Engaging Trio
Get to Know these Notable Locals
Photos by Ray Sepesy
Faces introduces you to people who make Ballantyne lively and interesting. In this edition, meet Vinay Patel, Betsy Shuster and Harry Swimmer.
Vinay Patel
Hometown: Nadi, Fiji
Job: President and CEO, SREE Hotels
What do you like most about your work?
The people — not only all our team members but also the guests that we accommodate in our hotels. You learn something new all the time.
Do you live in Ballantyne?
Yes, since 2002. I moved to Charlotte when I was 16.
What did you want to be when you were a kid?
In high school, I wanted to be a nuclear physicist.
Betsy Shuster
Hometown: Canton, Ohio
Job: Personal Trainer and Yoga Teacher, The Ballantyne
What do you like most about your work?
Fitness, health, wellness and the mind/body connection are core to my being and how I parent my children. It excites me to extend my knowledge and best practices.
For how long have you lived in Ballantyne?
18 years.
What did you want to be when you were a kid?
Large and exotic animal veterinarian.
Harry Swimmer
Hometown: Chester, Pennsylvania
Job: President and Instructor, Misty Meadows Mitey Riders
What do you like most about your work?
The opportunity and pleasure of working with very special disabled children.
Do you live in Ballantyne?
I live in Weddington.
What did you want to be when you were a kid?
I never thought about it until I went to Penn State, and then it was the insurance business all the way. I got married and moved to Charlotte in 1952.