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Gretchen Carson joined the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance® as the director of business recruitment in August 2021. Gretchen’s role is focused on project recruitment and marketing of the Charlotte Region for domestic and international prospects considering establishing a presence in the community.
Prior to joining the CLT Alliance, Gretchen served as existing industry program manager for the Mecklenburg County Office of Economic Development for more than three years. Gretchen was tapped to build and develop the county’s first retention program for business and industry, targeting more than 220 manufacturers. Under Gretchen, the Existing Industry Program leveraged local incentives for the retention of businesses in the community, generating more than $100 million in capital investment and yielding the creation and retention of nearly 500 jobs. Before supporting Mecklenburg County, Gretchen spent five years focusing on existing industry retention and nearly a year as a project manager for business attraction in Union County.
Gretchen also served as the executive director for the French American Chamber of Commerce of the Carolinas from 2007-2010 and is currently a member of the organization’s board of directors. She also serves on the advisory board for the NC Biotechnology Center – Charlotte. Gretchen holds a Bachelor of Arts in French and Art History from Indiana University, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in International Business from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and graduated from the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute in 2012. In 2017, Gretchen was selected as one of the Charlotte Business Journal’s 40 Under 40. She is married with two sons.
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The Charlotte Regional Business Alliance® is pleased to welcome Kylie Barnes to the business recruitment team as the new economic development associate. Her role will be a key support position for the business recruitment team as they market the Charlotte Region and recruit companies utilizing data research and building relations.
Kylie graduated from Appalachian State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Development. Her passions include community and economic development, connecting and building relationships with people, as well as environmental sustainability; all of which she hopes to bring as strengths and skills to her new role with the CLT Alliance.
During her undergraduate studies, Kylie served as an intern with the Women’s Fund of the Blue Ridge, a nonprofit organization in Boone. She planned and organized community outreach and fundraising events including the annual Power of the Purse that engaged more than 500 community members and raised more than $200,000 to be divided and given as grants to other local nonprofit organizations in the area.
After she graduated with her degrees, Kylie served a one-year service term as an AmeriCorps for an environmental non-profit organization called Mountain True Watauga Riverkeepers. As the High Country water quality administrator, Kylie organized more than 30 community engagement and volunteer events, managed seven water quality monitoring and volunteer programs, and conducted research concerning microplastics and bacteria levels in the local river systems. The experience she gained prepared her for community development and engagement as well as organization and management that will aid her in being successful in her new role.
A native of the Charlotte Region, Kylie has returned to the area after spending the last five years in the mountains of North Carolina. Although she will miss the beautiful weather and overlooks, she is excited to be back near Lake Norman where she grew up swimming and boating. She loves how diverse, vibrant, and creative Charlotte has become and is thrilled to be a part of a team that works to increase and promote these qualities for the region. In her free time, Kylie enjoys hiking, indoor climbing, and, being a foodie at heart, trying new coffee shops and restaurants. She can’t wait to try all of the coffee and restaurants in Charlotte. So far, Summit Coffee and Seoul Food Meat Company are her favorites.
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Gretchen Carson
Kylie Barnes