"Charlotte in 2012, Reaching for Tomorrow"

Co-Chairs
Mayor Anthony Foxx
Elected Nov. 3, 2009.  Also deputy general counsel for DesignLine, a bus manufacturer, since Dec. 2009.  Elected at-large member of Charlotte City Council in 2005 and re-elected in 2007.  Business litigator at Hunton & Williams, 2001-09.  Counsel for the House Judiciary Committee.  A trial attorney for the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.  Served as a judicial clerk for the U.S. Circuit Court for the Sixth Circuit.  Attorney at Smith, Helms, Mulliss & Moore.  Law degree from New York University School of Law, 1996; bachelor’s degree in history from Davidson College, 1993; first African American elected to student body president.  Raised in the Dale Brook of Charlotte neighborhood.
 
Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers
President and chief executive officer of Duke Energy since the merger of Duke Energy and Cinergy in April 2006.  Before the merger, Rogers served as Cinergy's chairman and chief executive officer for more than 11 years.  Prior to the formation of Cinergy, he joined PSI Energy in 1988 as the company’s chairman, president and chief executive officer.  Deputy general counsel for litigation and enforcement for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).  Executive vice president of interstate pipelines for the Enron Gas Pipeline Group.  Partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld. Assistant to the chief trial counsel at FERC; a law clerk for the Supreme Court of Kentucky; and assistant attorney general for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  A reporter for the Lexington (Kentucky) Herald-Leader.  B.B.A. and J.D. degree from the University of Kentucky.

Consultants
Tom McMahon
Partner at New Partners, a consulting firm. Acting executive director of Americans United for Change.  Executive director of the DNC, 2005-09.  Executive director of Democracy for America.  Deputy campaign manager on Dean for America (announced May 22, 2003).  Worked in the Clinton Administration from 1993-99, serving as associate deputy director in Vice President Gore's scheduling and advance office, as a public affairs specialist at the Department of Defense, and as White House liaison at the United States Information Agency.  McMahon was involved in the Gore campaign in 2000, the Clinton campaign in 1996, and was a regional field director in Missouri for Clinton/Gore in 1992.  Law degree from the University of Iowa; bachelor's degree in political science with an emphasis in international relations from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

Karen Finney
DNC Organization-2007 Edition Independent consultant.  Director of communications at the DNC, 2005-09.  Briefly deputy chief of staff for communications to Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).  Communications director for Elizabeth Edwards on the Kerry-Edwards campaign (announced Aug. 31, 2004).  Press secretary for Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2000 Senate campaign.  Director of business development at Scholastic Books in New York City.  Deputy director of presidential scheduling in the Clinton White House into 1998.  Served as one of two deputy press secretaries to First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton for the first four years of the Clinton Administration.  Member of the national advance team on Clinton's 1992 campaign.  California Scheduler/Field Representative to Sen. Alan Cranston.  Worked as a teaching assistant at the Crittendon Center for Young Women and Infants in Los Angeles.

Joe Sandler
Member of Sandler, Reiff & Young, P.C.. General counsel to the DNC, through the law firm, through 2008; general counsel to the DNC, on staff, Feb. 1993-May 1998.  Outside counsel to the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Democratic National Conventions; general counsel of the 1996 Democratic National Convention.  Partner at Arent Fox, 1989-93.  Staff counsel for the Democratic National Committee, 1986-89.  Associate at Arent Fox Kintner Ploktin & Kahn in Washington, D.C., 1978-86.  Graduate of Harvard College summa cum laude in 1975 and of Harvard Law School with honors in 1978.




Visit Charlotte  |  Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority

“Charlotte is proud to present a bid for the Democratic National Convention, promising to make every visitor’s and attendee’s experience one they will be eager to share with their friends and family.  New for Charlotte just this year include the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, the new Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, a new Mint Museum of Art that combines the renowned Craft + Design collection, as well as the new Ritz-Carlton Charlotte, and soon to be Hotel Sierra in uptown Charlotte.  All within walking distance of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, these venues are joined by an array of nightlife selections that would satisfy anyone’s interests, from Whisky River (Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s place) to Howl at the Moon dueling piano bar to Strike City bowling experience like no other….all at the EpiCentre located in the heart of the city. All are within walking distance of our award-winning Charlotte Convention Center and the Time Warner Cable Arena.  We just celebrated a very busy month in May with events such as the Quail Hollow (PGA) Championship, the opening of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600 as well as all surrounding NASCAR-associated events, the National Rifle Association convention, the UltraSwim and more. These events alone brought in over $400 million to the local economy in one month.  We welcome all to find out why Charlotte will be a success for the  DNC and why we have become a year-round favorite destination.”

Hotel rooms:

Restaurants:

Flights, airline information:

Accessibility in general (how easy it is to get here): (Amtrak and LYNX info taken from respective websites)

What is Charlotte best known for and why would the DNC want to be here? 

All info taken from Charlotte Chamber website unless specified otherwise.





POSTING on the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party website

From Susan Burgess… Help demonstrate grassroots support - Join on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#/group.php?gid=146977744171 

The Democratic National Committee will send Requests for Proposals in early 2010 to several cities asking about their interest in hosting the 2012 Democratic National Convention. A site selection committee will be appointed by Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, chairman of the DNC, who will make the decision in 2010.

Charlotte is going for it! We believe we are a strategic choice - a southern state that flipped from red to blue in the 2008 Presidential race, not only voting for President Obama, but ousting a Republican US  Senator and electing Sen. Kay Hagan to the seat.

The advantages to Charlotte's hospitality industry are obvious, but our city will benefit in many more ways. The national and international exposure would be enormous. Thousands will be attracted to our gleaming Center City, visiting our new cultural facilities, including the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Hosting the 2012 Democratic National Convention would be a boost to our entire region. The "hotel shed" will include Concord, Lake Norman, Southern Iredell County, Gaston County, Union County and York County, SC.

I have attended three conventions, and I'm confident Charlotte can provide a superior experience for all.

Join the effort. Share your ideas. Let's start a conversation about how we make this happen.

OBAMA 2012!

Susan Burgess
Mayor Pro Tem
Charlotte, NC

NC Committeewoman, Democratic National Committee