Strengthening Democracy and the Environment

Many of us remember former County Councilman and Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts from her terms served in office during the mid-2000s and as mayor from 2015-2017, respectively. She is the only person ever to have been elected as County Chairman and Mayor of Charlotte.

In the years since, she has continued to serve our community in roles working for nonprofits. Since 2021, Ms. Roberts has served as the North Carolina co-lead for the Carter Center’s Strengthening Democracy Project. In 2024, Roberts and her co-lead former NC Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr, traveled across North Carolina and took part in political meetings between members of the NC Republican and Democratic party leaders at the local level. They set up meetings for local leaders to have discussions on the issues and to do so with respect and honesty, with an eye toward restoring faith in established democratic norms. The results they observed may surprise you as we hear their boots on the ground observations and what it bodes for the future.

A lifelong environmentalist, Ms. Roberts has worked for nationally known environmental non-profit ecoAmerica, running their Communities Program on climate solutions. While she was mayor, Ms. Roberts was recognized for her work on sustainability and equality. And she is familiar with the podcast series Broken Ground that has been one of our Spiritual Growth offerings since late January, and which focuses on key environmental issues facing North Carolina. Ms. Roberts will offer her views on these issues as well.

Less well-known yet important roles she has served include as high school math teacher, a diplomat with the U.S. State Department, an international banker, and an adjunct professor at UNC-Charlotte. She currently serves on numerous community boards and commissions, including serving as treasurer of MeckMIN (Mecklenburg Metropolitan Interfaith Network) as well as on the Creation Care committee at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and Caldwell Presbyterian Church.

Over the span of her career, Ms. Roberts has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Maya Angelou Women Who Lead Award and Equality North Carolina’s Ally of the Year Award.

Please join us and bring friends and family with you for this special occasion with one of the most prominent public servants in Charlotte over the past quarter century.