Title: Dr.

Municipality: City of Charlotte

Position Interested In: District Representative, District #8

Q&A's:

Tell us why you would like to serve in a leadership position at the League. In particular, specify goals you would like to accomplish as an officer or board member and indicate how, if attained, they will help to achieve Vision 2030 – the League’s future vision of how cities and towns will operate in 2030?

I would like to serve in a leadership position at the League because I care about the future of North Carolina. As a native who has lived in other states and abroad, I can confidently say there is no place like home.

 In the midst of changing demographics, markets, and technology, I would like to contribute to the following:

1. Increasing the General Assembly’s awareness and concern about the consequences of their actions at the local level. As part of the Board’s advocacy efforts, I hope to help demonstrate willingness and ability to co-develop solutions for our residents. This starts by ensuring local leaders are aware of the legislative agenda of NCLM, an understanding of key stakeholders, and clarity around meaningful ways to participate. As a Board member, I would like to work to enhance onboarding for our members to hit the ground running.
2. I am also keenly interested in working with local leaders and regional business alliances to improve economic development in rural areas. (Oftentimes, we have found ourselves competing with our rural neighbors in site selection, rather than proposing joint offerings.) As a Board member, I would like to help shape programming to foster stronger relationships between leaders around a given region.
3. As an engineer in the sustainability space, I am eager to help identify ways in which technology can improve municipal processes, as well as spur industry for our state. With more alignment across municipalities, we can work together to attract target industries for greatest impact. As a Board member, I would like to strengthen our connection to businesses and anchor institutions across North Carolina.

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Tell us about your experience as a municipal official. You may want to include information on your service on the municipal governing body, other related boards and special areas of interest?

Though Charlotte is quickly growing, our city should still feel like home. Charlotteans deserve safe, stable neighborhoods, and an inclusive community. That’s why, in response to the national social justice movement sparked by the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others, I drafted Charlotte’s Re-Imagining Policing Framework, to ensure our policing reflects our community values, and that our officers are equipped with what they need to deliver high-quality service. In addition, as part of the Safe Charlotte Plan, I continue to push for violent crime prevention strategies that address systemic causes, including working with public and private partners to seize high-crime properties. When it comes to stability, I’ve advocated for the expansion of the (Aging) Staying in Place program to help long-time residents remain in the neighborhoods they’ve grown to love, even as they change. I’ve also worked alongside the West Side Community Land Trust to secure over $400K in City investment to preserve affordability in our neighborhoods, and am proud to have championed City investment in a viable future for Brookhill. Based on feedback from SW Area Neighborhoods, Steele Creek Residents Association, and the NW Community Alliance, I fought to protect the dream of homeownership in our neighborhoods in the 2040 plan. As the Housing, Safety, and Community Committee Chair, I am proud to have led the enactment of several landmark policies:

• Historic $100 MM Housing Bond and Affordable Housing Funding Policy
• Community Safety Framework: Youth Crime Response
• Performance Management Framework HSC Metrics (Dashboard)
• Anti-Displacement Initiative (NEST)
• Housing & Neighborhood Services programs update
• Enforcement of Source of Income Discrimination in City-supported housing

Progress is a team sport. If we want to go far, we have to go together. Charlotte is blessed with so many passionate, committed, and talented community leaders, each contributing to our city. That’s why I’ve worked to ensure the City is investing in grassroots organizations, like partnering with the Urban League and United Way’s Unite Charlotte initiative to help community groups scale up their operations, and respond to funding opportunities. So far, we’ve committed over $1.5MM to the West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition and the Three Sisters Market grocery co-op, the first of its kind in the city.

In addition, I’ve championed increasing District 3 residents’ participation on City Boards & Commissions, including securing District 3 representation on the City’s Planning Commission, and spearheading the virtual participation ordinance to ensure equitable access for residents across the city. I’ve worked to amplify the voice of emerging neighborhood organizations like the Northwest Community Alliance through community benefit agreements as we plan for Charlotte’s Future. Through the rezoning process, in partnership with organizations like the Community Benefits Coalition, we’ve secured land to build affordable homeownership opportunities with the West Side Community Land Trust, as well as expanded the rezoning petition notification process via digital platforms.

A Connected City
Many of us have our hands full, juggling work, family, and community activities. In such a fast-paced world, every moment counts. We need a mobility network that gets you where you need to be efficiently, so you can spend more time on what matters. That’s why I championed infrastructure investment in across the city, working with my colleagues to secure $14M in congestion mitigation funds, $5M of which is set aside specifically for Steele Creek. In response to residents’ concerns, I successfully advocated to remove the petition process for traffic calming devices in our neighborhoods, ensuring equity in street improvements across the city.

I championed the first-ever $38.5M Corridors of Opportunity initiative, kicking things off on the West Blvd in a big way.

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Tell us about your educational background, professional experience, and/or community or civic activities?

See Resume 

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Have You Participated in Any NCLM Events or Committees? 

• Town & State Dinner or Town Hall Days