Our Team
Meet the Team
JIM DOTSON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Email: jdotson@missiontriangle.org
Phone: 919-302-8737
Following a twenty-year career in corporate America, Jim started his own consulting firm in 2003, Upside-Down Leadership, helping corporate, nonprofit, ministry and church clients apply biblical leadership principles and truths within their organization. Jim serves on a number of boards and is involved in a wide-variety of ministry and nonprofit organizations.
Jim has a passion for ministry, a love for people and a desire to help organizations be effective stewards of the gifts and talents God has given to them and to maximize the Kingdom impact of their ministry.
DANIEL ALEXANDER, PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Email: dalexander@missiontriangle.org
Phone: 919-802-4822
Originally from Atlanta, GA, Daniel has lived in North Carolina for the past 25 years (except for a little education and world travel here and there). From 2001 – 2011, Daniel taught Bible and History, coached wrestling and then served as Director of Advancement at St. David’s School. In 2007, he attended Columbia University where he obtained his Master’s in Organizational Leadership.
From 2011- 2018, Daniel served on the Jobs for Life staff, where he worked in various roles including Area Director, Regional Director, and Interim CEO for the national nonprofit serving those on the “margins” of society. Daniel is also a student of Mission Triangle, having attended just about every training imaginable between 2004 – 2018.
Daniel has four kids and an All-Star wife and looks forward to the next great adventure.
MONICA PIGUES, ASSOCIATE PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Email: mpigues@missiontriangle.org
A native of Detroit, MI, Monica has made Raleigh home for the past 13 years after stints in St. Louis, LA, Chicago, and Houston. While caring for her family, she spent a lot of her time in the community, volunteering in schools, nonprofits organizations, and serving on boards. She is a past board vice-president at Camp Oak Hill and currently serves as vice-president of the Raleigh-Wake Chapter of Jack and Jill. Monica is also a founding board member of In Kind Friends, a nonprofit that provides pro bono consulting services to support capacity development of nonprofits in Wake, Orange, and Durham Counties.
Monica is a graduate of the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC-Chapel Hill. She enjoys working out, reading and looks forward to traveling again. She is married and has four children.
![Kara Headshot[3] copy](https://missiontriangle.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Kara-Headshot3-copy-800x615.png "Kara Headshot[3] copy")
KARA SMITH, CHAMPION ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR
Email: ksmith@missiontriangle.org
Phone: 910-616-3144
Kara Smith grew up by the beach in Wilmington, NC and found her way to Raleigh to attend North Carolina State University in 2007. GO PACK! She was a part of the 2011-2012 Raleigh Fellows Program through the Church of the Apostles. It was during the Fellows Program that she met her now husband Ben (fun story!) and together they have the joy of raising to two adorable little girls!
She worked as the Assistant Director of Student Ministries at Church of the Apostles for 5 years before spending a few years in the corporate world doing marketing for a small Raleigh business, when the Lord drew her to a position with Mission Triangle. As an Executive Assistant, she loves to encourage and support the team by helping connect details and see projects come full circle. She also enjoys yoga (she is a certified instructor), being by Wrightsville Beach, and sitting down for coffee with a friend.
ALEXIS HUNTER, PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Email: ahunter@missiontriangle.org
Phone: 919-880-5219
A native to North Carolina, Alexis spent her formative years in Johnston County, with much of her time working in her family’s restaurant business. It was there she began to see the intersection of work and faith modeled and the impact of a kingdom mindset when it comes to business. In 2014, Alexis left North Carolina to attend Parsons The New School of Design in New York City, where she graduated with a degree in Strategic Design and Management. During her time in New York, Alexis became heavily involved with serving the organizational and structural needs of a large, multiethnic, portable church. In her time there, she honed her skills in organizational leadership, project management and the nitty gritty details that help make a ministry thrive.
Alexis is passionate about cultivating efficiency and productivity while developing relationships and a culture of engagement. She loves spending time with her family and is currently pursuing a Master of the Arts in Christian Studies.
George is a strategic thinker with broad experience in organizational development, business systems establishment, and operations leadership as an integrator. He has lived in the Raleigh area most of his adult life after receiving his degrees in engineering from NC State. He has a diverse background in for-profit businesses and has held various faith-based leadership positions, most recently at The Summit Church. George received his MBA from Duke University.
Matt is a strategy leader for mission-driven businesses and organizations. After 2 years serving on the mission field in Afghanistan, Matt and his wife returned to the Triangle and have been making a Kingdom impact through business as missions ever since. Matt has worked on an international missions strategy for the Southern Baptist International Missions Board in addition to serving in a number of capacities for The Summit Church. Matt was a co-founder and board member for ReCity Network, a co-working space serving the Durham community.
As the current President of Gateway Women’s Care in Raleigh and Durham, Melinda has shown her extensive knowledge of strategic planning, leadership development and major donor relations. Holding a Master of Arts in Philosophy & Religion from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, she is equipped with a biblical foundation to serve every organization that she is a part of. She currently serves on the Board of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and is the Board Chairman of The Steward’s Journey.
Cheryl had a 38-year career in the foodservice industry both at a corporate level and as a McDonald’s franchisee. In 2012, Cheryl sold her business and has been on the board of various national nonprofits ever since. Of late, her work has focused on how businesses can serve Jesus Christ in the marketplace. She’s proud to serve as the Board Chair of Mission Triangle, is an active member of C-12 in Raleigh, NC and has three children and four grandchildren.
Justin has spent the past five years in the homebuilding business and currently is the Sales and Marketing Director for Beacon Street Development Company, Inc. in Raleigh, NC. Previously, Justin served for over six years on staff in various capacities with Mission Triangle. Justin is a graduate of Kansas State University and has a master’s degree in Biblical Studies from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Justin lives in Raleigh, NC with his wife, Gi, and their two children.
Shannon Williams is a leader of the Armstrong McGuire team, a full service firm in Raleigh that provides counsel to nonprofit organizations. She frequently leads capital campaign readiness efforts, art of the ask training, strategic planning and annual board retreats. Shannon is a talented case writer, strategic fundraising counselor, and development coach. She has worked with independent schools and human service organizations, focusing on both annual and capital development and is an active volunteer in the community. Shannon and her husband Jeff live in Raleigh and have two sons.
Mary has enjoyed many years as a musician, having served in numerous capacities from minister of music to pianist, organist and choral director. Mary’s talents and love for music remain the focus of her ongoing community service as both mentor and weekly volunteer for the Durham Rescue Mission. Mary lives in Raleigh, NC with her husband, Tom, and they have five children and are proud grandparents.
Vaneetha is a writer and speaker. She is the author of the book The Scars That Have Shaped Me: How God Meets Us in Suffering, is a regular contributor to John Piper’s Desiring God and blogs at www.danceintherain.com. Vaneetha has worked in the business world in several fields including consulting, product marketing and banking. She holds a BS in Commerce from the University of Virginia and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business. Vaneetha and her husband, Joel, live in Raleigh, NC and have four grown daughters.
John Luckett is the President and CEO of the Raleigh Rescue Mission and has 25 years of executive leadership in nonprofit and service industries. After graduating from the University of Memphis, John moved to Atlanta to begin his career in banking, but ultimately settled as a franchise operator for Chick-Fil-A Inc. and Wendy’s Inc. Before joining the RRM, he was the CEO of The Good Samaritan Health Center in Atlanta, GA. During the process of expanding the health center’s services to an increasing number of families and individuals experiencing homelessness, John and his wife Cynthia felt God calling them to Raleigh to work with the Raleigh Rescue Mission.
Queron Smith is Director of Underwriting at Redwoods—a mission-driven insurance carrier that was explicitly founded to create safe communities for all, and to prevent harms such as child sexual abuse and drowning. During his time at Redwoods, he has been actively involved in expanding the company’s work with residential summer camps across the country, as well as developing new and innovative ways to insure wildfire-exposed organizations in the West. Prior to joining Redwoods, he worked in the banking industry for over 15 years—most recently as the City Executive and Senior Vice President for Mechanics & Farmers Bank (M&F), the second oldest minority-owned bank in the country.
Cliff is a Managing Partner at American Homesmith, LLC, a North Carolina homebuilding company serving eastern NC. He’s worked in the areas of investment and asset management since 2001. Cliff serves on the board of several local nonprofits. He lives in Raleigh, NC with his wife, Anna, and three children.
Cliff Benson, Jr. is a Raleigh native and is retired from the building supply business, and is now involved in residential homebuilding in Eastern NC. Cliff is a co-founder of Mission Triangle along with Jim Branch, and has served on the board for 24 years. He is the proud grandfather of 6 grandchildren and lives in Raleigh with his wife Peggy.
Jim enjoyed a 40-year career in real estate sales and development in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina. In his retirement, Jim is a private investor in local companies and serves on the board of North State Bank and The YMCA of the Triangle, where he chairs the Christian Leadership Committee. Jim is a co-founder of Mission Triangle and has served on the board for 24 years. Jim is known as a community advocate by raising funds for scores of Christian and community nonprofits as emcee, auctioneer and committee member. Jim and his wife, Liz, live in Raleigh, NC and have four adult children and five grandchildren.