September fourth, twenty twenty-five meeting of the Green Throw City Council.

Um, this meeting was scheduled to enable us to go into closed session watch a body worn camera video.

I moved to go into closed session to review the body worn camera, BWC footage of the May 14th, twenty twenty-five traffic stop for the purpose of oversight accountability and potential policy reform.

We are back at the fair, Central Carolina Fair for how many years now with Michael's amusements?

This is their 15th year, my 29th year here.

What makes you love this place so much?

Well, when we come to town, it's always really hot, and when the fair starts, it cools right down.

It's just like beautiful weather here in North Carolina.

Alright, so we're on one of the new attractions.

What is this?

This is the new wacky shack.

It's a fun house, it's an extreme fun house.

It has 16 different tricks.

Once you come in and you do go through all the things, and then the last part is a circular slide coming down.

It is for basically all ages.

They're also uh another new attraction.

We have the orbiter, which is a super spectacular ride.

Now it doesn't go upside down, but it does everything else.

You're saying it spins very quickly.

It spins and then spins some more.

Funnel cake after you get off, right?

Exactly, exactly.

And of course, when you talk about funnel cakes, they were number one last year.

Corn dogs were number two, turkey legs were number three.

So this year the competition is hopefully the corn dogs can overtake the funnel cakes.

Alright, we'll see.

What is your favorite of those three?

Uh all three.

James Hammond is the ringmaster here at the Central Carolina Fair.

Uh tell us about your history with the fair because it's a long one.

Oh, yeah.

Well, our history with the fair, not just in the fair, in circus in general.

Now we're here at the fair with the circus.

We've been doing circuses since 1917.

Wow.

Yeah.

I'm fifth generation of producing circuses.

I'm an eighth-generation circus performer.

Now here at the fair, our family has a long history of being here.

We were back here going back, only certain people are gonna know this.

The Guildford County Fair, the Greensboro Agricultural Fair.

We were here before that Coliseum was even built.

We were here when they raised the roof on the Coliseum.

So we've been here a very, very long time, and we're fortunate enough that they still bring us in as the entertainment to this day.

I mean, there was there was never any doubt, I don't think.

Was there any doubt that you would be in the circus yourself?

Basically, as long as I could remember.

What do you love most about it?

The audience seeing their faces, hearing the laughs, hearing the crowds roar.

It's it's a great thing.

But my very, very favorite thing is this thing behind me right here.

Yeah, I was gonna say speaking of roars, this little roar that's gonna be happening right here, right?

Oh, yeah, so I have my friend Turbo Tyler in there.

He is on a Honda 150R.

He is inside what we call the globe of death.

It is a 14 and a half foot round sphere, and he found found a way to get that motorcycle racing around in there, and he's gonna show us right now what to do.

All right, I'm getting out of the way.

All right, well done.

Okay.

Does that scare you to even watch him do that?

A little bit, yeah.

He let me in there one time and he actually rode around me and I said I'd never get in there again.

That is terrifying.

Standing there and he was going in circles.

Oh, yeah, it's a really scary thing.

I I don't want to do it again.

When can we see the show?

You can see the show when you come to the fair, it's free with your admission to the fair.

So when you get here, you get yourself funnel cake and ice cold lemonade, come on over.

We have shows just about every other hour here.

So you can be on the carousel, you can be over on the Ferris wheel, and you can see our show.

We're located dead center of the fair.

So no matter what you're doing, you'll see, you'll hear it, you'll hear the bikes running, you'll hear the crowd laughing, having a good time.

You can't miss it.

At the Central Carolina Fair for the how many years, Jason.

This is the 30th year.

30th year.

It's a celebration.

It is, it is.

Tell us what you have for us this year.

Well, we brought something brand new to the fair.

Just born just in time for the fair, actually.

We have some two weeks, well, a week old actually.

Week and a half old.

Baby.

We have a brand new miniature baby donkey and a brand new miniature baby horse.

And of course, we have the favorites here, the llamas, you know, that they get up in everybody's business.

They are beautiful.

And of course, if you like something a little smaller to feed, you have those too.

We do have our goats.

We have several different breeds of goats and sheep here.

We have the little Nigerian dwarf goats, so the little toddlers can go right up and they're eye level with those guys.

And of course, we've brought back the pony rides.

You know, I've been doing pony rides here for generations, so I've rode kids, kids, they're bringing their kids back to ride.

It's I love this fair.

This is this is home here.

How many animals do you have in total?

Roughly right now, we have close to 400.

If you if you include goats and sheep and everything, so yeah.

What is it you love so much about doing these fairs?

The smiles on the faces.

I mean, look at yours now.

I mean, you're you're you're like you can't do this everywhere.

It's it's it's a unique experience, and I've been doing it for 40 years, and I'm still smiling.

I mean, I love it.

The tickets and all the deals are available online.

Go to Central Carolina Fair.com and then come out to the Greensboro Complex until September 14th.

Greetings, good afternoon.

Welcome to the Barber Park Event Center, home of the Ruth Wicker Tribute to Women.

My name is Carla Banks.

I am honored to serve as the MC for today's program, and we are so glad to see each and every one of you.

At this time, we always like to start programming by acknowledging any of our elected officials who are joining us.

If you are an elected official, please stand or wave so we can recognize you.

Thank you.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to be here today.

As I look around the room, I am and certainly in awe to be surrounded by such impressive women.

Just take a moment, look around the room, and just take this all in.

You are ambitious, you are brilliant, you are confident, unapologetically authentic, and accomplished.

And from where I'm standing, your sense of style, definitely on point.

Give yourselves a round of applause.

Thank you for joining us for the annual Women's Equality Day luncheon hosted by the City of Greensboro and the Commission on the Status of Women.

This marks the first year the luncheon is being paired with the biennial induction for the Ruth Wicker Tribute to Women.

Today's honorees will join the 46 individuals and four organizations previously etched in the permanent tribute exhibit, which has celebrated local women and their achievements and community contributions for the past six years.

Prepare to celebrate today's inductees while being inspired by the dynamic motivational speech which will be delivered by none other than Miss Leah McNair, lead pastor of Circle City Church in High Point.

Without further ado, we will begin today's program.

Please welcome Pam McAdoo Rogers, Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women.

She is also a tribute to women inductee from the inaugural class of 2019.

Pam will deliver an outline of the work and the purpose of the commission.

Good afternoon.

As chair of the Commission on the Status of Women, it is my honor to welcome you to our women's equality day luncheon featuring the Ruth Wicker tribute women tribute to women induction.

This occasion brings together community leaders, advocates, and supporters to celebrate the progress of women to honor those who have led with vision and to recommit ourselves to the work still ahead.

Today we reflect on the 19th amendment and the long struggle for women's suffrage, which reminds us that equality is never simply given.

Women's Equality Day is not only a celebration of history, but also a call to action.

A reminder that the journey toward full equality in pay, opportunity, representation, and safety continues.

We are especially proud to induct this year's honores into the Ruth Wicker tribute to women.

Ruth Wicker's life and service embody the values, leadership, compassion, and resilience.

Through this tribute, we not only honor extraordinary women who make a difference in our community, but we also inspire the next generation to step forward and leave with purpose.

The Greensboro Commission on the Status of Women carries that same spirit forward and dedicated to identifying the needs of women and girls in our city and working to improve their quality of life.

Some of our key initiatives include research and advocacy.

The commission published the 2022 Women of Greensboro Report, which surveyed local women and identified key challenges in areas like health care, mental health, money, and safety, educational programs, hosting forums such as our leadership services series, workshops, community engagement, creating platforms for women and girls to have a voice in decision making, including listening sessions and celebration and recognition, sponsoring events like today's luncheon to uplift and honor women who have meaningful contributions to Greensboro's progress.

As we celebrate Women's Equality Day and honor the remarkable 2025 Ruth Wicker tribute to women inductees, let us carry forward the commission's mission to break down barriers to advocate for equality, equity, and to build a Greensboro where every woman and girl can reach her full potential.

Let's get to work.

Starlina Green.

Darlena is a 2005 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

She has spent more than 20 years empowering others and giving back to this community.

Starlina is the founder of Real Life Incorporated, a nonprofit focused on providing financial assistance, educational resources, and referrals to families and single parents.

This work strengthens community support systems and promotes self-sufficiency for those in need.

Congratulations.

Mayor Nancy Vaughan.

Mayor Vaughn has served as Greensboro Mayor since 2013.

She previously wore the hats of Mayor Pro Tem and City Council Member dating back to 1997.

Her leadership extends to board memberships for a host of community organizations.

Mayor Vaughn has been a staunch champion for economic development, resulting in the expansion of diversified job sectors with impressive salaries.

Congratulations.

Julia is a senior partner at Susan Hunt Law, where she provides a state planning services.

She is recognized for developing and sharing community resources, including a YouTube series to increase public understanding of estate planning.

Julia is a mentor and active participant with Campus Greensboro and Synergy.

These organizations are dedicated to the development of young professionals.

Congratulations.

Rachel is a recording artist, motivational speaker, and life coach.

Her achievements and impact center on creativity.

Rachel has encouraged hundreds of people through her gospel music and inspirational videos.

Girl Talk International is the faith-based nonprofit she established in 2009 to empower and inspire women.

Rachel also ministers at the Kingdom Vision Life Center in Greensboro and is the founder of Rachel Wilson Ministries Incorporated.

Congratulations.

Now to deliver the charge to the inductees, please welcome Robin Davis, owner of Maxie B's Bakery, and 2023 Tribute to Women Inductee.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Today you join a powerful legacy.

You become part of a circle of visionaries, pioneers and change makers whose stories are enshrined in the tribute to women exhibit at Barbara Park.

Since 2019, this living history has uplifted educators, advocates, philanthropists, leaders, and barrier breakers.

Women whose courage and conviction have shaped Greensboro and beyond.

With your induction, you do more than receive recognition.

We ask you to continue leading with integrity, lifting others as you rise, and making visible the contributions of women in every sphere of life.

You carry forward the spirit of Ruth Wicker, whose generosity and vision created this space to ensure women's stories will never again be overlooked or forgotten.

Your names are now permanently woven into this fabric of progress.

The charge before you is to honor this recognition by remaining bold in action, unwavering in service, and steadfast in opening doors for future generations.

May your example remind every woman and girl who visits this exhibit that her voice matters, her presence matters, and her contributions matter.

Inductees, we celebrate you, we honor you, and we charge you to keep blazing trails so that the story of women in Greensboro and in our world continues to grow brighter, stronger, and more inclusive for years to come.

Thank you.

In addition to recognizing and lifting up our inductees, we have a phenomenal keynote speaker.

I have the distinct pleasure of meeting today's keynote in her element just a few short months ago when I visited her church on Friends and Family Day.

In addition to being the lead pastor of Circle City Church in High Point, Leah McNair is an entrepreneur, public speaker, and author.

She founded Sister Circle International, which is a nonprofit dedicated to women's empowerment.

With more than 27 years in the ministry, she has graduated from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro with a bachelor in public health education.

There's more.

In December, she will earn her Masters of Divinity from Virginia Union University.

In addition to that, this year, she has been part of the Leadership Greensboro class.

And she is the author of five books, one of which is entitled 21 Days of Powerful Prayers for Women.

And this actually set the foundation for the Sister Circle International, which she established in 2020.

It is worth noting that the organization started with merely 40 women.

Today they are more than 10,000 women strong across the entire United States.

Please put your hands together and prepare to be moved by the powerful voice and motivational message.

Give a warm city of Greensboro welcome to Miss Leah McNair.

Good afternoon, everybody.

And I know we got a few fellas in the building, but ladies, I would like you to find another lady around you and just look at her real good and say, girl, you are bad somebody.

You hear me?

You are a bad somebody.

But girl, you are a bad somebody.

Do you hear me?

You are amazing.

You are amazing.

And it is an honor to celebrate women today.

It is an honor to have our elected officials here today and our bad to the bone mayor, Mayor Nancy Vaughn.

We honor you today.

It is only right that we celebrate how far we have come.

A little over five decades ago, Congress declared this day as women's equality day.

Not just to remember history, but so that we could live out loud our callings.

This is not just a date on the calendar, y'all, but this is a date with destiny.

It's a daily grind grind.

It's a relentless grit of real women with real names, real problems, but real callings that cause them to rise to the occasion, even when times get tough.

And today we honor four such women who have carried their communities forward with their vision, with their courage, and with their strength.

We don't have to know you personally to know that it wasn't easy for you to get where you are today.

I mean, I really want to be honest.

Can I just be down to earth today?

It's hard being a woman.

It's a tough job being a woman.

We gotta look beautiful, stay hydrated, keep the clothes washed and folded, raise our kids, raise grandkids, raise other people's kids that we don't know why they at our house.

And we gotta raise our husbands too.

We gotta raise the husband too.

It's a difficult thing to be a woman.

We gotta remain competitive on our jobs.

We gotta hold down our positions, and some of us have to do our bosses' job too.

It's hard being a woman.

Keeping up with the latest trends.

We have to look beautiful every time we come out of the house.

We have to do all of this in six-inch heels without looking like we're walking like a baby lamb.

It's hard being a woman.

It's a hard job.

Sometimes we gotta pump our own gas, gotta change our own oil, gotta check our own tires and still leave the house looking like Beyoncé.

It's hard.

Find your sister, say, girl, it's hard.

It's hard, girl, it's hard.

It's hard.

Can't gain too much, weight can't lose too much, wait, can't be too happy because they'll call us a silly woman, can't be too serious because they'll call us the angry woman.

It's hard being a woman.

I've been doing this 44 years, and I understand that it's not easy.

And if people only understood the weight of what it takes to be a woman.

So here's the golden question this afternoon.

Who pushes the pusher?

Who encourages the encourager?

Who lifts the lifter, the lifter, who helps the helper?

Where do we go when times get hard?

Well, I believe the answer is sitting right beside you at your table today.

The answer is right beside you because in spaces like these, it is a beautiful thing where we come together to uplift the uplifters simply by saying thank you.

And today that's what we want to do to our honorees.

We want to say thank you.

And I've been preaching a long time.

I've been preaching since the age of 16.

I'm 44 now.

So I've been doing this a long time, and I know what it's like to give your life to a work.

I know what it's like to give everything to what you do and who you do it for.

And when I think of these women, I can't help as a preacher but to think about Mary, the mother of our Savior Jesus.

I can't help to think about her because Luke chapter 1, uh, verse 28 talks about a conversation that Mary had when it with an angel when the world was hopeless, the world was lifeless, the world was broken, defeated, and in distress.

And here comes Mary.

Mary, she was a marginalized woman.

She was a woman, really, if we be honest from the ghetto.

Nobody knew about Mary.

She was overlooked, she was inexperienced, she was undervalued.

This was Joe's booth from the streets, y'all, and God chose Mary.

He chose her with no notoriety, no fame, no name, no wealth.

She was just an average girl with extensions in her hair, bamboo earrings.

Okay, I'm in the right, I'm in the right.

Okay, I'm in the right room.

I'm in the right room.

But God still chose Mary.

And he had a conversation with her in verse 28 of chapter one in Luke, and he said, uh, rejoice, highly favored one.

The Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women?

He chose Mary.

That's a bad woman.

And just when she said to him, How can this be?

How can I have a baby?

Even at my young age and my inexperienced state, how can this be?

The angel drops this line on her, and I want to give it especially to our inductees today and to everyone in the room.

Verse 37, check it when you get home.

It says, For with God, nothing shall be impossible.

Oh my God, that's an amazing line.

It's a short statement, but it's packed with power and hope.

It's packed with a resilience that lets you know that no matter what you're going through, nothing is impossible.

Isn't it amazing that Mary carried the solution to the entire world's troubles?

I believe that you are Mary, my sisters.

You are Mary.

Could it be that you are the solution to the mental health crisis?

Could it be that you are the solution to the educational inequity in our world?

Could it be that you are the solution to poverty?

I want you to say it and say it with your chest.

Say, I am the solution.

I'm the solution to voter suppression to the digital divide to the food deserts in my community.

I am the solution.

And I looked at these amazing women that are before us today, and I couldn't help, but when I thought about Mary, I had to think about Julia.

Because Julia, yes, ma'am, you are not just playing an estate sister, you preserve legacies, you protect people's peace of mind, and we thank you today.

Would y'all say thank you to Julia real quick?

Yeah, then I had to think about our mayor this afternoon, my fellow Jersey sister, 12 years as our fearless mayor, but your work is so impressive.

But the thing that impresses me most about you is not just your work, but how you pause for a moment to take care and raise your beautiful daughter, Catherine.

That's where the real impressive work goes.

Would y'all tell our mayor thank you for the work?

That's what real womanhood is all about.

It's all about knowing what matters in the moment.

And Dr.

Rachel, my fellow Spartan sister who uh ministered to women when they are in a dark place.

You are a trail blazer, girl.

You are of the 4.4% of black women who have earned doctoral degrees.

You are bad girl.

You're a bad girl, you're a bad girl.

And when women found themselves with dreams that were drained because of life, I believe that your vision, your songs, your counsel, your coaching, your ministry, your life, pick them up from a dark place and remind them that they can do anything.

Pick them up from a dark place and remind them that they can do anything.

You are a bad girl.

And we thank you.

Would you tell Dr.

Rachel's thank you?

Then I thought about Stalinna.

Oh my God.

You are amazing.

And the message in your book, when you told women that they will smile again.

When I read that, it came from a deep place within you.

And I can only imagine the valleys, the heels, and the rough terrain that you had to push your way through to tell somebody else you can smile again.

I can only imagine how you've had to live your life in order to tell us that we need to vibrate a little bit higher.

I can only imagine my sister what it took for you to be that example, to be what you needed growing up.

I am so thankful that I can look at you and see how to raise my twin sons, Judah and Jordan while you're raising your son Pierre.

But what I love most about you is that you are the shining reflection of your beautiful 96-year-old grandmother Helen.

Girl, you are bad somebody.

Which I'll tell her, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Y'all are some amazing women.

And I thought about it.

I thought about all the work that you have put in to do what you do.

And I'm I'm working on my divinity degree, and I, you know, I was talking to uh one of my uh professors, and she she's a scholar professor.

Her name is Dr.

Patricia Good Champ, and she shared something with me that I want to share with you as I close.

She was talking about all of the things that she's done in her life.

This woman is in her 80s, but in her lifetime, she made history in the area of theology.

She founded churches, she led social justice movements, she blazed trails as she went along.

She wouldn't let anything stop her.

She wouldn't let the fact that she was a woman stop her from doing what was in her heart to do.

And in a moment where I had time to just sit still and talk to her for a minute.

I had one question for her, and that question was simple.

How did you do it?

How did you affect so much change in the world today?

And her answer is simple, and it's the answer I'm gonna give to you before I take my seat.

She said, Leah, here's how I did it.

Before I tried to change the world, I changed my zip code.

And can I tell you this morning this afternoon that before you try to change the world, all you gotta do is change your zip code.

Would you take a minute?

I'm not gonna come to your house, but just call out your zip code today.

Call out your zip code, yeah.

Call out your zip code.

Yeah, yeah.

That's the space you are called to change first.

And I thank you, sisters, for being bold enough to change your zip code.

I thank you for staying up late to change your zip code.

I thank you for crying tears on a pillow that nobody saw to change your zip code.

I thank you for loving people who put daggers in your back but smiled in your face to change a zip code.

I thank you.

I thank you for the work you've done to change the zip code, and I do believe that because you were bold enough to change your zip code that you are about to change the world.

If you believe it, would you clap your hands and thank God for the opportunity to change the world?

Go inside the world of bees, butterflies, and all kinds of bugs when Cirque du Soleil comes back to first horizon Coliseum.

I've been in Cirque for about a year and a half now, but before that, I did competitive gymnastics for about 10 years, and then luckily a friend of mine asked if I wanted to do Circle.

They were looking for a trampolinist, and then three months later, I'm in the show.

I used to be a dancer when I was little, and I always loved acrobatics at my studio and contortion, so I asked my mom if I could go join the circus, and then I went to a circus college for four years, and then I studied there, studied handstands and contortion, and then I joined Circ about a year ago.

So this was no accident.

This was your plan all along.

Yeah, I mean, it kind of was an accident when I was younger.

I just needed another physical activity to do.

You know, I was bored at home, and my mom was like, Well, your friends all do dance, why don't you do that?

And I was like, Yeah, sure.

And then I just really stuck to it.

I really had a passion for it.

So, so I'm a cricket.

Um, as you can see, very beautiful green costume.

Um, we're kind of the punk rock rebel kind of character.

We kind of like to tease the other and sex, and we have a lot of fun on stage.

Growing up, it was always kind of in the back of my mind, and I heard Cirque des Let.

Oh, you'll be in Cirque du Soleil one day.

I didn't I kind of internalized it, but then the way it kind of manifested later on was really how the stars kind of aligned, and I feel very lucky.

Honestly, I love just being on stage with all my friends and all having fun dancing together, being bugs on stage and hearing the audience clap for us.

It's just such a good experience.

And do you have a new respect for bugs after playing one?

I do.

When I was younger, I used to be terrified of bugs, actually.

So now coming into this and learning how to be a bug myself, I have a way more appreciation for bugs.

Cirque du Soleil comes to the first Horizon Coliseum September 4th through the 7th.

Get tickets now at Ticketmaster.com Hello and welcome to this special edition of Gate City Insider.

I'm Carla Banks, the communications and marketing director for the city of Greensboro.

Today I'm honored to be joined by Deputy City Manager Chris Wilson.

Mr.

Wilson has been a key component to our organization serving this community for 33 years.

Now we celebrate his long list of contributions and a moment of reflection as he enters into retirement.

Hello, Chris.

Welcome to the show.

Thank you for having me.

Absolutely.

So we're gonna go way back to your introduction into municipal government.

And that started in your late teens.

So tell us about the first job you had in local government and how old were you.

Uh first, thank you for saying my late teens, because that helps put context to 33 years.

I'm not old.

I'd like to get that out of the way.

Um I was in high school.

I don't remember the exact age, to be honest with you, but I was in high school, and I had moved with my family to Greensboro from Ashboro, North Carolina.

I was so excited to be here, and I was a pretty good athlete, not great.

And uh I was having a difficult year in transition in high school, and my first sport was basketball, and I didn't get to play that year, so uh I was introduced to the game of tennis, which I had never played before, but um made a pretty good transition, and there was a part-time job available working for the city of Greensboro, uh, running tennis courts, being an attendant, working on tennis court maintenance and working with youth.

And so we did camps and all sorts of good things.

Okay, that is an interesting way to come into city government part-time and teaching tennis and maintaining the courts.

But what looked like just tennis coaching on the surface was certainly much more meaningful for you.

So, can you talk about how your interaction with the public?

Um, you said youth in particular, shaped your views for ensuring equal access to city services and resources.

Yeah, so I I had um just an interesting uh upbringing in the sense that growing up in a smaller community is very different.

Um, Ashborough is a wonderful place, but um, you know, our experiences and our lifestyle was very different than what I got to experience here in Greensboro.

Uh and in particular, there were some things that happened along the way that made me realize that not everybody had access to the things that we consider to be quality of life uh or you know, really things that we should all have access to.

Um in tennis, I got to see how much appreciation the public had for anything that we offered.

Uh it was so very different uh than some time later.

I left the city because the city contracted out our services.

I left for like three months and I went and worked in the private sector, and I realized very quickly that there was a different appreciation for what I could offer.

Um and I quickly came back to the city, and at the time I called my old boss, and my old boss said uh I I've been moved out to this facility that the city just started operating for the county called Birdmill Park.

Are you familiar with it?

Uh I was I I was shocked.

Uh that was a facility that I went to as a five-year-old.

And it was a private facility.

It was a private club for Burlington Industries, and sometime there after my dad left.

And we had absolutely no income.

Uh there's a lot of kids in my family, and my mom was left to try and figure that out.

And my mom was left to try and figure that out.

And Burmill was one of the things that we had access to, or we thought we did.

And my older brother at the time was going through a series of surgeries.

He had uh limited mobility.

And my mom was desperately seeking anything for my older brother and I to do to stay focused and active.

And we drove to Greensboro to go play at Burr Mill, and we were greeted at the door and turned away.

And we were told that we were no longer members after my dad had had left.

He was, but we were not, and uh we were not allowed to play there, and we were not allowed to be there.

And so my mother negotiated for us to at least exist in the facility, and they told us we could go be in the grass.

And so she she got a ball out.

My brother and I made the best of it, and at that point really shaped a few things.

One, you know, it was a whole lesson in how my brother navigated life and uh is so very successful and and just did tremendous things along the way, but in that moment he made the best of it.

Uh I was really young and I was angry and upset, and I didn't understand what was happening, but I understood that it did not feel okay to be told you couldn't just be.

Um I certainly get the dynamics now as an adult, but I was also embarrassed from my mother uh who was already struggling.

Uh she had to navigate so many challenges in life, and the fact that she couldn't even have that one moment.

Right.

You know, they could have said today, but after the none of that.

Um it really gave me some perspective on the notion that there's a lot worse stories out there.

There's a lot of folks who have a much more difficult time, more barriers, uh, it's harder to navigate.

And so even in that transition over to Bermill, which it at that point, I think I was working in the golf pro shop.

I became obsessed with the notion of one making sure that everybody had access to recreation at that time, and then later learned to appreciate that they should have access to a lot of things.

Food, homes, all the things that we know people should have access to.

Uh but I also was obsessed with making that product the absolute best it could be because I wanted people to have the very best we could offer, no matter you know what their income was in life or what their challenges were.

And I recall becoming completely obsessed with that facility.

Uh when I got there, it was not in the best of shape.

We struggled, uh, you know, it was it was a brand new operation, but it was a dilapidated facility.

I don't think we even saw a hundred thousand visits a year.

Uh the team that I worked with and the people that I worked with, I'm proud to say when I left, we were close to a million visits a year.

Uh that facility was completely renovated.

Uh we ran programs that would draw thousands uh from around the region, and it just became this passion to want to give people happiness and and have access.

And that later translated uh, you know, long story short, because obviously 33 years is a long time.

I worked many jobs.

Uh I worked sun up to Sun Down.

I became more and more obsessed, maybe that's unhealthy, I don't know.

Uh, but I eventually made my way through parks and recreation, and I worked in probably every park and every facility that we have, and I felt the same way no matter where we were or what we were doing or who we were working with, and I got to continuously see the benefit of someone who maybe also got experience or had experience being shut out, feeling welcome.

Yes.

That fed my soul.

And then, you know, eventually uh I was parks and recreation director, best gig in the world.

I was nothing like Ron Swanson, even though the comparison was made quite often.

Um it's nothing like the show, although it's a little like the show.

But I I just felt I had the best job in the world, and uh opportunity came about to enter the city manager's office.

I had absolutely no desire to do that.

Um but I had a lot of encouragement from a lot of really incredible people who saw my passion and connected with my desire to help other people and asked me to please consider and I think it it was maybe six conversations, and the last of which was two hours long with the manager at the time, was who who's a person I deeply respected and still do.

And she said, How many community meetings have you been to?

I said, I don't know, hundreds, maybe thousands.

And she said, How many of them did you get frustrated because you couldn't help with something that came up during that meeting?

And I thought about that.

I thought, oh, I could not help with the neighborhood that didn't have a grocery store for 18 years, and I couldn't help with this vacant lot, or I couldn't help with some of the activities that were you know not conducive to children playing in an area.

And I remember always getting frustrated with that because I wanted to help with everything, not just what I did.

And she said, I said, Well, yeah, I've gotten frustrated.

And she said, What if you had the opportunity to help with all those things?

And that's that's what eventually persuaded me to uh enter the manager's office on an interim basis, and I fell in love with it and stayed and applied for the permanent job.

And that's where I've been for 13 years, and I've carried that philosophy into just so many great things with so many great people.

Um I'm so fortunate to to do so.

Well, thank you.

Thank you for giving us that pathway to how you got to where you are.

Thank you for sharing that very personal experience from childhood, which really shaped you in a way that we see now how you took the negative and made it positive to make sure that other people don't have the experience, as you said, to not be made to feel welcome.

And certainly from a city perspective, we don't ever want people to walk away feeling unwelcome.

But I feel like those were building blocks to prepare you for being the director of parks and recreation and taking Burr Mill and making it what it was by the time you left it.

So can you talk about transitioning as a staff person to a department director, and what advice do you have for our employees who are trying to follow that same path?

Um, you know, it it's it's interesting.

Uh there are some major differences as you move along because there is uh a different depth of responsibility and a different distribution of your time.

Um but I want to note that there's one thing that you don't lose, and that's what keeps you grounded.

Why are you doing this?

And that carries into every role, including a director or an assistant city manager or deputy city manager or even city manager.

Uh you always stay connected to the why, what it brought you there.

But the differences I think um were hard for me, honestly.

I I loved the team I worked with at Vermill.

I never cry in front of other people.

I'll never forget the day I said goodbye, and I was moving into a division manager role.

Uh I remember getting to the table, I was gonna make it short and sweet, and I just had this salty substance start falling from my eyes, which I did not recognize, and I could not stop.

I loved it so much.

I loved working with the people and I love being close to the action.

Um, but I quickly found out going into the next role, you still have some of that, but your reach is a little different, and now you're helping other people do that same thing, and you're helping public servants come into the profession and develop, and they start from a place where they need someone to help them gain experience, and now you're dealing with more uh neighborhoods and more people, and by the time you get to director, you're dealing with hundreds of employees and thousands of people, and your time and your distribution of time is very different because you are working through other people to activate and provide that access and that opportunity, but it's still a great perspective because you're sitting in a place where you are basically affording opportunity to others to get that same fulfillment that I got to receive and and see every day.

And I'm not gonna lie, on occasion I jump back in.

I that's just my nature.

I do that today, as you know.

Well we have all benefited from being under your tutelage and your leadership so thank you for that and so many lives that you've touched within our organization but also the partnering organizations that we work with and we want to continue this conversation which we will do.

We are talking with deputy city manager Chris Wilson coming up after the break we'll look back on Chris's impact on the community spotlighting his pivotal role with leading the city's community services departments and historic economic development endeavors stay with us welcome back to this special edition of Gate City Insider today we're talking one on one with deputy city manager Chris Wilson.

So Chris you've given us kind of the backstory of how you came into the city and local government from a part-time position and now of course as deputy city manager but um through the course of being assistant city manager you were leading our community services departments for several years that was libraries museums parks and recreation housing human rights and my department communications and marketing I think this was a really great opportunity for synergy and collaboration between those teams as we work together to get a lot of big projects done what are some of the outcomes from community services from that team that you're proud of oh wow so uh yeah that was sort of my entrance into the city manager's office uh I will just say that was such a great group we had a wonderful team I think we all shared a similar philosophy in approach with community and uh of course you're always much more professional than I was but like in general we share the same philosophies and we enjoyed working together so I think that the fruits of that particular um group and the work that we did was so impactful and I'm thinking through just in my mind everything from quality of life programming to we worked on redevelopment projects together we worked on initiatives we actually shifted the needle on some of the policies here at the city as I recall um yeah I think we we dreamed so big particularly with that group because I felt comfortable with you all and we had the ability to brainstorm together and not put restrictions on ourselves if that makes sense I I always felt like we could come up with any vision or dream based on what we knew the community was asking for or needed and no one ever said we shouldn't do that or no one ever said you can't do that.

It was always how to do it and that was really fun so I you know I think we impacted the community in a really profound way but I the funny thing is is if we did our job right and none of us are the type of folks who would go out and buy a billboard most people will never know the projects we worked on.

Yeah my favorite was sort of looping things back together we worked on the Renaissance shopping center that was the community who was very frustrated about not having a grocery store for 18 years everyone's talents came to the table in that equation and we we worked on just a really interesting deal with a great partner in self-help ventures we had tremendous community involvement everybody had a different part to play in trying to make that happen the whole shopping center was renovated we introduced a bank food services I think there was uh a gym or an exercise place uh now we have health services over there pharmacy it was incredible and it was actually going back to something that I was so frustrated about that I couldn't help with and you all just were an absolute blessing and and helped achieve that and to me that's one of those things it's legacy right that's that is absolutely hearing the community's concerns and trying to figure out a way even though it's hard trying to figure out a way to make it happen and I cannot thank you guys enough.

I I truly enjoyed working with you all I don't think I would have stayed particularly in the manager's office as long if if it had not been for working with you all and and you all are dear friends of mine too as you are and you know that so I I I I can't say enough about that.

And and you all are dear friends of mine too, um, as you are, and you know that.

Um so I I I I can't say enough about that.

You guys were just absolutely wonderful, but community services represents meeting the community where they are.

Um, and I love the philosophy.

I share this all the time.

We had a philosophy that we went into the community to hear first, yes, and then react, not go there with a preconceived notion, but we always went together.

And the idea was that any community meeting is not traditionally just about one thing, something else is gonna come up.

And all of us have experienced that.

And so we always went together as a group, and I love that.

I love I love that team environment, and uh that was a that that was a very meaningful group to me, and to this day I still have fine memories.

Well, we certainly enjoyed being led by you, but I think I'm gonna put the credit into your wheel basket because that idea of we can't do something, that was always your first reaction.

Yes, we can, and we felt the um ability and freedom to move forward with the ideas that we would shoot around the table because we knew that you weren't one to tell us no.

So thank you for that.

And a lot of work teams don't get that opportunity to feel like you can bring your best self, but collectively there were so many um power thought thinkers that are in our group that we just always seem to have that synergy, but it was really powered by you and your willingness to let us be each of our respective best selves, but always letting us know it's like open season, and and I think we benefited from that and still to this day operate in that way, even though community services has kind of scattered, but I think we keep that in terms of how we approach things on a daily basis.

So thank you for that.

That's very kind.

Now, um, internships are not uncommon in the workplace, but you did something very unique where you were intentionally bringing in college students to see the layers behind the city manager's office.

So talk a little bit about rolling out the red carpet to these young people and what was your vision for wanting them to have that city manager office experience.

Well, so I actually got to do an internship with the city, mostly because I was working for the city, and at that time there was really no way for me to do something different, but I did get to experience different things through that internship, and so I know how valuable that can be in terms of experience, and uh I taught for three years at UNCG, and I was a real proponent for learned experience, not an internship where you just go in and kind of show up and check the box, but learned experience, you know, get get ingrained, understand what we're doing, and I'm so very much a believer in what we do that I believe if I can convince someone else that what we do is probably more than what they see from the surface, but it's so meaningful intrinsically that maybe they'll consider it themselves, and maybe it's for them.

And if I get one person out of ten that it's for them, and I find that person that's passionate about it, imagine how much good they'll do.

So um when I get to the manager's office, I am not a traditional public administrator.

We've covered that.

I never will be.

There had been some, but you know, the experiences were maybe not great, the timing was not great, nobody wanted to dedicate time to it.

I love it.

Yeah, I absolutely loved it.

I love the opportunity to work with a person who was wanting to learn, impressionable, um, curious.

It it just it's one of those things that is a real responsibility.

And I take it seriously, but it's also fun.

Yes.

Um, in this particular case, we we sought to bring people into a space that often was considered off limits because we deal with so many things, they can be uh very high profile things or they can be very sensitive things, and sometimes they can be controversial things, and the idea of bringing someone into that space was uh considered not very apropos at the time.

Um, and I just felt like, hey, you know what?

We're public service.

Yeah.

Come on in, check us out, see what we do, uh, see if maybe it's for you.

And uh we had such a good experience, the the first go.

We ended up bringing on several over the years, and that morphed into a wonderful relationship with campus Greensboro, by which uh now we get interns who get a medley of exposure, they get coaches and mentoring and connections to companies and uh experiences from a social aspect in Greensboro, and they really get uh entrenched in the community and then connect it back to their experience with us.

Um so I'm incredibly proud of that.

I hope that traditional continue, but that is a really easy way to give back.

Yes, it is, and thank you for making that an option because as you said, there's always that mystery and mystique behind the city manager's office, even sometimes with our employees, they are a little weary to go to the city manager's office.

But I I enjoyed getting to meet the young people and you made it a point to have each of us have a role in what they were doing and to see them continue on in some respects with public administration, but also keeping in touch with us and letting us know what they do.

Um, we kind of forge these lasting relationships, and it's nice to see the impact.

So thank you for bringing that into our space.

Now, as deputy city manager, you have had a very core focus on economic development, um, coordinating that with our chamber of commerce, and this recent couple of years has been multi-million dollar project, one after the next, sometimes in the billions, and your fingerprints are all over that, and just so much to be proud of.

But when the city makes the announcements for huge companies such as Toyota or Boom Supersonic, just recently Jet Zero, um, Mayor Vaughn always reminds us this doesn't just happen in a vacuum, and I don't necessarily know that the community understands the length of time that goes into these negotiations before the commitment is made that they're coming to Greensboro.

So can you talk a little bit about that just so people can have a greater appreciation when we make those announcements talking about investment and new jobs?

That's a really good point.

I think I think you're right.

I don't think we we all love the headline and we all love the the benefit, but I and that's okay, you shouldn't have to think about it, but the reality is it does take so many people, particularly in these larger projects.

So I'll I'll start here uh in my role currently, I marry the economic development perspective of what we do at the city along with our great partners at the chamber with our development services.

Um I had to say this, uh there's different interpretations of this team.

This team that I work with now, which is also really wonderful because they do such profound things on daily basis called the get stuff done team.

Some people call it other things, but it's get stuff done.

And uh these are the folks who put in infrastructure for water and sewer, your streets, your engineering, your facilities, all those things that make a city what it is and put the bones in the body of a city.

These are the folks who do that.

So in economic development, there's the aspect of the recruitment, which the chamber very much leads.

Um we have a wonderful team member, Marshall Yandel, who is also part of that and sort of goes between the city and the chamber with things that come up along the way.

But as you can imagine, when you're considering a community, there's many things you consider.

It could be logistics, it could be exactly where you're located and how you would get product or how you would ship or do things.

It's also what are you connected to?