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Upcoming Luncheons
March 10
kenny kahn
musicland gift foundation
After receiving a serious cancer diagnosis in 2021, Kenny Kahn found unexpected strength through music – a gift shared by friends and family during his treatment journey. Supported by the comprehensive, whole-person care model of the Supportive Oncology Department at Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute, Kenny experienced first-hand the healing impact of integrative therapies such as music and art therapy, counseling, and rehabilitation services.
Inspired by this journey, the Musicland Gift Foundation now supports the transformative work of Supportive Oncology at Levine Cancer Institute. Join us as we hear this moving story of hope, healing, and the power of music in medicine.
march 17
carlos evans
Chairman & co Manager
salem capital
Carlos Evans brings more than four decades of leadership in banking, capital markets, and strategic transactions. He retired from Wells Fargo in 2014 as Executive Vice President and Eastern Division Group Head of Commercial Banking, after senior roles with Wachovia Corporation, First Union National Bank, and Bank of America.
Today he serves as Chairman of Salem Capital and Chairman of the Board of Highwoods Properties. Evans is also the author of Ally of the Entrepreneur: The Rise of Banking in the South and the Fall of Wachovia, offerin a firsthand look at the evolution of Southern banking and its impact on entrepreneurship.
Celebrating MECK-DEC Day
The Rotary Club of Charlotte celebrated Meck-Dec Day, May 20th.
The citizens of Mecklenburg County declared their independence on May 20th 1775, a full year before the nation as a whole did. The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence was delivered to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia by Captain James Jack.
NEWS
Patrick Baker becomes
the 109th President of Charlotte Rotary
Since the Rotary Year runs from July 1 to June 30, a ceremony was held on July 15, 2025, to celebrate President Kim’s (Brattain) outstanding year and to install President Patrick (Baker) as the 109th President of Charlotte Rotary.
Born at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Patrick W. Baker was raised in a proud Marine Corps family. His father, Charles Scott Baker, served as a career Marine, and his mother, Elizabeth Smith, was the steady, patient presence who held their close-knit family together. The youngest of four, Patrick was affectionately called the “Oops baby,” arriving more than a decade after his siblings. He grew up in Havelock, North Carolina, and graduated from Havelock High School in 1985.
Patrick earned both his undergraduate and law degrees from Wake Forest University. After starting his legal career in Durham, he joined the City of Durham as an Assistant City Attorney in 1997 and went on to serve as City Manager from 2004 to 2008. In 2008, he became Durham’s City Attorney, a role he held until moving to Charlotte in 2019 to become City Attorney for the City of Charlotte.
A dedicated Rotarian since 2005, Patrick was a long-standing member of the Durham Rotary Club before joining the Rotary Club of Charlotte. He is passionate about Rotary’s mission and values, particularly the Four-Way Test, and is committed to fostering meaningful connections, promoting service, and cultivating an inclusive and engaged club culture.
Patrick has been married to Rae Ann O’Neill Baker since 1994, a relationship that began at the 1984 Sadie Hawkins dance. They have two children: Griffin, a professional baseball player, and Chloe Elizabeth, a museum professional and a graduate of Wake Forest University.
Patrick proudly dedicates his Rotary presidency to Colonel Ray O’Neill, USMC, a past president of the Rotary Club of Oxford and his late father-in-law, mentor, and lifelong example of service and integrity. He wears Ray’s Rotary President pin in his honor and leads with the same commitment to truth, service, and fellowship that has shaped his life and career.
Luncheons
Tuesday at the Fairfield Uptown
Charlotte Rotary meets most every Tuesday from 12:30 to 1:30 at the Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott Charlotte Uptown 201 S. McDowell St. Charlotte, NC 28204
