Bachelor of Creative Arts in design and illustration, UNC Charlotte (1992)
Hometown: Mount Pleasant, NC
As the Senior Vice President and Creative Director for one of Charlotte’s largest ad agencies, Todd Aldridge serves as lead creative for multiple projects, crafting the message and visual direction for his clients and their related brands. Recently, he has been involved in launching a new digital banking platform for BB&T and has worked closely with the Carolina Panthers, encouraging the adoption and inclusion of #KeepPounding as a unifying rally cry for team, fans, and sponsors.
Todd grew up in rural Cabarrus County, where his high school art teacher encouraged his talent and helped him get a scholarship to study art. As he considered which school he would attend, UNC Charlotte was an obvious choice. His older sister had graduated from the University with a degree in economics. His parents both worked at UNC Charlotte. So, in the fall of 1988, Aldridge entered the Bachelor of Creative Arts program at UNC Charlotte to study printmaking.
Todd remembers “late night drawing and painting classes, the competitive design classes, the smell of the acid bath for etching, and mixing clay behind Rowe at two in the morning.” He says, “UNC Charlotte provided me with an encouraging and challenging environment that pushed me into deeper thinking and more effective problem solving. I learned that a classroom that encourages you to find and act on your passion will eventually set you on a path for personal and professional success.”
Todd and his wife, Sandy (also a UNC Charlotte alum) have three children. He is the recipient of the Department of Art & Art History 2016 Distinguished Alumni award.