UNCW Alumna One of Charlotte's Most Influential Women

Each year since 2009, the Mecklenburg Times names 50 of the most influential women in the Charlotte area. Honorees represent women in business, government, education and the nonprofit fields, and are selected based on professional accomplishments and community involvement. UNCW alumna Shawn King ‘99M, has been a recipient of this award.

Shawn, recently promoted to Sales Vice President at Wastequip in Charlotte, reflects back on her experience through the MBA program at UNCW. “I learned a lot from my classmates on the benefits of having a diversity of viewpoints and skill sets from the team projects we worked on together. The faculty, Dr. Becky Porterfield, Dr. Claude Farrell and Dr. Howard Rockness, always encouraged students to stretch goals and [taught] the benefits of continual learning on the job. “ stated Shawn.

She believes that working in her chosen career prior to and while pursuing her MBA has taught her valuable time management as well as life balance skills. “I encourage people to have a few year’s working experience before pursuing their MBA – it will just mean more to them going through it.” Shawn’s diligence and a referral from Dr. Porterfield and Rick Sears, a member of Cameron’s Executive Advisory Board, earned her a new position at Precision Fabrics in Greensboro, just before graduating. She later moved on to hold two additional director roles at different companies before joining Wastequip in 2009 as the Marketing Vice President.

When Shawn is not traveling for her new position as Sales Vice President or working on local nonprofit projects, she enjoys coming back to Wilmington with her son and spending time on their boat, Blue Magic, on the Bradley Creek Marina.

As evident by the progression of her career and being honored as a woman of influence, Shawn keeps an extensive professional network. “I appreciated the recognition as well as being in the company of other fantastic women here in Charlotte. Many are women I have worked with on local nonprofit projects, have met through the Charlotte Women Executives’ group and others are leaders from whom I learned something new.”

UNCW Alumni Relations/ Kirsten Matz