Ballantyne Magazine covers news, events, real estate, restaurants, shopping, health, schools and business in the upscale Ballantyne Area of Charlotte, NC.
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BALLANTYNE | faces JOHN NELL Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio. Moved to the Marvin area in 1995, when the closest grocery store was at The Arboretum. Job: Vice president, information technology, HA Logistics. What do you like most about your job? Finding clever ways to apply technology to help businesses innovate in all sorts of interesting ways. What's your guilty pleasure? Carving time out for myself to stay ft so I can enjoy fantastic food. Do you live in Ballantyne? SOBA (South of Ballantyne), our answer to NODA. What is your favorite Ballantyne-area restaurant? OGGI — best eggplant parmigiana hands down. What is your favorite outdoor activity? Camping, hiking and mountaineering in the N.C. mountains. Describe your dream vacation. Climbing Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina and Mt. Vincent in Antarctica, both of which can be accomplished in a monthlong, back-to-back journey. What would your theme song be for walking into a room? "Once in a Lifetime." by the Talking Heads. What is your favorite news source? Talking to people who have a diverse variety of news to share, as well as www.stumbleupon.com. I would be rather caught dead than wear _____. Madras pants. What charitable organizations are you involved with? Apparo. It assists Charlotte-area nonprofts with technology initiatives. Helping nonprofts leverage technology to enhance effectiveness is rewarding and betters our community. What is your biggest pet peeve? In our society, there is a constant comparison of what "is" with some desired state of what "should be," which sets people up to be chronically dissatisfed. What is a hidden gem in Ballantyne? "Chicken and Waffe" at Terrace Café. Share something that someone would never guess about you. I studied music theory in school and composed arrangements for a jazz band, so I have a crazy, groovy taste in music. 30 BALLANTYNE MAGAZINE SPRING 2015