Our Charlotte Team

Mike Riley Owner / CEO

Mike Riley, owner of Homewatch CareGivers of Charlotte, has strong ties to family throughout the southeast. He has been in the role of a family caregiver after his father’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. He enjoys to building strong relationships in the community with families who need extra help with daily activities and providing a valuable service.
Mike has a BSBA from the Fisher College of Business at Ohio State University and worked in management in a large logistics firm for many years prior to becoming a home care business owner. “I really learned the value of taking care of the customer,” he says of his previous job.
When he’s at home, Mike likes spending time with his wife and their dog and two cats.

Monisha Kumar Director of Community Outreach

Monisha Kumar brings 14 years of geriatric health experience to her role as the Director of Community Outreach at Homewatch CareGivers of Charlotte.

“The best part about my position as the Director of Community Outreach Services is establishing a healthy network with our external vendors and helping clients live in their home environments with assistance from our caregivers,” she says.

Monisha works with partners at local assisted living facilities, independent living communities, hospitals, and rehabilitation centers so that clients have trusted resources when a care bridge is needed.

When she’s not at work, Monisha loves to spend time with her husband and their two daughters. Her passion is food and baking, or outside taking pictures in nature.

Marie Merow, RN Director of Nursing

Marie Merow came to Homewatch CareGivers of Charlotte with over 30 years of nursing experience in Neuro ICU, CCU, and ICU. She has worked as a visiting nurse before joining as us as Director of Nursing. Marie’s role is to assess needs to determine what assistance should be given. In fact, she may be one of the first people you meet as she does assessments for new clients as well as supervisory visits.
Away from work, Marie is pretty serious about playing American mahjongg with friends and relaxes by taking walks with her dogs.

Sheila Lowery Operations Manager

Sheila Lowery, Operations Manager at Homewatch CareGivers in Charlotte, has worked in home care since 2003. She handles the day-to-day operations to ensure that all clients and caregivers receive the attention and customer service they deserve. “One of my favorite things about my job is knowing we are helping people to stay at home and receiving the highest quality care,” Sheila says. Sheila has a bachelors in business administration and has been with Homewatch CareGivers since 2011 (she also worked for the company from 2003-2006). “I love spending time with my family and having time together in the mountains or at the beach,” she says.

Kourtney Bryant, CMT Client Care Coordinator

Kourtney Bryant, a Certified Medical Technician (CMT), is the Client Care Coordinator at Homewatch CareGivers of Charlotte. She joined the team in 2016 after working in assisted living communities locally.

“My favorite thing about my job is the joy I get from helping people in need,” Kourtney said. “Just the fact that I can make a person smile and give a sense of norm to their everyday life makes me feel so good.”

Kourtney specializes in communicating with the families of those who need care and the caregivers who spend time in their homes.

This mother of three likes to spend time outdoors and having fun with her family.

Kathleen Kulikowski, RN-C Nurse Supervisor

Kathleen A. Kulikowski, RN-C, is a nurse supervisor for Homewatch CareGivers of Charlotte, NC. Kathleen also does assessments for new clients as well as supervisory visits. She is ANCC certified in Med-Surg.
Kathleen has worked as a nurse for nearly 30 years, first as a Medical-Surgery floor nurse then as a visiting nurse. “I’ve had excellent experience for this job,” she says. “I enjoy meeting new people, trying to assist them, and coordinating care as I help clients.” She previously worked for Liberty Healthcare Corporation.
In her free time, Kathleen likes to travel. Ask her about her Alaskan cruise!

Delilah Therapy Dog

Meet Delilah, aka “Little Ray of Sunshine,” the office’s very own therapy dog. Delilah has a therapy dog certification from The Alliance of Therapy Dogs and spends her days basically making people feel good.
Delilah volunteers to visit people in hospice, assisted living, independent living, short term and long term rehabilitation centers, and, of course, our clients when requested. Her job is to visit those who love the attention of a friendly and loving dog, but who can’t have one of their own.
If you should meet Delilah, know that she likes to be petted and have her ears scratched.

Amber Bennafield HR/Direct Sales Administrator

Amber Bennafield is responsible for leading the Charlotte office’s recruitment efforts, which involves identifying, interviewing, screening, and hiring caregivers, CNAs, and PCAs. She also handles intake correspondence for new clients.

With a degree in Occupational and Technical Studies (and a minor in English) from Old Dominion University, Amber brings four years of experience in staffing and managed services. “Past roles as an Operations Specialist and Client Support Manager has allowed me to be HR and business-process oriented with a focus on employee relations,” she said.

A mother of a 1-year old little girl, Amber loves to read, practice yoga, and plan fun trips with family and friends.