June 2023 Luncheon – The State of CLT
Submitted by Meg Davis, Office Environments
Assistant City Manager Tracy Dodson spoke on “The State of CLT” at CREW’s luncheon on June 13, giving attendees a comprehensive look at upcoming projects the city has invested in as well as diving into her strategy for recruiting companies to the area.
While sharing some of Charlotte’s recent accolades (CLT was recently ranked #8 Best City to Live by U.S. News & World Report), Tracy dove into how they align with Select CLT to entice companies to the area. She shared some recent announcements such as Albemarle Corp., ACC, alpitronic, The Bank of London, Rexroth, Solve, RXO, Columbus McKinnon, USAA and Ircad France. These announcements reflect a $300m capital investment, 1,500 new and retained jobs, and 1.5m square feet of office under construction.
Large economic development projects that the city has invested in include Project Break Point/River District, Charlotte Transportation Center, and Eastland Mall Redevelopment. Project Break Point, or more commonly referred to as the River District, is a 1,400-acre project near the airport that will include single-family, multifamily, along with retail, office, schools, and potentially a world-class tennis stadium. The Charlotte Transportation Center project boasts of bringing the bus station underground to allow for more street-level retail and office space. Eastland Mall Redevelopment project is currently looking for a project to develop the 30 acres that Tepper Sports & Entertainment originally planned to build a Charlotte FC practice facility on. Current options include an indoor sports complex and an events and esports center.
Corridors of Opportunity is another initiative the city has undertaken, outlining the often forgotten communities and ensuring they become safe and prosperous communities. The six key corridors are Graham Street/North Tryon, Sugar Creek Road, Albemarle Road, Beattie’s Ford/Rozelles Ferry Road, West Boulevard and Freedom Drive/Wilkinson Boulevard. The projects vary from each corridor and include affordable housing, community safety, infrastructure, transportation, workforce and business development, and urban design.
CREW Charlotte’s Signature Luncheon featured Sarah Thomas who changed the game in the world’s most quintessential male-dominated sport—football—by becoming the first female NFL official. Today, Sarah Thomas’s hat, whistle, and flag are on display at the NFL Hall of Fame and serve as a testament to this historic achievement.
On Tuesday, April 14, Allison Kirby, Associate Director of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) & Sustainability with Cushman & Wakefield’s Energy & Sustainability Asset Services presented to our membership on this city government-led development standard for commercial real estate funding. She spoke of the goals of the ESG standards, its evolving levels of compliance, and the challenges attached to each level. Also, the Inflation Reduction Act, recently passed by Congress, incentivizes developers to comply with ESG goals. Though different from LEED (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design), the ESG standards complement LEED design and intent. Allison stated the markets she sees evolving are Multifamily, Class A office, and development in cities where local government has passed ESG initiatives.
We also heard from Kristi Straw, Bank OZK, who energized CREW Charlotte with her ’10 Power Moves for 2023.’ Her open and honest view of leadership and failure inspired many in the room. Kristi’s recommendations include several authors, executive coaching, finding your tribe, and being unapologetic for our personalities. She motivated the group to look at our surroundings, our bosses, and culture and work toward finding kindness and respect in the workplace. Kristi’s presentation was filmed and is available on her YouTube channel. You can find a copy of her presentation here: 
Laura Ward, principal at Bernard Robinson & Company, received the Groundbreaker Award This award honors a member who has joined the organization within the past 18 months and has actively become involved with a committee and the organization as a whole. Laura served as a member of the sponsorship committee for 2022 and will fill a co-chair role for the membership committee in 2023.
The Carrie Sharp Power Connector award was given to Peyton Maynard, Business Development Manager at Jenison Construction. This award is given to a member who intentionally builds and strengthens connections between CREW members and sponsors. Peyton can be seen at nearly every event and is constantly making introductions and connections among attendees.
Shawn McMillan, owner of diamond sponsor McMillan PLLC, was the winner of the Member-to-Member business award. This award is given to someone who consistently helps build business for other CREW members or sponsors. Shawn is firmly committed to the mission of CREW Charlotte and he looks for every opportunity to utilize a CREW connection on a business deal.
The next award is the Career Advancement of Women. This award goes to someone who is consistently helps to elevate and advance other women in commercial real estate. This year’s winner, Dawn Chanland, Professor of Management at Queens University, leads CREW Charlotte’s Authentic Leadership Program and through this program has helped several members become better leaders in the industry.
Liz Ward, founder of Give Impact Advisory Services, was awarded the Entrepreneurial Spirit award. Liz embodies an entrepreneurial spirit as someone who started her own company that specializes in affordable housing and upward mobility solutions.
The Men Empowering Women award is given to a male who make a conscious and intentional effort to support women within the commercial real estate industry. Dave Rushing, Vice President at All American Relocation, was selected as this year’s winner. Dave served on the membership recognition committee this year and went above and beyond in promoting women for award nominations throughout the year.
Jennifer Miles, Global Account Director at Cushman & Wakefield, was the winner of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion award. This award honors a member who tirelessly advances the DEI efforts of the organization. Jennifer was a founding member of the DEI task force in 2021 and co-led the task force for 2022. She is an advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the organization.
The winner of the 2022 Circle of Excellence award was CREW Charlotte’s Executive Director, Patty Trepp Drummond. The award is given to someone who delivers excellence and is performing to the highest standards for the organization. Patty has consistently helped elevate CREW Charlotte within the community, fostered relationships among members and found creative new ideas for the organization
Lee Anne Nance, President and COO of Stewart, shared with us her core values and strategic goals that are the foundation of her success. A devoted wife and mother, with a background as an Economist and Analyst in Economic Development, Lee Anne has used her leadership skills to help develop a unique culture at Stewart. She shared how she has developed the acronym T H R E A D which has become part of the everyday language and culture for Stewart.
Katie Grissom, Managing Director, Asana Partners delivered an informative and positive message about the Trends in Retail Development at our June 2022 luncheon. Generation Z, the largest generation, is coming into buying power and more broadly, consumer preferences are evolving as a result of the last two years. With convenience at the forefront – mixed use, neighborhood near urban and suburban neighborhoods are becoming more desirable for retailers. New categories focused on convenience are emerging, like Medtail (vets, dentists, primary care). We better understand the halo effect, the impact of opening a new store on the retailer’s sales, and digital marketing costs are pushing retailers to find new avenues to acquire customers. All of these factors point to continued growth in the brick-and-mortar retail space.