.

�4 ELEVATED ELEGANCE

After working together for more than two decades, designer Terry Lowdermilk helps longtime clients revamp their latest home. Go inside the design and see how Terry incorporated existing pieces with a fresh twist.

33 Lisa Johnson explains how expecting POINTS OF VIEW

the unexpected and taking it in stride can make you more successful at life, both professionally and personally.

WHISPERER 37 CLOTHES Sweater weather is finally here! Clothes

Whisperer Maribeth Geraci has your guide to picking the perfect sweater that will keep you stylish and warm all winter long.

THE BOOK 38 BY For more than 40 years, the Bienenstock Furniture Library has served as the source for furnishings history and research. And this High Point gem also has a mission to educate and support the next generation of design students.

44 SIMPLY STYLISH

Meg Wilkins Strader cherished shopping trips as a child with the women in her family. That experience led her to open her own boutique, Simply Meg’s, which appeals to a wide range of women.

T ENTS 52 UNCOVERING THE PAST

North Carolina author Daniel Wallace made his name in fiction with novels such as Big Fish, but his latest book tells the real-life story of his late brotherin-law. Daniel gives us an inside look at how he wrote his memoir, This Isn’t Going to End Well.

54 MOLDING THE FUTURE Housed in a sleek, high-tech facility in the Gateway Research Park in Greensboro, Core Technology Molding Corporation gives local students a hands-on introduction to STEM career opportunities.

58 ICE KING

Steve Harrison, the new coach of Winston-Salem minor league hockey team the Carolina Thunderbirds, takes us to the rink to talk hockey and how the sport allows him to make a difference in the lives of his players.

66 SOCIETY SIGHTINGS

Raise a glass to MOD Society’s fifth anniversary at the holiday soiree honoring the magazine, hosted by Palmer Smith and David Ebbetts of South + English.

68 SOCIETY SIGHTINGS

A Winston-Salem couple ties the knot at the city’s romantic Little Chapel, where the groom proposed in 2022.

MOD SOCIETY JANUARY/FEBRUARY MMXXIV |

from the EDITOR Happy New Year, #marvelouslyMOD readers! A fresh year makes me feel energized and optimistic, and that feeling certainly permeates this issue. Designer Terry Lowdermilk takes us behind the scenes of a recent project with longtime clients. Though their style usually trends more traditional, Terry incorporated modern touches and a fresh color palette to create spaces that feel both comfortable and of-the-moment. From there we take you to the rink to get to know Steve Harrison, the new head coach of the Carolina Thunderbirds minor league hockey team in Winston-Salem. A veteran of the sport, Steve combines a drive to win with a dedication to cultivating young players to score victories both on and off the ice. Guiding young people toward achievement also motivates the team behind Molding Kids for Success. The nonprofit led by three N.C. A&T State University alums works to educate kids in Guilford County about opportunities in STEM careers. Students interested in another field — furniture and design — find plenty of information and inspiration at the Bienenstock Furniture Library in High Point. The library houses the world’s largest collection of books on the history and design of furniture, interiors, architecture and textiles, among other subjects. And for the past 40 years, it has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships to students studying those fields. In our Book Club feature, we catch up with North Carolina author Daniel Wallace, best known for his novel Big Fish, which was made into a film in 2003. He recently released his first nonfiction book, a memoir that explores his complicated relationship with his late brother-in-law. And speaking of family, we chatted with Simply Meg’s owner Meg Wilkins Strader about how shopping trips with her mother, grandmother and aunt inspired her to open her own boutique in Greensboro. Sweater weather has officially arrived, and our Clothes Whisperer Maribeth Geraci has your guide to choosing a style made with the right fabric for you. Points of View columnist Lisa Johnson explains how learning to navigate the unexpected can make you more successful in life. And in Society Sightings, we invite you to celebrate MOD’s fifth anniversary at a holiday gathering held at the South + English showroom in High Point. We also have your seat at the romantic nuptials of Marty Overman and Chris Melenick, held at The Little Chapel in Winston-Salem. This issue is just a taste of all the fabulous features we have in store for you in 2024, and I can’t wait to share them all with you this year!

Jennifer Bringle, editor-in-chief 12

ELEVATED ELEGANCE

MOD SOCIETY JANUARY/FEBRUARY MMXXIV

MOD SOCIETY JANUARY/FEBRUARY MMXXIV |

In interior design, relationships can make or break a project. And just as in a marriage, when the right parties meet, that relationship can endure for years. That’s the case for designer Terry Lowdermilk and his clients, Meredith and Alan Clark. Meredith and Alan first called on Terry to design their home in Greensboro nearly 25 years ago, and since then, he has traveled along with them around the Southeast, updating abodes in Houston, Memphis and Charlotte. “Terry is so talented and smart,” Meredith says. “And it’s very important to him to use things in the design that are special to the clients — he wants everything to be really personalized to what you want.” For this latest project, Meredith and Alan wanted a departure from their previous homes, which favored European styling with heavier colors and more traditional furnishings. Terry helped guide them to a color palette that met their desires while also ensuring the look would feel welcoming and up-to-date. “They wanted a lighter, brighter, fresher environment with grays and whites,” Terry says. “I told them we needed to do warm grays because we didn’t want the house to feel cold, and also cooler grays were starting to phase out of the home furnishings color palette.” Terry started with the study, which had a dark, heavy feel with wood paneling and stained wood beams crisscrossing the ceiling. He removed the paneling, wallpapered the walls and painted the woodwork a lighter, warmer gray hue. Terry incorporated a number of furniture pieces from Meredith and Alan’s previous home, but he also painted and stained some to freshen the look. “For instance, I took a stained wood cocktail table and had it painted and glazed to give it an updated look,” he says. With the lighter colors, the room took on a more casual air, but as Terry and his clients began choosing fabrics for the upholstery and drapes, they realized the design was taking a different direction. “As we started picking fabrics and everything, it became a little dressier,” Terry says. “So we decided to change the marble around the fireplace opening, and we took down the light fixture that we initially chose, which was a wood bead fixture. We replaced it with a crystal chandelier to glamorize the room a bit more.”

MOD SOCIETY JANUARY/FEBRUARY MMXXIV |

Terry also commissioned a large contemporary artwork from Greensboro artist Amy Gordon, which draws on the warm gray and white palette. In the dining room, Terry also painted the dark woodwork a lighter color, carrying the shade up the walls and onto the ceiling. He repurposed the homeowners’ dining table and chairs, reupholstering the seats and chair backs with a soft neutral fabric. An ornate crystal chandelier adds panache from above, and large panels of framed wallpaper in a gray-and-white floral pattern flank one wall. The kitchen boasted custom cabinetry that the homeowners wanted to keep, so Terry gave them a refresh with a coat of creamy white paint and new hardware. And to keep the room from becoming another sterile, all-white kitchen, Terry gave the island a different but complementary look. “I chose to paint it a different color from the perimeter cabinets and replaced the existing wood counter with a walnut top to give it some interest,” he says. “We also used different hardware on the island to add some variation.” In the breakfast room, a round, four-seater table sits amid tufted upholstered chairs. On the rounded walls, Terry hung 16 framed vintage black-and-white botanical prints — a nod to the lush landscape just outside the windows. “I like the feeling of the botanicals because once you look out the windows in the back, there are pathways and walkways with ferns and a pond — there’s so much nature,” Terry says. “So you’ve got that natural feel with the botanicals, but they’re not your grandmother’s botanicals with all the colors.” On the second floor adjacent to the media room, a game area stands out with a striking mix of light and dark. Terry carried the soft palette from the remainder of the home to the walls, ceiling and floor, but he offset that with dark furnishings, fixtures and art. A round dark wood table plays off the circular shape of the room. It sits amid four rounded leather chairs that are ideal for card games or puzzles. On the wall behind the table, four carved wood reliefs hang below an assemblage of small European roe deer antler trophies.

MOD SOCIETY JANUARY/FEBRUARY MMXXIV |

“We used a lot of furniture from their previous home in the media room, so it has a traditional feel with some contemporary touches,” Terry says. “I felt this area needed to be more modern, but it’s still comfy.” A sunroom area off the kitchen offers another comfy spot for curling up with a book or watching television. Two plush chairs upholstered in a botanical neutraltoned fabric from Thibaut sit next to an oversize tufted ottoman, almost beckoning occupants to stretch their legs. Behind the chairs, a bank of floor to ceiling windows overlooks the verdant gardens outside. “It looks out to the backyard with bridges that go over the waterways and also offers a view of their outdoor kitchen and fireplace area,” Terry says. “It’s a great room where they spend a lot of their time.” In the den, the family also gathers to watch television and relax. To fit that vibe while maintaining an air of sophistication, Terry incorporated furnishings such as the massive upholstered ottoman that moves on casters to allow people on the sofa to put their feet up. And when not in use, it nests neatly beneath a glass cocktail table. The pieces were made to work together that way. Terry also incorporated a small armchair that belonged to Meredith’s grandparents. He refinished the wood and added a new cushion to give it life. “It’s neat to be able to have things in the house that were from her grandparents’ home, her aunt’s home and their parents’ homes,” Terry says. “We’ve tried to incorporate things like that so that the house is warm and inviting, and there’s meaning to things instead of everything being new.” Framing the windows, an existing ornamental cornice holds draperies made with intricately embroidered Thibaut fabric finished with a Greek key along the edges. In the primary bedroom, Terry and Meredith wanted to make a statement with a massive upholstered headboard that reaches nearly to the crown molding of the tray ceiling. At the foot of the bed, he placed two French chairs owned by Meredith’s grandmother, reupholstered in a floral fabric in the soft neutral shades featured throughout the home. Between them, a fringed leather ottoman offers a whimsical way to put up your feet.

MOD SOCIETY JANUARY/FEBRUARY MMXXIV |

January/February MMXXIV

Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem’s Curated Lifestyle & Design Magazine

Terry and his clients gutted the primary bathroom, taking better advantage of the natural light that pours in through the windows by replacing a deck-mounted tub in an alcove with a freestanding soaking tub. “The tub was very heavy, and it blocked out light coming in from the window — the window was at that tub, and you couldn’t really appreciate the light in the room because of how that was designed,” he says. “We tore out all those walls and opened it up, so it’s a nicer, lighter area now.” Calcutta gold marble in the shower and on the wainscoting on the walls further lightens the space, and squares of that marble punctuate the slightly darker limestone floor. Above, a light fixture with an Art Deco-reminiscent metal leaf pattern adds a touch of glamor. Alan and Meredith say they keep coming back to Terry because he has a knack for creating sophisticated spaces that are meant to be lived in. “Terry’s design is elegant, but it’s also really comfortable to live in,” Alan says. “That’s one of the things we love about working with Terry — he really hits that balance nicely. This is a house you can live in and feel comfortable, but it’s got some really stylish touches.” Terry says that one of his favorite things about working with Meredith and Alan over the years is that they are both equally invested in the design process and the project outcome rather than just one half of the couple directing the design.

ELEVATED ELEGANCE

MOD Society Magazine Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem Vol. 6 No. 1 ON THE COVER Terry Lowdermilk Interiors, Inc. PUBLISHER MSM Media, LLC Kathryn Field VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS Crystal Staley EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jennifer Bringle Editor@yourMODsociety.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Maribeth Geraci Lisa Johnson COPY EDITOR Jennifer Weaver-Spencer DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Aura Marzouk Lake LAYOUT AND DESIGN Stallard Studio DIGITAL AGENCY The Buzz Effect ADVERTISING Advertising@yourMODsociety.com

“I love the fact that there’s a husband and wife who both truly love their home,” he says. “They love what I’ve done, they love being there, and it makes me feel good that they both enjoy it.” — Jennifer Bringle, editor-in-chief

TRIAD

Regarding the Home...

Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem

yourMODsociety.com

DESIGN: Terry Lowdermilk Interiors, Inc.

Triad.MODsocietyMagazine #marvelouslyMOD

Featured Home Photos Cover Pages 14-15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20-21 Page 22

Foyer Den Stairway Dining Room Office Breakfast Room Kitchen Primary Bedroom

Page 23 Page 24-25 Page 26-27 Page 28 Page 29

Primary Bathroom (top) Bathroom (bottom) Bedroom Study Office (top) Study (bottom) Game Room

CERTIFIED REFORESTED

For each edition of MOD Society Magazine, trees are planted as part of the PrintReleaf program.

Reflecting your style.

336.209.1862 tlinterior.com

POINTS OF VIEW EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

“To expect the unexpected shows a thoroughly modern intellect.” — Oscar Wilde. This is a famous recast of Heraclitus’ quote: “If you do not expect the unexpected, you will not find it, for it is not to be reached by search or trail.” I understand that anything can happen, which is why I’ve learned to plan for the unexpected, because that will lead you to success. I’m a fixer — a miniOlivia Pope for those of you who watched the political drama television series, “Scandal.” Olivia is a crisis manager, and while that’s not my official title, I have jumped into that role at times, both personally and professionally. It’s not a role you aspire to, but it’s a necessary job that must be handled by all companies — no business is immune to crisis. I do everything in my power to minimize or possibly avoid crisis, but should it occur, I do my best to recover quickly with minimal or no negative repercussions. On the other hand, what happens when you expect the best? We want good things to happen to good people, and we certainly want things to work according to our plans. I recently read an article referring to a Chinese philosopher

who wrote that the world is capricious, unstable and constantly changing, but we have the ability to make things even better. I believe that through disappointment, we can create opportunity, and through opportunity, we can learn, grow and improve. Within ourselves, we can gain the courage, strength and ability to make ourselves, our businesses and the world better. With this new perspective, I personally have changed, and my business model has changed, as well. And it’s my hope that I can deliver my clients a more exceptional experience and product. With a new year and a new perspective, we all can revisit situations that didn’t go as planned: The wedding that got unexpected weather, the marriage that didn’t work out, the child who didn’t get into their first-choice college, the illness that we didn’t expect. Through situations like this, I’ve seen people take action, and through action they found ways to make their lives even better than they’d hoped. So don’t stop expecting good things, and when the unexpected happens, know you will endure and you will excel. Lisa Johnson, Lisa Johnson & Company LisaJohnsonCo

MOD SOCIETY JANUARY/FEBRUARY MMXXIV |

CLOTHES WHISPERER As sweater weather finally arrives, I thought about questions I get around this item of clothing: Is cotton, wool or cashmere better than polyester, viscose, nylon or acrylic? What holds up best? What is the production impact of the different materials? As a believer of buying things with a shelf life, I have to immediately say that natural fabrics such as cotton, wool or cashmere are much better. They hold up longer, and their impact on the environment is significantly less. Cotton reigns as the most ecological — it’s good for the soil to grow cotton. In most cases it can be hand- or machine-washed with no dry cleaning required. Cotton rarely, if ever, pills. And it’s quite warm but breathable — great for Southern weather. Wool is also amazing, especially merino — a fine-gauge wool that is more durable, breathable and holds its shape better. However, some people are allergic to wool or find it too hot, so it’s not an option for everyone. Cashmere is a luxe type of wool made from the hair of a certain type of goat native to Asia. Many people who can’t wear sheep’s wool can wear cashmere. The longer the yarn — which is more expensive — the less likely it is to pill. Most cheaper variations tend to have short threads, so they break more easily and can pill badly. Cashmere fabric feels divine and keeps you warm. Viscose is really soft, drapes nicely and dyes easily. It is made from wood pulp/cellulose and is breathable and wicks away moisture. And while viscose does not tend to hold up well, it is biodegradable. Polyester comes from petroleum and now often plastic, so it has a greater environmental impact. Plastics are not easily biodegradable, and it takes hundreds of years for them to dissolve, so they pile up in landfills. On the positive side, polyester is washable and does not shrink or pill. Nylon is cheap and durable — it’s the strongest synthetic. Acrylic is the weakest synthetic and also the most inexpensive. Acrylic is also petroleum based, so it’s not environmentally friendly. These days, a lot of sweaters are made of acrylic. Lastly, blends are something to consider. If a natural fabric is blended with a synthetic, it can function really well and both look and feel good. Sweater weather is definitely here, and I hope this guide will help you select the right one to keep you cozy and chic this winter. Maribeth Geraci, DressCode Style | www.dresscodestyle.us

dresscodestyle_

dresscodestyleraleigh

MOD SOCIETY JANUARY/FEBRUARY MMXXIV |

By the Book More than a century ago, Sandy and Bernice Bienenstock — owners of the trade publication Furniture World — began a book collection that would endure to this day. Over the decades, they amassed around 3,500 volumes on furniture history and design, architecture, interiors, textiles, finishes and construction. Initially, the New York home the couple shared also housed this book and publication collection. But once they decided to retire, the couple began thinking more long-term about the books. “They really felt that leaving their library so it was accessible to anybody with the love of furniture would be a great legacy for their collection,” says Karla Jones, executive director, Bienenstock Furniture Library. In 1968, the Bienenstocks purchased the Grayson House, a stone manse on Main Street built in 1923 by former physician and High Point mayor Dr. Charles S. Grayson, who had befriended the couple years prior.

The Bienenstocks moved the entirety of their collection to Grayson House, establishing the library as a nonprofit in 1970. After Bernice died in 1984, Sandy renamed the library the Bernice Bienenstock Furniture Library and established an endowment to help secure the institution’s future. Today, the renovated Grayson House is a stateof-the-art furniture research facility with a collection of more than 5,000 publications that includes new books, vintage volumes and digital archives. “We have a little more than 300 books in our rare book room, the oldest of which dates to 1543,” Jones says. The Bienenstock’s antique collection also includes a complete set of original works by 18th-century furniture masters Chippendale, Sheraton and Hepplewhite, as well as a full set of Diderot’s Encyclopedia. But there’s more to the Bienenstock Library than books. When Sandy established the foundation in

Bernice’s name in 1984, he set up a scholarship fund that has awarded more than $400,000 to students studying in furniture and design disciplines. “Mr. Bienenstock was very passionate about education, and he really wanted to invest in students because he felt like they were the future of our industry,” Jones says. The scholarship program has evolved into the Bienenstock’s annual student design competition, which awards $15,000 in scholarship funds each year to entrants in two categories: Furniture design and interior design. Two winners are chosen from each category, and the first-place winners in each category also receive a $1,000 donation to their school’s design program.

and use their degrees for a career in home furnishings,” Karla says. The summit also serves as an introduction to High Point for many of these students, some of whom have never heard of the “Furniture Capital of the World.” “We want them to know that this is what High Point Market will be, and it will be a huge part of their careers,” Karla says. “We show them what High Point has to offer as far as in the design industry and all the creative wonders that we have here in this town.” And Karla sees the Bienenstock Furniture Library playing an important role in the current revitalization efforts going on in downtown High Point.

“We have anywhere from 30 to 40 applicants from all over the United States each year,” Jones says. “We have a wonderful panel of industry professionals who judge the competition — they volunteer, and without them, we couldn’t do this every year.”

“We want to show what High Point has, how it can be a destination year-round and all the resources that we have available,” she says. “We want people to see the creative minds that live and work here, and the wonderful opportunities we have in the creative field in this town.”

Four years ago, the Bienenstock built upon that foundation of assisting students with its first Bienenstock Furniture Designers Summit. Held each September, the summit brings 40 students from across the U.S. for three days of intensive learning about interior and furniture design, materials, graphic design, architecture and more.

A native of High Point who worked for Sandy Bienenstock during her college years and a former interior designer, Karla says she feels particularly passionate in her role as a steward of the Bienenstocks’ legacy.

Students get behind-the-scenes tours of local furniture factories and showrooms, such as Verellen, Jessica Charles, Norwalk and Currey & Company. And during the opening night dinner, students get to rub elbows with major players in the furniture industry, forging relationships that can lead to jobs after graduation.

“This collection is still very important because in this industry, doing your homework, knowing your history and studying past designs is so important,” she says. “The more you know about design and its history, the more you can apply that to take what you’ve learned and go design your own thing. You really do have to look at and touch history to design the future.” – Jennifer Bringle, editor-in-chief

“We bring in these speakers to talk to them about the industry and the different ways you can be creative

MOD SOCIETY JANUARY/FEBRUARY MMXXIV |

simply STYLISH Growing up in Burlington, Meg Wilkins Strader often came to Greensboro with her mother, grandmother, sister and great-aunt to shop. Those trips not only allowed the women to shop a wider variety of shops than those available in their hometown but also afforded them quality time as a family. And those trips ignited a passion in Meg that led her to study fashion merchandising at Meredith College and eventually open her own boutique in Greensboro, Simply Meg’s. “I’ve always loved color and textures and seeing beautiful clothing,” she says. “So I think my heart was drawn toward this field, and a huge part of that was because of the family time between my grandmother, mom, greataunt, sister and me.”

gave her invaluable insight and experience in the wholesale apparel business. After a few years, Meg decided to move back to North Carolina. Upon her return, Meg got in touch with Lisa Kornstein Kaufman, the founder of Raleigh fashion boutique Scout & Molly’s. The two made an agreement that would allow Meg to license the Scout & Molly’s name and concept for her own boutique in Greensboro.

“... it’s important within the contemporary brand world to continue to design clothing that can not only be beautiful on all ages, but can also be beautiful on each and everyone’s body.”

During college, Meg interned at the Atlanta Apparel Market, an experience that she thought would prepare her for her dream career as a buyer for a major department store such as Saks Fifth Avenue. But as she worked in the market showrooms and met fashion retailers and buyers, she began to realize the path might not be right for her. “I quickly realized that I would be crunching numbers in a cubicle all day long,” Meg says. “There was no interaction with individuals — it was a numbers game.” Meg discovered she wanted to work in a smaller retail operation where she could interact with customers as well as fashion brands and designers. After graduation, she worked for a showroom in Atlanta that represented several apparel brands. The job took her all over the country and

The venture felt like a perfect fit for Meg, who really loved the welcoming, personable feel Lisa had cultivated at the original Scout & Molly’s. Meg soon realized her customer base was a bit different from the one Scout & Molly’s in Raleigh attracted.

“We realized very quickly that we were catering to that concept of what my childhood memories were — we had the granddaughter, the mom, the sister, the aunt, the grandmother, all coming to shop together,” Meg says. “And so I wanted to be able to create it as a space where everyone could come find something.” So in 2007, she opened Simply Meg’s. The boutique offers clothing, shoes, handbags, jewelry and accessories from brands such as Tyler Boe, Lilla P, AG Jeans, Bella Dahl, Willa Story and Sheila Fajl, among others. “We try to be very different, so we don’t carry brands that other boutiques in the community are carrying because just as they’re trying to stay special and unique, we’re trying to do the same,” she says.

MOD SOCIETY JANUARY/FEBRUARY MMXXIV |

Inclusivity also factors heavily on Meg’s brand and product selections for the store. Not only does she want to carry pieces that will appeal to a wide range of ages but also women of all sizes. “God made us all beautiful in our own way, but we’re all different shapes and sizes,” she says. “And so I think it’s important within the contemporary brand world to continue to design clothing that can not only be beautiful on all ages, but can also be beautiful on each and everyone’s body.” Meg has worked for the past two years with a design team in New York City on a brand of women’s clothing called Willa Story. The line includes dresses, tops, skirts and pants that are designed to easily transition from day to evening. While Meg gives all the props to the design team creating the line, she offers them boots-on-the-ground insight that can only come from a retailer. “It’s been really fun to be a part of that because I’m a retailer at heart, so I know what people are looking for,” she says. “My biggest role is to be the person who says,

‘That design is great, but who’s wearing it? Who’s buying it?’” But while that project has been fun, Simply Meg’s remains her passion. After more than 15 years in business, the boutique continues to inspire Meg. She recently partnered with her cousin Joanna Brewer to open a new division of the boutique, dubbed Simply Jo’s, in downtown Sarasota, Florida. And she says that the relationships she’s built with her customers over the years continue to not only drive her business, but also her personal commitment to this community. “I love how when I opened 16 years ago, some of these girls were in high school, and now they’re married and they’re having their first and second babies, and they still come back,” she says. “And it’s just so fun to be able to see them grow, but also just seeing that, wow, they still think of Simply Meg’s. And that warms my heart more than anything.” – Jennifer Bringle, editor-in-chief

jalallc.com

UNCOVERING THE PAST NATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR , DANIEL WALL ACE 52

At the age of 12, author Daniel Wallace met the man who would have a considerable influence on his life, even to this day. His sister’s boyfriend — who would eventually become her husband — William Nealy inspired a sort of hero worship that morphed into a complicated brotherly bond that Daniel explores in his recent memoir, This Isn’t Going to End Well: The True Story of a Man I Thought I Knew. “The beginning was fairly cliched hero worship from a kid to somebody who’s just slightly older but not an adult quite yet, who is totally cool,” Daniel says. “He’s the kind of guy that you cannot imagine being — you can only imagine being his sidekick.” As Daniel grew up and William became a part of the family, the two forged a bond that went beyond the typical in-law relationship and enjoyed a brotherly closeness. “As I got older and we became closer, I got to know him as a mentor, in a way,” Daniel says. “And his depth, intelligence and daredevil qualities were all things that I knew I would never achieve on my own, but I truly admired and wished that those things were more a part of who I was.” William lived an adventurous outdoor life as a mountain climber and kayaker, pushing his body to the limit. But at the same time, William was an artistic nature lover who wrote instructional books for paddlers and drew river maps and cartoons that made him a beloved figure in the whitewater world. “He was a great artist and a cartographer,” Daniel says. “His work is still out there, and for people who are interested in the outdoors and whitewater, he’s still very well known in that world.” But in 2001, the larger-than-life William shocked all those who knew and loved him when he died by suicide at the age of 48. In the wake of that devastating loss, Daniel struggled to understand how this courageous, vibrant man he’d loved and admired for so much of his life could have suffered so much, so silently. This Isn’t Going to End Well takes readers along with Daniel on the journey to not only understand the why of this terrible tragedy, but also the true nature of the man he and so many others thought they knew. Daniel

discovered reams of journals William had written over the years, containing his private thoughts and struggles that ultimately led to making his irrevocable decision. “He presented this vision of a man who was totally capable of doing anything, and it wasn’t just a simple presentation. He could build a house, he could fix a car. It wasn’t fake,” Daniel says. “But the part that we didn’t see was this equally powerful part of him, somebody who was really the shadow self of the person we all knew. Somebody who wasn’t at home in the world, who was desperately insecure, who was always questioning himself and who had suicidal ideation for all of his adult life.” Daniel has said this memoir serves as sort of a prequel and a sequel to his 1998 novel, Big Fish, which was made into a major motion picture in 2003 starring Ewan McGregor and directed by Tim Burton. Though fiction, the novel drew heavily from Daniel’s childhood and his experiences with his father. “In writing this book about William, who was a man whose life was made up in large part to protect himself, I realized that the story I wrote in Big Fish was also about a man who made himself up,” Daniel says. “For the longest time, I thought that was just about my father, but my father creation of self was more along the lines of Horatio Alger’s rags to riches. Whereas William’s growth as a person was the literal recreation or creation of another self. And in Big Fish, that’s what’s powering the story — this creation of self, this mythologizing of self.” Daniel says that even though This Isn’t Going to End Well features some heavy themes, it’s not a dark book. He sees it as a hopeful reminder that death by suicide doesn’t have to be an inevitability, and that we have the power to help those who are struggling. “It’s this idea of paying attention to people — really paying attention to those around you, loving them and listening to them and being there for them in a way that they feel safe to share,” he says. – Jennifer Bringle, editor-in-chief

MOD SOCIETY JANUARY/FEBRUARY MMXXIV |

MOLDING

THE FUTURE A group of high school students gathers on the factory floor at Core Technology Molding Corporation in Greensboro. Around them, massive plastic injection molding machines spin and whir, their robotic arms deftly operating the equipment that produces parts for companies such as BMW and Husqvarna, as well as pharmaceutical giants such as Eli Lilly, Pfizer and Merck.

Going behind the scenes at Core Technology affords students a wide range of experiences, from watching a NASCAR mechanic employed by the company troubleshooting a machine’s engine to peering into the glass walls of the clean room, where pharmaceutical supplies are assembled. The idea is to show kids the breadth of manufacturing and STEM career possibilities.

The students are part of Guilford County Schools’ Career and Technical Education (CTE) program, which integrates core academic knowledge with technical and occupational experience to provide students a pathway to post-secondary education and careers. The program, which is offered at schools across the district, introduces students to careers in a range of fields, including engineering, advanced manufacturing and technology.

“This is the lens that we show them our engineering principles through, knowing that some of them will probably never see this stuff again, but some of the same concepts will apply to whatever career path they choose,” Brandon says. “In my role as the engineering manager, I take all the fancy engineering terms and turn them into business concepts. I get a chance to show them that it’s more than just engineering for me — I use marketing, business, engineering, a lot of disciplines throughout the course of the day.”

CTE seemed a natural partner for Core Technology’s Molding Kids for Success program. The nonprofit was founded two years ago by Core Technology founder and CEO Geoff Foster, along with his son Jeremiah Foster, who also works in new business development for the company, and Brandon Frederick, engineering manager for the manufacturer. Molding Kids for Success works to introduce local students to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers and cultivate their interest in pursuing these fields. Located on the sleek campus of the Gateway Research Center — a joint innovation and technology collaboration between N.C. A&T State University and UNC-Greensboro — Core Technology hosts groups of students for tours and summer camps that immerse them in high-tech manufacturing. “The schools are always looking for hands-on experience for the kids, so we were one of the businesses that said, ‘Hey, you can come get a behind the scenes tour,’” Brandon says.

Though Brandon, Geoff and Jeremiah are all graduates of N.C. A&T and hold post-graduate degrees, the Molding Kids for Success program isn’t solely focused on preparing kids for college. As students tour the Core Technology facility, they see skilled workers with a wide range of educational backgrounds contributing on the factory floor. “Our motto is project-based learning, and we’re teaching the students who come in that it’s not all about four-year universities,” Brandon says. “We know a lot of people who go to school just because their parents want them to go to school, and then they wind up doing something completely different. But if you can get into a trade and it’s something that you really want to do, that’s another option for you to be successful.” Molding Kids for Success participants also get exposure to higher education research at the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, a research

MOD SOCIETY JANUARY/FEBRUARY MMXXIV |

collaboration facility between N.C. A&T and UNCG, housed in the building next door to Core Technology. “That’s the luxury of being on a college campus,” Brandon says. “Students just like them are next door, and they can teach these kids the importance of education, and also show them some of the things that they can do differently to make them successful.” Earlier this year, Brandon was selected by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center to serve as a life sciences manufacturing ambassador. In that role, he serves as a conduit to communities beyond Research Triangle Park — where the North Carolina Biotechnology Center is located — to promote biotechnology and other STEM paths for students. “There’s a strategic push by North Carolina Biotechnology to get more diversity within the industry,” he says. “They’re relying on partners like us to be able to bring students in and show them biopharma, how important it has become moving forward.”

Brandon says that work, along with what he and his colleagues at Core Technology do for students in the Molding Kids for Success program is their way of ensuring the next generation gains exposure to careers that will not only challenge and fulfill them, but also will make a difference in the world. “Giving back to the community drives us,” he says. “The majority of us at Core Technology who are in professional positions are not where we thought we were going to be. Geoff initially wanted to be an architect, I wanted to be an OB/GYN, and Jeremiah wanted to be a physical therapist. But we all wound up in advanced manufacturing, and we’re still helping people. That’s what we ultimately wanted to do with our lives — help others and give back.” – Jennifer Bringle, editor-in-chief

ICE KING Growing up in Toronto, playing hockey seemed pretty inevitable for Steve Harrison. The son of a hockey player, Steve remembers hitting the puck around as early as age five. “I just kind of grew up with hockey,” he says. “My dad played and got us into it right away. My brother is three years older than me, and he played, too. Hockey was just something that I wanted to play, and I fell in love with it.” That love of hockey brought Steve to Winston-Salem last year as the new head coach for the Carolina Thunderbirds, a minor league hockey team affiliated with the National Hockey League’s (NHL) St. Louis Blues. As a teen and young adult, Steve played major junior hockey, a competitive amateur league in Canada. In 1978, he was drafted by the St. Louis Blues and spent most of his professional career with the minor league Salt Lake Golden Eagles. He also played for a time in Finland’s professional hockey league. “I was very fortunate that over the course of my career, we won a few championships,” Steve says. “I won three in Salt Lake City and one in Europe, as well as a major junior championship in Canada. I was pretty fortunate to play with good players on good teams, and I had a pretty good career for someone playing in the minors.” After his playing career began to draw to a close, Steve knew he wanted to stay on the rink, so he set his sights on coaching. At the time, he was playing for a team in Peoria, Illinois, which fired its coach. 58

The general manager took over the role and deferred to Steve for much of the team leadership. “I was basically running the team,” he says. “We went on a road trip for five games, and I served as player coach for those games and really liked it.” Steve played a few more years after that experience and served as a player coach for a year before taking on the head coach job for the Fort Worth Fire minor league hockey team. Over the years, Steve has coached the Minot Top Guns in Minot, North Dakota, and spent several years as an assistant coach in Canada’s Ontario Hockey League with the Erie Otters and Soo Greyhounds. In 2014, Steve was named head coach of the Danville Dashers, a Federal Prospects Hockey League minor league team in Danville, Illinois. During his tenure with the Dashers, he led the team to a championship in 2017. “The first year we went from the bottom to almost winning a championship, and then we had several good years after that, including winning the league championship my last year there,” Steve says. “It was a good run, but the players were the main reason for that success. I drove the bus, but those guys were pushing it, and I give them all the credit.” In July 2023, Steve was named head coach of the Carolina Thunderbirds, a team that has enjoyed a good deal of success since coming to the city in 2016. The Thunderbirds won a regular season championship during the 2018-2019 season and finished second in their league this past season after losing to the Danbury Hat Tricks in the final game of the league playoffs. Steve says coming into such an organization, he knows the importance of maintaining that level of success. “Pressure is not the word, but there are definitely expectations of having a good team,” he says. “And I’m very fortunate that we’ve got a great nucleus. The guys who have come back here that

played last year are character guys, and they’ve bought into what I want to do here as a team and as individuals.” Molding and advising young players is a big part of Steve’s job, and he says those relationships make coaching fulfilling. “I really enjoy the relationships with the players on the ice, trying to make them better, but also off the ice, getting to know them personally,” he says. “You might have to be that coach with the stern word one day, and then the next day you might have to be more of a fathertype figure. Those relationships over the years have been very rewarding.” Also rewarding for Steve has been seeing his son Andrew follow in his footsteps, playing professional hockey and recently taking on the head coach role for the Knoxville Ice Bears in Knoxville, Tennessee. “It’s great to have a relationship not just as a father and son but also as fellow coaches,” Steve says. “We talk around three times a day, and I’m so proud of him.” Steve credits the rest of his family — wife Laurel and daughter Jacqueline — for standing by his side through a career that has included multiple moves around the country and even overseas. “I’ve been married almost all 42 years now, and having a wife who’s supported me in doing what I want to do has been amazing,” he says. “Without that support that she’s given me, nothing I’ve done would have been possible.” And as the season progresses in Winston-Salem, Steve says the support he and the team have received from the fans and the community have energized him and his players. “We’ve got a great fan base,” he says. “The support from the booster club and from the fans has been great. It’s awesome here.” – Jennifer Bringle, editor-in-chief

MOD SOCIETY JANUARY/FEBRUARY MMXXIV |

SCAN A publication that showcases the social and inner workings of the community with intelligence, style and glamour. triad.yourMODsociety.com Triad.MODsocietyMagazine #marvelouslyMOD

Scan to view online!

A B B A D E S I G N G S O. C O M | 3 3 6 . 2 5 3 . 1 1 5 9

“We cannot bec ome what we want by remaining what we are.’’ -Max Depree

SOCIETY SIGHTINGS photography by aura lake photography

A Toast to MOD Society The MOD Society team gathered with friends from the High Point community during a holiday soiree on December 6, 2023, to celebrate the magazine’s fifth anniversary. Held in conjunction with High Point by Design’s monthly Design Day, the party was hosted by Palmer Smith and David Ebbetts at their South+English

David Ebbetts, Jennifer Bringle, Stephanie Goldman, Patti Allen & Palmer Smith

Mary Price Furr, Kathryn Field & Katherine McMullan

Jane Dagmi, Maria Zimmerman, Gina Hicks & Jennifer Bringle

Preston Parsons

Rosie Ortiz, Gina Hicks, Carol Gregg & Crystal Staley 66

showroom in downtown High Point. Attendees enjoyed festive drinks and nibbles — including a to-die-for dip made by Palmer — while enjoying the gorgeous furnishings and artwork in the South+English showroom.

Aura Lake & Kim Trone

Palmer Smith, Katherine McMullan, Mary Price Furr & David Ebbetts

Carlee Tart, Taylor Permenter, Phillip Stahlmann & Patti Allen

David Ebbetts, Kathy Deveraux, Kenton Roberts & Brandy Gutherie

Kathryn Field, Crystal Staley, Cindy Jarrell & Rob Hart

Patti Allen, Monique Kidd & Emily Chandler

Cindy Jarrell, Leslie Moore & Jeff Allen

Mary Price Furr & David Ebbetts

Julianna Lester, David Ebbetts & Nicole Culler

Jeff Allen & Aura Lake

Jane Dagmi, Debbie Parmenter & Carol Gregg

Palmer Smith, Veronique Verellen & David Ebbetts MOD SOCIETY JANUARY/FEBRUARY MMXXIV |

SOCIETY SIGHTINGS photography by aura lake photography

Overman-Melenick Wedding Marty Overman and Chris Melenick were married October 2023 at The Little Chapel at New Haven in Winston-Salem. Marty, daughter of Bill and Lisa Overman, and Chris, son of Jim and Diana Melenick, planned a fun, and intimate event with their 85 closest friends and family. In December 2022, Chris proposed to Marty inside the quaint and beautiful chapel, which made choosing this location to seal their vows an easy choice. They chose beautiful and colorful florals, executed perfectly by Tonya Morris of ABBA Design in Greensboro, and the remaining planning and decor expertly completed by Angela Slabaugh.

Guests arrived by trolley and were greeted with a cocktail and wine station. They were then treated to a live painting demonstration by watercolor by sloan, and could even partake in creating their own art. To keep the event cozy and comfortable, the couple opted for soft seating lounges by Prettiest Pieces, a family-style dinner provided by 1618 on Location and delicious cake by Creamed, The Confectionary. The wine selection was provided by the bride’s brother-in-law, Wes Wheeler of Undercurrent Restaurant. Added to that, the marriage being officiated by Marty’s brother, Rob Overman, truly made this an intimate family affair.

The Little Chapel

Marty Overman

Reciting the vows 68

Chris Melenick

The happy couple

Dancing the night away

MOD SOCIETY JANUARY/FEBRUARY MMXXIV |

PLEASE JOIN JDRF PIEDMONT TRIAD F O R A R A D I A N T E V E N I N G!

Hope Glows Gala

2024

Moving forward toward a world without type 1 diabetes.

SAT U R DAY, F E B RUA RY 17, 202 4 Koury Convention Center 3121 West Gate City Boulevard Greensboro, N.C.

GAL A CHAIRS Jenni and Ryan Newkirk COMMUNIT Y CHAIR Alex Thompson de Jordan

Honoring Vanessa and Brittany Carroll

FUND A CURE CHAIRS Madison Carroll Snyder Hayleigh Carroll

CORPOR ATE CHAIRS Kathleen Kelly and George Hoyle AUCTION CHAIR/CO - CHAIR Houston Sa erfield Rachel Cannon Percival EVENT EXPERIENCE CHAIRS Wendy Calloway Alejandra and Cliff Thompson

GA L A W E E K H I G H LI G HT S MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12 Silent Auction and Windsor Jewelers Sweepstakes go live SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17* 5:30 pm: Cocktails, Silent Auction, Windsor Jewelers Sweepstakes 7 pm: Seated Dinner, Program, Live Auction, and Fund A Cure 9:30 pm: A er-Party with Sleeping Booty

Black Tie Optional *Portions of the program will be livestreamed. To reserve seats/tables, secure sponsorships, or make a Fund A Cure gi in honor of Vanessa and Bri any, visit tinyurl.com/TriadGala2024.

North Carolina Chapter

Bri any and Vanessa Carroll with Rider

H O PE FO R T 1D C U RE S I S G LOW I N G!

Please a end the Hope Glows Gala as we honor Bri any Carroll, who was diagnosed with T1D 21 years ago, and her mom, Vanessa, who has dedicated herself to turning Type One into Type None every day since then. Life was different for those with T1D at the turn of the millennium. Although JDRF had been founded in 1970, it was still relatively new in the Piedmont Triad, where our local chapter was founded in 1995 by Anne Hummel of Greensboro and Buff Perry of Winston-Salem. A er starting with fundraising Walks, by 2001, they realized the community needed another avenue to support JDRF research, and the Hope Gala was born.

At that moment, 15-year-old A l ex T h o m p so Alex Thompson de Jordan nd was diagnosed with T1D during Winter Break. Luckily, a family friend had lived with type 1 for many years and recognized Alex’s symptoms. This was before continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and insulin pumps—two breakthroughs made possible by JDRF research. When Alex returned to school in January a er a week in the hospital, she checked her blood sugar by pricking her finger 10-12 times a day and gave herself several insulin injections daily.

ord

Alex’s parents, Alejandra and Cliff Thompson, jumped in to support JDRF, focusing on elevating the Hope Gala. They joined forces with Wendy Calloway, whose own daughter, Katelyn, also had T1D, and assumed the role of Event Experience Chairs. Every year, the trio—aided by hundreds of volunteers—creates a breathtaking ballroom, including an enormous chandelier, se ing the stage for a successful event. Strong corporate support is another key component. In 2024, Kathleen Kelly and George Hoyle, Founding and Managing Partners of Compass Financial and long-time friends of the Carroll family, are serving as Corporate Chairs, working with a strong cadre of volunteers. Gala Chairs Jenni and Ryan Newkirk have known the Carroll family for many years, and have seen Bri any mentor countless people whose lives have been turned upside down by a type 1 diagnosis. They watched in awe when the 2023 Gala set a fundraising record of $1.9 million, a record they hope to beat in 2024.

ni Newkirk

To underscore JDRF’s roots across the Triad, the Gala alternates between Greensboro and Winston-Salem. Silent and Live Auctions, led this year by Auction Chair Houston Sa erfield and Co-Chair Rachel Cannon Percival, feature incredible packages at all price points. One lucky person will win an exquisite piece of jewelry through the Windsor Jewelers Sweepstakes. Supporters anywhere may take part in the Silent Auction and Sweepstakes, which will open online on February 12.

d an

Jen

With tremendous support from the Piedmont Triad community, JDRF is leading the way toward curing, preventing, and treating type 1 diabetes (T1D), an autoimmune disease that can strike anyone—at any age—at any time.

Magic happens at the Hope Gala! And nothing is more magical than Fund A Cure, when guests make donations that go 100% to fund JDRF research. Fund A Cure is chaired this year by Madison Carroll Snyder and Hayleigh Carroll, who were 10 and 8, respectively, when Bri any was diagnosed with T1D in an emergency room in Aspen, Colorado. Since that moment, supporting JDRF’s efforts to cure Bri any (and their grandma, Patsy, who was diagnosed with T1D a few years a er Bri any) has been the highest calling for Madison, Hayleigh, and their parents, Vanessa and Roy (who served as the 2014 Hope Gala Honoree). With JDRF’s leadership, T1D research is advancing at a remarkable rate. Over the last 18 months, JDRF-supported research into beta cell therapies has resulted in three people who lived with T1D for decades no longer needing insulin. In November 2022, JDRF-funded research delivered the first-ever disease-modifying therapy approved by the FDA for T1D—Tzield—which will delay the progression of the disease and the need for insulin by up to three years. Yes, hope for T1D cures is absolutely glowing—with your support, we’re ge ing closer to a world without type 1. Please celebrate this progress by joining Vanessa, Bri any, and the rest of our Gala leaders at Koury Convention Center on February 17!