Name: Keith Stanley
Leadership Charlotte (LC) Class: LC47
Title/Company: President & CEO, University City Partners
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Education: Alabama State University
Now that you’ve completed the 10-month program, what personal or leadership goals are you most excited to pursue next?
I want to continue taking what I learned and putting it into action. A lot of my work is about building community and bringing people together around economic development, public safety, transportation, small business, placemaking and other issues shaping University City. Leadership Charlotte gave me a broader understanding of Charlotte and, just as importantly, relationships with people working on these issues from very different perspectives.
What advice would you give to incoming Leadership Charlotte participants about getting the most out of the experience?
Be present and be open. Get to know your classmates beyond their titles and organizations. Ask questions, especially when something challenges how you see Charlotte or your own experiences. Some of my best moments came from hearing a perspective I hadn’t considered or having a conversation that continued after the program day ended.
As you reflect on the past 10 months, what is one key lesson, insight, or moment you’ll carry forward in your leadership journey?
One of my biggest takeaways is that you really can’t understand where Charlotte is going without understanding where it has been. History, culture, economic development, neighborhoods, transportation and opportunity are all connected.
Leadership Charlotte also reinforced for me that everyone comes into these conversations with their own lived experiences. Good leadership requires us to listen to those experiences, even when they are different from our own, and understand how they shape the way people see the same community very differently.
You participated in ENCOUNTER Charlotte before completing our 10-month program. How did the experience deepen your connection to Charlotte and its leaders, and why would you recommend it to other leaders across our community?
ENCOUNTER was really my introduction to Leadership Charlotte. I found the speakers and conversations so valuable that afterward I asked my team at UCP how we could bring some of those same people and perspectives into our own organization.
Since then, I’ve had an opportunity to come back and support ENCOUNTER, including moderating a conversation about Charlotte’s economy and future. I would recommend it because it gives you a lot of Charlotte in a relatively short period of time—the people, organizations, history, challenges and opportunities shaping the city. Whether you’ve been here two years or twenty years, you’re probably going to learn something and meet someone you didn’t know before.
In what ways do you stay engaged in the Charlotte community, and how could fellow alumni join you?
Much of my community work happens through University City Partners. We are working on economic development, small business, public safety, transportation, arts and culture, events and placemaking—all centered around strengthening University City.
One of the things I enjoy most is bringing different people to the table. Leadership Charlotte alumni who want to learn more about University City, connect with our work or help us think through some of the opportunities and challenges facing this part of Charlotte are always welcome.
What’s your favorite way to recharge or connect with Charlotte on the weekend?
Fishing is probably my favorite way to recharge. I also enjoy spending time with family and friends, listening to gospel music, trying restaurants and just getting out into different parts of Charlotte. I spend a lot of my professional life thinking about communities, so sometimes I enjoy simply experiencing them.
Shout out a local nonprofit or initiative making a difference — what do they do, and why does their mission speak to you?
I’ll give a shout-out to the University City Foundation. The Foundation supports work that helps strengthen University City and create greater opportunity through community and economic development.
That mission speaks to me because I believe where people live, work and spend their time matters. Strong communities don’t just happen. They require people and organizations willing to invest time, relationships and resources into making them better.
I support Leadership Charlotte because…
I believe Charlotte is stronger when we understand more than our own piece of the city. Leadership Charlotte creates opportunities to learn the community, challenge our own perspectives, build real relationships and then hopefully do something with what we’ve learned.
What does “leading for a better Charlotte” mean to you?
It means being willing to understand Charlotte as it really is—its successes, history, inequities, opportunities and people—and then doing your part to make it better. Charlotte is still growing and defining itself. That means today’s leaders have a real opportunity, and responsibility, to help shape what kind of city it becomes.