Management Team
Michelle Menard
President and CEOWhile an undergraduate at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1995, Michelle Luhr Menard founded Choice Translating with an operating budget of $200. Today, shaped by Michelle's vision to "Change the World, One Word at a Time," the customer-focused company is a multimillion dollar borderless business.
Michelle holds a B.S.B.A. in international business and a B.A. in French from UNC Charlotte. In 2000, the U.S. Small Business Administration named her North Carolina Young Entrepreneur of the Year. She was recognized in 2004 as one of the Charlotte Business Journal's "40 Under 40" high achievers and was a finalist for Business North Carolina magazine's Small Business of the Year award in 2005. In 2007 she received the Charlotte Business Journal's "Women In Business" achievement award.
Michelle served on the executive committee of Mayor Pat McCrory's International Cabinet and on the board of directors of the Entrepreneurs' Organization, Charlotte Chapter. She is an alumna of Leadership Charlotte Class XXV and served as the chairperson of the advisory board of the Small Business Technology Development Center - Southern Piedmont Region. She currently serves on the advisory board of the UNC Charlotte Belk College of Business.
Vernon J. Menard III
Chief Operating OfficerVernon Menard joined Choice Translating in 2000 as co-owner and Chief Operating Officer. Through efficient, tightly integrated and consistently executed strategic operations, he implements the vision he and Michelle share for the company.
Vernon holds a B.A. in international studies and a B.A. in Spanish from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. He also completed the WEO (World Entrepreneurs' Organization) Advanced Business Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Born in Washington, D.C., Vernon has lived in Peru, Mexico and Haiti, and has engaged in extensive business travels throughout Europe, Latin America and Asia.
Prior to partnering with Michelle at Choice Translating, Vernon founded and operated Rack Technologies, Inc., a data communications products manufacturer in Charlotte, North Carolina. Before launching Rack, he worked at Leviton Manufacturing Company's Telcom Unit in Seattle, Washington, where he started its International Department and served as International Marketing and Sales Manager.
Vernon has been an active member of the Entrepreneurs' Organization Charlotte Chapter since 2002, and served as President in 2006 and 2007. He has also served on the Advisory Board of the UNC Charlotte Chapter of Students In Free Enterprise since 2004.
