Core Team

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Dennis served in public education for nearly 20 years as a High School Visual Arts Teacher. As

a 1998 graduate of High Point College-University, Smith received his BA degree in Art. Smith

attended seven more colleges in search of his master’s degree, including WSSU, UNCC, Gaston

College, Savannah State University, Armstrong Atlantic State University/ Georgia Southern,

Emmanuel Christian School, & Covenant Bible College. As a Christian husband, father, pastor

and teacher, Dennis Smith prioritizes honor. The highest honor a person can bestow is to first

become the humble but effective steward of the Temple in which he/she lives. Our bodies were

created with an assigned purpose as the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Most of us learn late in life

that we are first obligated to serve the Lord. Once we become good at first things, we can then be

made a ruler over many other things. The Lord kept His word and gave Mr. Smith access via

dreams and visions to a design an algorithm that facilitates the efficiency in a school teacher’s

endeavor to create a field trip. Smith designed a piece of software which essentially creates a

mobile classroom replete with all necessary components to allow a teacher to physically

transport a group of students safely to and from the actual site where learning becomes firsthand

and experienceable! Assembling first the software then the Core Team and all the necessary

variables, bringing this vision to fruition has been the preoccupation for Smith for more than 25

years. As you might imagine, the cost for such an undertaking has been substantial but

perseverance and determination are just two of the many attributes present in Dennis’ daily

donning and pursuit of the completion of his vision and purpose. Faithfulness accompanies

Dennis’ unyielding confidence in each member of his Core Team and as the visionary leader,

Smith accentuates the equitability and uniqueness in the value present in each team member.

Dennis Smith truly believes the same perspective is what must be present in our technology. If

we treat our people like they truly matter from the perspective that they actually were assigned here by God, and then freely give honor where honor is due, how can that which we produce

perform otherwise? The real way to honor God is to honor His presence in each one of His

creations! That is our company’s secret to success!

Wanda Swindell Smith is the wife of Dennis Smith and the First Lady to the Church for the

Broken. Her main and most important function for AAT is being the confidant and sounding

board for Dennis. She currently serves as the Employee Relations Manager for AAT. Excellence

is her motto, and she exemplifies that in every aspect of her life. Wanda’s passion for helping

people and making a difference in everyday life is uncanning and unwavering. Having

completed both her associate and bachelor’s degree in business administration from Strayer

University (with Summa Cum Laude honors) she has held many positions throughout her career

to include Account Executive, Security Supervisor, and System Specialist to name a few. She is

very astute and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in many areas that will help solidify

important aspects of AAT.

One of the primary reasons this company is still functioning and Alive today is NOT due to the

founder himself but instead to the diligence, determination and hard work of Ginnie Watson (his

sister). After retiring from Continental Tire, she became the first member of what is now known

as the AAT Core Team. Ms. Watson has been with Dennis since the beginning tirelessly working

and providing experience, guidance, and direction. She has been the glue that has kept the ship

together and the directional navigation that kept it sailing in the right direction especially during

turbulent and stormy seasons.

Ms. Watson has firsthand knowledge and understanding about every aspect of the company's

operations and processes and to this day continues to provide outstanding faith and unmeasurable

guidance and direction on a daily basis. Ms. Watson firmly believed in the future of AAT since

the beginning stages of Quick Quote, which was originally created and designed in Excel.

In 2013, Ms. Watson became a Teacher's Assistant with the Charlotte Mecklenburg School

system where she spent the next 12 years acquiring and developing even more specialized skills

that afforded her a deeper devotion and a greater understanding of the intersection between

education, field trip value and student enrichment. Ms. Watson also serves faithfully as the

Church Administrator for Church for the Broken in Kings Mountain NC. It is fair to say during

the last 25 years of the emergence of AAT, Ms. Watson has proven to be a steadfast and

unmovable confidant for AAT and her little brother. She is the sentinel who stayed awake!

Marvin Smith Chappell, Jr. is a 1976 graduate of Northwestern High school, Rock Hill SC. He is

a dedicated, results-oriented professional with extensive experience in Business and Accounting.

Known for innovation and problem-solving, Marvin has a strong ability to manage projects,

collaborate with teams, and achieve organizational goals effectively.

As one of the first additions to the AAT Core Team, Marvin has responsibilities that include

assisting in developing company policies and procedures in our first-to-market educational field

trip travel business. Marvin and Mr. Dennis Smith met when working together as Automotive

Salesmen at a well-known Car Dealership in Gastonia NC. Their first encounter proved that

Marvin had the heart and the skills our business plan required, and that he was exactly the kind

of person needed to help Smith launch the Quick Quote software.

One of Marvin’s favorite pastimes is the sport of League Bowling. As a member of the Bowling

Center management team, Marvin served as the Customer Service Coordinator for many years.

Marvin and his wife Kim ran the bowling leagues and became significant members of the

bowling community including coaching and youth development.

Marvin is an integral part of the company and uses his experience and knowledge in many areas

including accounting, finance, inventory and contract review to name a few.

His background and life experiences include shipping manager, offsite warehouse management,

automatic transmission shop management, finance officer, computer installation and creating

from scratch, a piece of technology designed to replace the strip ledger card system. Marvin has

also served as the City clerk, treasurer and tax collector with the City of Kings Mountain where

due to his performance and leadership always received promotion through the ranks very

quickly.

Marvin’s Educational journey includes a degree in Accounting and Business Administration

which he received from Cleveland Community College and the University of North Carolina at

Chapel Hill. Marvin believes in giving back to his community and has been named the United

Way secretary. He has also received the highly coveted Marvin Paul Harris fellow from his local

Rotary Club.

With 19 years of experience in education, I have dedicated my

career to enhancing the learning experience for students through

innovative teaching and meaningful field trip opportunities. I spent three years as a second grade teacher, ten years teaching

fifth grade, and six years as a math interventionist for

kindergarten through fifth grade students. Throughout these

roles, I have collaborated closely with colleagues to plan

impactful lessons and field trips that provide students with

firsthand experiences that reinforce and enhance classroom

learning. Having served in various teacher leadership roles and

participated in curriculum and assessment planning teams, I

have a deep understanding of state curriculum standards and

their connection to real-world applications. I know how critical

planning and attention to detail are when organizing field trips

that benefit students academically and socially. My background

in teaching and leadership, along with my logical, critical

thinking skills, enable me to effectively bridge the gap between

schools and businesses during the field trip planning process. As

a parent of three, I also understand the emotional and social

growth that field trips provide for children and teens. These

experiences foster independence, teamwork, and resilience,

while providing opportunities for children to engage with the

world in significant ways. I recognize the financial pressures

many families face in supporting these experiences, which

drives my passion for making field trips accessible for all

students. I also understand the worry caregivers feel when those

they love travel without them and the trust it takes to allow them

to participate. I am committed to easing those concerns by

ensuring every field trip is well planned, safe, and enriching.

Shana is a proud recipient of The NAACP Image Award of

Cleveland County. A native of Carson, California, Shana

Robinson began singing at the age of 5 in church. She is the

daughter of the late Rev. Dr. James and Carolyn Griggs

Robinson.

She brings to AAT many years of knowledge in the aviation

industry as a former customer service agent and now currently a

flight attendant for the largest major airline in the world in terms

of passengers carried, and daily flights! She is Chairperson of

Transportation and office manager for Arts A Trip.

Shana has dedicated ALL her spare time to making our office

immaculate. As soon as her plane lands, she drives directly to

the AAT office. So focused and dutiful is Shana’s contribution

to our journey, that the Core Team has coined a phrase, “work

like a Shana!” Eventually she will be able to get back to doing

all the things she enjoys, like spending time with family and

friends, singing, exercising, nature trails, reading, and painting. Shana is a graduate of Kings Mountain High School, where she

won The Kiwanis Talent Show singing How Great Thou Art

which awarded her an A.J. Fletcher Music scholarship to

Elizabeth City State University, majoring in Music Education. 

She's done many performances of; The National Anthem for

the city of Kings Mountain for over 20 years.  She also

performed The National Anthem; for The Charlotte Knights,

The Charlotte Panthers, NFL Veterans Golf Tournament, City of

Charlotte Veterans Day Observance, ESPN Bass Masters

Tournament, and Central Piedmont Community College during

George W. Bush visit to Charlotte (43rd U.S. President). She is

also a former member of The Oratorio Singers of Charlotte,

accompanied by The Charlotte Symphony.

Co-Owner of a prominent

security firm and the owner of several successful businesses based in

Charlotte, North Carolina. With over 20 years of leadership experience

across the Physical Security, Financial Technology, Entertainment, and

Automotive industries, he has held key positions with Fortune 500

companies while also launching and scaling multiple ventures. His

strategic insight and operational acumen have earned him a reputation as

a trusted leader in the security technology sector, known for driving

innovation, upholding integrity, and creating long-term impact.

A proud native of the Mile High City, Billy is deeply committed to

community upliftment. He dedicates time to mentoring youth in

Chicago, empowering young men to overcome adversity and pursue

meaningful opportunities. As a devoted husband and proud father of

three young adults—two of whom are entering their sophomore year of

college—he finds joy in both his family’s academic accomplishments

and their shared values of excellence and perseverance.

Travel is another passion that fuels Billy’s commitment to family and

personal growth. As a former AAU basketball and competitive dance

team dad, he has spent years supporting his children’s pursuits across the

country. He firmly believes in exposing young people to new

environments as a way to broaden their horizons and inspire greater

possibilities for their future.