Charlotte mayor heads to Washington for new gig

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — When Charlotte hosts the Republican National Convention next year, it’s anticipated that President Donald Trump will be nominated for his re-election campaign. This week, Mayor Vi Lyles will head to Trump’s backyard — or, rather, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

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Lyles, a Democrat and the city’s first African American female mayor, won plaudits from local and state Republicans for supporting the city’s successful convention bid last year despite backlash among some in her party over the president’s divisive and, at times, racist rhetoric. On Monday at the Government Center, she chuckled over being forced to miss a budget meeting on Wednesday, telling the 11-member City Council of her appointment to the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board.

The board, created by executive order last summer, is led by U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter and adviser. Lyles is one of 25 members, part of a board that includes Apple CEO Tim Cook, IBM CEO Ginni Rometty and Visa CEO Al Kelly, among other notables.

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Cox Media Group