www.ceotodaymagazine.com tHE CEO INTERVIEW A Home for All: An Eye Toward the Future Here in the Raleigh Metro, we consider ourselves a community of “What’s next?” We have long been an ascending market, but that ascension is accelerating. Taking a heads-up approach to transportation and transit; infrastructure; education and workforce development; equitable economic development; parks and greenspace; quality of place initiatives; arts & entertainment; and sustainability will be key to our long-term success. To reimagine systems that create inequitable outcomes for Black and Brown residents, the Triangle Diversity, Equity, & Inclusivity Alliance and its partners built on the longstanding work in the community to create a Blueprint to Dismantle Systemic Racism in the Raleigh Metro. The Blueprint is a living document comprising more than 40 goals and 150 near-term action items that organisations can take to address systemic racism. The Blueprint targets four areas: criminal justice, economic mobility, education equity, and health equity. These focus areas were identified from recent state and local research and were selected to leverage this effort. Our community is continuing to evolve. At present, the Raleigh Metro is among the most resilient, dynamic, and innovative locations in the world. We must build on our strengths of people, education, and collaboration. This evolution will continue. About Michael Haley Michael Haley serves as the Executive Director of Wake County Economic Development (WCED) and a Senior Vice President of the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce. Michael leads and oversees WCED’s economic development program and staff and is the primary partner for providing support to the 12 other municipalities. In his role, Michael is instrumental in creating an environment in Wake County that can grow and thrive and spends most of his time with community partners working to do so. Previously, Michael served as the Director of Business Recruitment and Expansion for WCED and prior to that, he was a Program Manager at WCED. Before he joined the Chamber, Michael led strategic economic development policy efforts for the North Carolina Department of Commerce as the Director of Public Policy. About Wake County Economic Development Wake County Economic Development is the primary economic development organisation for Wake County, providing economic development support for its 12 municipalities, including the State Capital Raleigh. As a program of the Raleigh Chamber, WCED proactively creates an environment in whichWake County and the broader Raleigh Metro can grow and thrive, resulting in new jobs and capital investment. WCED accomplishes its mission through business recruitment, retention and expansion; equitable economic development; marketing and public relations; talent recruitment and retention; and support of innovation and entrepreneurship.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjk3Mzkz