Relationships

We’ve never been better positioned to fortify our national and international relationships. With the DNC Convention arriving in 2012, we’ll have a unique opportunity to show the country – and the rest of the world – how and why Charlotte is special.

At the state level, Governor Perdue and her administration have played a huge role in our region’s economic recovery. She set up an office in our government building to help entrench herself and her staff in Charlotte’s day to day activities. She also shows up to announce any new job opportunities she and her team help lure to our community, and has advanced major road and interstate projects years before they were even scheduled to begin. These have included: the I-485 loop; the I-85 N expansion toConcord; theYadkinRiverBridgeexpansion; the I-77 N HOV to HOT lane expansion; theIndependence Boulevardexpansion; and many more.

Charlotte has enjoyed tremendous growth, with thousands of people moving here from cities all over the world. But this rapid growth has prevented us from building the “social capital” needed to quell fears about our social challenges. Social capital is built by neighbors working with neighbors, and communities working toward common goals over time. With so many new residents here who have little invested in our history or quality of life, it’s easy to understand our current dilemmas around education, the environment, public safety, affordable housing and other issues. When our community faces challenges like these, our social capital bank is where we’re supposed to draw our strength and resolve. And despite the obstacles we’ve faced, Charlotteans continue to do what we’ve always done – figure it out.