Charlotte Alumna Manages City Planning Department
“Charlotte has the elements of a big city but feels small sometimes. It’s got a lot of attractiveness, which is bringing in new residents, and it’s growing quickly toward fulfilling its world-class potential,” said Alyson Craig ’13 M.S., who serves as planning director for the city of Charlotte.
A desire to further her interest in urban development drew Craig to Charlotte a decade ago. She enrolled in the Belk College of Business’s Master of Science in Real Estate program, earning an advanced degree in 2013. She embarked upon a career with real estate developer Grubb Properties and eventually returned to UNC Charlotte to direct the MSRE program and co-direct the Childress Klein Center for Real Estate.
Now, Craig manages the Charlotte Planning Department and its growing team of more than 100 employees. The department oversees community area planning, property rezoning requests, geographical information systems, historic districts, urban forestry protection and development-related permits.