1on1 with Jon Evans

Brandon Beane had graduated from UNC Wilmington and was about to be married when he faced a decision. Accept a full-time, $30K a year job he would like, or wait for a minimum-wage internship he would love. Brandon chose his passion, which opened the door to a career in professional sports. Twenty years later, Brandon is one of the youngest general managers in the NFL, reflecting on his path and the people he learned from along the way.

You know him as Bill Saffo. But long before ever deciding to run for mayor, this son of Greek immigrants went from Vasilios Avgerinos Saffo to Billy, and then to Bill. He grew up Wilmington, went to school in Wilmington, and has now become the longest-serving mayor in city history.

In his first professional job – he couldn’t speak for 6 months. Those were the rules and Orlando Jones followed them. Since then, his talents have done the talking. Orlando’s entertainment career spans nearly four decades, from A Different World to American Gods, with many other bookmarks along the way. He also has a new role, as a citizen of the Port City.

MacKenzie Gore hates to lose. It didn’t happen often during his career at Whiteville High School. But when it did, MacKenzie bounced back stronger. Now he’s playing baseball for a living after signing a multi-million dollar contract as the top pick of the San Diego Padres. The expectations are high, but so is this teenager’s drive to work hard and earn a trip to the major leagues.

Anne Donovan is the only woman to win gold medals as both a player and head coach with the U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team. Anne also won championships as a player (Old Dominion University) and head coach (Seattle Storm), but bringing home the gold, while representing the United States against the best in the world, holds a special place in her heart.

Hayley Lovitt had almost given up acting when she enrolled at UNC Wilmington. But she changed her mind, worked behind the scenes on shows including Homeland and Banshee, while looking to land larger on-camera roles. That happened in 2017, when Hayley played the mutant Sage on the Fox Network show The Gifted. With Season 2 of the show in the works, and appearances in two upcoming movies, Hayley’s career is on the upswing.

Victoria Huggins won Miss North Carolina on her fifth try, fulfilling a dream she had since childhood. She's no stranger to the spotlight, with appearances on Showtime at the Apollo, Star Search and American Idol in her past. Raising awareness of Alzheimer's Disease and advocating music therapy, she's on track to be the busiest woman to ever wear the crown. 

Many know him as the “My Turn, Your Turn” guy. But, it wasn’t Gary McNair’s idea to do those editorials. As General Manager of WECT, it’s a requirement. Find out what goes into those segments, how he deals with the feedback (positive and negative), and Gary’s thoughts on his career spanning nearly 50 years in television as he prepares to retire.

From the first time he rode the waves in elementary school, Tony Silvagni knew he wanted to surf. When his family moved to the beach, the dream became reality. Tony is one of the best surfers in the world, ranked #9 on the 2017 World Surf League Longboard Tour. Tony started winning tournaments as a teenager, and even brought home a gold medal representing his country in the ISA World Games. For a decade now, he has also owned and operated the Tony Silvagni Surf School in Carolina Beach, introducing people of all ages to the thrills and excitement of surfing.  

Known for his signature hit The Devil Went Down to Georgia, Charlie Daniels has entertained fans around the world for more than 50 years. His award-winning career includes playing with legends like Bob Dylan and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Charlie joined the Grand Ole Opry and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. His new memoir, Never Look at the Empty Seats, recalls growing up in Wilmington, spending summers in Bladen County, and cutting his musical chops playing in beer joints in Jacksonville.