Mecklenburg County

To the hundreds of social workers across our departments: THANK YOU! The Board of County Commissioners declared March as Social Work Month. The theme this year is “Social Work: Compassion + Action.” “Social work is not just a profession—it’s a calling. It is a commitment to advocacy, to equity and to ensuring that the most vulnerable among us have access to the resources and support they need,” said Mecklenburg County’s Child, Family, and Adult Services Director Kimberly Henderson. Your dedication to helping people and families in our community through service delivery, research, education and advocacy is truly appreciated.

Meet some of the women who have blazed a trail through our community and organization, making it possible for the next generation to succeed. - County Manager Dena R. Diorio became Mecklenburg County’s FIRST female manager in 2013, but she’s been a leader in public administration since 1988! She currently leads 6,000+ employees and a $2.5B budget. Under Diorio's leadership, the County launched MECK Pre-K, giving thousands of children access to free pre-k. She also steered the County through the Great Recession, the COVID-19 pandemic and a hack attack. Just to name a few! - Commissioner Ella B. Scarborough was the first Black woman elected to the Charlotte City Council. She was also a statewide candidate for U.S. Senate in 1998 and ran for Charlotte mayor in 1999 and 2001. She became a County Commissioner in 2014, advocating for youth literacy and solutions to homelessness. She died in 2022, but her impact is still here. The Ella B. Scarborough Community Resource Center carries on her legacy with so many of the services you need in one place: https://meck.co/3MbhJma - Patricia E. Grigg joined Mecklenburg County in March 1975 to serve as the Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Administrator. In December 1989, she was appointed director of Mecklenburg County Women's Commission. She developed the first witness program for children who lived in homes of domestic violence. Grigg fought to bring more social workers into the Women’s Commission and to expand services for women who are displaced from their homes by domestic violence or other issues. She retired in 2004 after 30 years of service with the County. - Mecklenburg County native Dr. Annie Alexander became the first licensed woman physician to practice in North Carolina in 1885. She purchased a small home in Charlotte, which was later remodeled to accommodate patients. Alexander lived during a time when the idea of any woman becoming a doctor horrified many people. But she persevered and served a successful practice for over forty years. See her statue on the Charlotte Trail of History: https://lnkd.in/gcsk4VuQ These women and so many more have built, served and shaped the community we know today. Thank you! Meet more incredible women in the County: https://meck.co/3SRpzDK

NOW HIRING: GIS System Administrator - https://meck.co/4bqVHam This position will be responsible for departmental and enterprise Geospatial Information Systems including system design, integration, deployment and management. You'll be joining other IT/GIS programmers, database and system administrators in the Land Use & Environmental Services Agency. REFERRAL BONUS: Do you work for the County and know someone who would be perfect for this? Earn a bonus for referring a friend. Learn more on MeckWeb.

The County and City have helped bring more than $458 million in capital investment and 1,461 new jobs in recent years! The latest is Odyssey Logistics, a logistics and technology solutions company. Mecklenburg County is the new home for its global headquarters, creating more than 80 new jobs with an average salary of $111,000. Jobs at the headquarters include executive leadership, information technology, human resources, procurement, finance, sales and marketing. “Odyssey Logistics’ decision to relocate here speaks volumes about the strength of our county as a hub for business, innovation and talent,” said Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners Chair Mark Jerrell. “This expansion is not just about a new headquarters. It’s about new opportunities for our residents, new investments in our economy and new momentum for our growing workforce.” This project was a collaboration between Mecklenburg County, City of Charlotte, and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC): https://meck.co/4hb2xBW

Sending a big hello to the 90 new faces who joined the County in February! Congratulations and welcome to the team! 💙

Calling recycling superstars! Nominate a person, business (small to large), non-profit or community group in Mecklenburg County that goes above and beyond when it comes to recycling. The 2025 Recycling Excellence Award, in partnership with Sustain Charlotte, honors someone who promotes sustainability and recycling in our community! Nominations close March 7: https://meck.co/41wZW0G

Let's recap February! 1. Our Community Support Services Prevention and Intervention division wore orange to spread awareness about teen dating violence. This team works to address teen dating violence and domestic violence through outreach, education and by providing community resources. 2. Employees across the County participated in National Wear Red Day to raise awareness around the number one killer of women – cardiovascular disease. 3. Joanette Freeman stepped into her new role as director of Human Resources. Take a look at her on the job at their department-wide meeting! 4. Public Information's Green Team took at trip to the Innovation Barn! It's a sustainability hub of education, innovation and exploration. 5. The Historic Bookmarks Book Club met this month with local author Greg Jarrell. They had a thoughtful discussion on his book, "Our Trespasses: White Churches and the Taking of American Neighborhoods". 6. Park and Recreation hosted several events to celebrate Black History Month. Environment Educator Matthew Morgan explored the complex history between African Americans and water at Stevens Creek Nature Center.

Give your child a teacher like Ms. Felicia. MECK Pre-K is a high-quality, FREE pre-K education. It's open to all four-year-old children, funded by the County. Classrooms are taught by licensed teachers and highly-qualified assistant teachers. Have a little one who will be four years old by Aug. 31? Registration is open for 2025-2026: MeckPreK.org

Almost 400 job seekers 🤝 39 local companies and organizations at our Career Expo yesterday! Shoutout to the Office of Economic Development and Unified Workforces Development teams and Charlotte Works for connecting our community with employment opportunities, resources and job-readiness workshops. If you missed it, no worries! Here are the companies hiring in advanced manufacturing, construction and facilities maintenance management: OED.MeckNC.gov/Hire

In Mecklenburg County, we work to make sure people of all abilities can create, belong and thrive. Our Therapeutic and Inclusive Recreation Services team has provided more than 190 programs like community outings, life skills training, vocational preparation, adapted sports and more over the past year. That’s more than 2,500 hours of programming for the local disability community and their families! Plus more than 1,700 hours of inclusion support, education and program support for participants and staff in Park and Recreation facilities across the County. Join us in sending a huge THANK YOU to this team for their continued hard work and be sure to wish them a Happy Recreational Therapy Month!