BAG LADY BRUNCH

The 6th Bi-Annual Bag Lady Brunch will be held at Trump National, Charlotte, on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Purchase your tickets now to bid on hundreds of new and gently used designer handbags, jewelry, experiences, and more! We are proud to announce this year’s keynote speaker, Colonel Michele Harper.

Colonel Michele Harper is originally from Hendersonville, NC and is a graduate of Appalachian State University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics in 1993. She commissioned that same year into the North Carolina Army National Guard where she began her officer assignments in the National Guard with Company D, 1st Battalion 192nd Aviation out of Salisbury, NC. Colonel Harper has held numerous leadership positions within the Aviation community throughout her career. She has served as the Company Commander for three different companies to include HHC, 449th Aviation Group, Company B 1-59th Aviation and Company B 1-126 Aviation. She served as the Battalion S1 for HHC, 1-130th Attack Recon Battalion and Brigade S-1 for the 449th Theater Aviation Brigade. Colonel Harper has also served as Chief of Aviation Operation Training and Standardization Branch for Joint

Force Headquarters, North Carolina, the 2-130th Airfield Operations Battalion Commander and the State Aviation Officer for Joint Force Headquarters, North Carolina. Her most recent assignment is as the Commander of the 449th Combat Aviation Brigade.

Colonel Harper’s military education includes: Initial Entry Rotary Wing Course, Aviation Officer Basic Course, UH-60 Advanced Qualification Course, Aviation Officer Advance Course, Combined Arms Services School, and Command and General Staff College. Colonel Harper is a Master Army Aviator and is qualified in the UH-1 and UH-60A/L.

Personal awards and decorations and badges include: Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Achievement Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism

Service Medal, Master Aviator Badge, and numerous State Awards. She has over 29 years of dedicated service in the North Carolina National Guard.

Colonel Harper resides in Matthews, NC with her husband Aaron and their three children, Soren, Cruz, and Jake.