Contact: Suzi Emmerling; 704-444-8331; semmerling@clt2012.com

Charlotte- The Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee released a Request for Proposal (RFP) yesterday through its interactive vendor directory seeking a qualified audio visual services company for the Media Welcome Event on September 1, 2012 at the North Carolina Music Factory. The Audio Visual company will be responsible for visual enhancements, sound for entertainers and lighting throughout the event. The full RFP can be found here.

Charlotte in 2012 will evaluate candidates based on numerous criteria, including, but not limited to: experience from similar events; relationships to North Carolina; positive references; and participation of union labor, women, minorities, veterans, LGBT and persons with disabilities.

People interested in bidding must be registered and have a completed profile in the Charlotte in 2012 Vendor Directory to be considered. Proposals must be submitted via email to events@clt2012.com by 5:00pm on May 31, 2012. Questions about this RFP must be submitted by email to events@clt2012.com by 5:00pm on Friday, May 18, 2012.

Charlotte in 2012 developed a vendor directory to catalogue local businesses and link visiting groups with goods and services in the area during convention week and beyond. It is an innovative and interactive online tool that enables regional businesses to create company profiles that feature the goods and services they provide and has proven successful in building economic inclusion in the region. It broadens the local stream of commerce by ensuring that businesses can connect with one another and the Convention, its visitors, event producers, and locals can easily locate the goods and services they need.

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The Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee is a non-profit, non-partisan organization established by the city of Charlotte to fulfill obligations of the master contract with the Democratic National Convention Committee. In addition to those obligations, Charlotte in 2012 works to engage the citizens of Charlotte and the Carolinas through business and civic opportunities, ensure that the Convention leaves a positive lasting legacy, and tell Charlotte and the region's story to the nation and the world. For more information, visit us online at www.charlottein2012.com.

Contact: Suzi Emmerling; 704-444-8331; semmerling@clt2012.com

CHARLOTTE – Today, the Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee announced in an email to supporters the winners of the competition to become the official BBQ sauces of the 2012 Democratic National Conntion. The “Flavor of the Carolinas” tomato-based, vinegar-based, and mustard-based sauces will be sold in person for the first time Saturday, May 12 among local vendors and restaurateurs at the reopening of Charlotte’s Seventh Street Market from 11:00am-1:00pm. The sauces will also be sold together to people from across America as part of the convention’s grassroots fundraising efforts in Charlotte in 2012’s online merchandise store.

In February, Charlotte in 2012 called upon sauce makers to compete to become the convention’s official BBQ sauces. Charlotte in 2012 staff conducted several fact-finding meetings to decide best how to judge all of our entries. Expert advice was collected from North Carolina BBQ Society President and Judge Jim Early, South Carolina BBQ Society judge Lake High, Holy Smokes BBQ book author John Shelton Reed, and many others on the best way to judge the sauces.

Six judges – including certified BBQ judges, a local food expert, and a chef – tasted and rated one of the three types of sauce based on criteria recommended by the experts. The judges evaluated each sauce on a scale of 1-20 in four different categories – aroma, taste, aftertaste and overall impression. For more information about the judges and the process, including pictures of the tasting, click here.

And the winners are…

Mustard-based: Dan Huntley aka “Dan the Pig Man” with Pig Pucker BBQ of Charlotte, North Carolina

"It's a high honor in barbecuedom to have my sauce chosen by the DNC,” said Huntley. “In the Carolinas, the epicenter of global BBQ culture, a good sauce is a holy vestment."

Vinegar-based: Mark Cieslikowski with Q2U Catering and BBQ Pit of Lake Wylie, South Carolina

“We are so very proud that our sauce was picked to represent the Carolinas in the vinegar category,” said Cieslikowski. “Even though our particular sauce has our own recipe, its development was due to years of tasting some of the best vinegar sauces in the country right here in the Carolinas.”

Tomato-based: Tom Montgomery and Sabra Kelley with 12 Bones Smokehouse of Asheville, North Carolina

“We are very excited to hear that we have been selected and hope that everyone enjoys our sauce when they come to the convention," said Montgomery.

The Carolinas boast a proud rivalry in their different approaches to barbecue sauces. The convention’s host committee launched this competition to showcase each unique style. Eastern North Carolina barbecue typically uses a thin, vinegar-based sauce, while Western North Carolina barbecue uses a thicker, sweetened tomato-based sauce. The central part of South Carolina makes a sauce made from yellow mustard and vinegar.

The sales of the “Flavor of the Carolinas” sauces are part of a grassroots fundraising effort, the proceeds of which go toward funding the convention. Charlotte in 2012 is the first Host Committee in modern convention history to not accept monetary contributions from corporations, lobbyists, or political action committees. Instead, monetary contributions now come from foundations and charitable organizations, and individuals like those who purchase these winning sauces online.

The Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee is a non-profit, non-partisan organization established by the city of Charlotte to fulfill obligations of the master contract with the Democratic National Convention Committee. In addition to those obligations, Charlotte in 2012 works to engage the citizens Charlotte and the Carolinas through business and civic opportunities, ensure that the Convention leaves a positive lasting legacy, and tell Charlotte and the region's story to the nation and the world. For more information, visit us online at www.charlottein2012.com.

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MORE:

VIDEO - Official Convention BBQ Sauce Announcement

PHOTO - Winning BBQ Sauces

 

Contact: Suzi Emmerling; 704-444-8331; semmerling@clt2012.com

Charlotte – Earlier today, the Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee participated in the Charlotte Small Business Month 2012 Kickoff Event with Mayor Anthony Foxx, Charlotte city government leaders, and members of the Charlotte business community. Charlotte in 2012 Executive Director Dr. Dan Murrey informed local businesses of convention-related business opportunities and joined Mayor Foxx and other city officials in promoting Charlotte’s robust business community to outside groups.

“Small Business Month provides us an opportunity to stop and recognize the many contributions of the entrepreneurs and small businesses that make Charlotte great,” said Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx, “not just by providing needed goods and services, but by driving innovation, creating jobs, and investing in our community.”

Reports indicate that Denver, Colorado hosted roughly 1,200 unofficial events hosted by outside entities during the week of the 2008 Democratic National Convention. In an effort to take advantage of similar business opportunities for local businesses in Charlotte and the Carolinas, Charlotte in 2012 has taken steps to engage with a diverse population of local businesses and encourage visitors to purchase the goods and services they provide.

“We expect at least 1,000 events to be hosted in Charlotte during convention week. That means we will need the full engagement of Charlotte’s robust business community to provide needed goods and services,” said Dan Murrey. “Convention visitors are already being encouraged to find what they need using our online vendor directory and I encourage all local businesses to register and take advantage of this influx of opportunity.”

Charlotte in 2012 developed a vendor directory to catalogue local businesses and link visiting groups with goods and services in the area during convention week and beyond. It is an innovative and interactive online tool that enables local and regional businesses to create company profiles and broadens the local stream of commerce by ensuring that businesses can connect with one another and that convention organizers, subcontractors, and locals can find the goods and services they need.

Dr. Murrey also highlighted the 2012 Democratic National Convention diversity contracting policy that represents unprecedented progress towards both the inclusion and contracting of diverse businesses. The policy states that Charlotte in 2012 and the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) have a goal of spending at least one third of their aggregate dollars with Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Women Business Enterprises (WBEs), Disability-Owned Businesses, LGBT-Owned Businesses and Veteran-Owned Businesses for its contracts and projects.

The city and business leaders gathered with Mayor Foxx at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center Lobby to show their pride in being home to the thousands of small businesses and entrepreneurs that make the Queen City a great place to do business. Twelve local small businesses were recognized at this event for their embodiment of Charlotte’s entrepreneurial spirit.

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The Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee is a non-profit, non-partisan organization established by the city of Charlotte to fulfill obligations of the master contract with the Democratic National Convention Committee. In addition to those obligations, Charlotte in 2012 works to engage the citizens Charlotte and the Carolinas through business and civic opportunities, ensure that the Convention leaves a positive lasting legacy, and tell Charlotte and the region's story to the nation and the world. For more information, visit us online at www.charlottein2012.com.

Contact: Suzi Emmerling; 704-444-8331; semmerling@clt2012.com

Charlotte- The Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee has released a Request for Proposal (RFP) through its interactive vendor directory seeking a qualified entertainment management company for the Media Welcome Event on September 1, 2012 at the North Carolina Music Factory. The entertainment manager will work with Charlotte in 2012 to secure entertainment for the event and will be responsible for booking, communicating with, coordinating, and stage managing all entertainment acts for the event. The full RFP can be found here.

“Charlotte has an opportunity most cities never get: we will welcome 15,000 members of the media and introduce them to the Queen City with this event,” said Dan Murrey, Executive Director of Charlotte in 2012. “We are looking for a creative and talented individual to help us create that warm Carolina welcome we are known for.”

Charlotte in 2012 will evaluate candidates based on numerous criteria, including, but not limited to: experience with local, regional and national artists, relationships to Charlotte, North Carolina, and the surrounding region, positive references, and participation of union labor, women, minorities, veterans, LGBT and persons with disabilities.

People interested in bidding must be registered and have a completed profile in the Charlotte in 2012 Vendor Directory to be considered. The Vendor Directory can be accessed through www.Charlottein2012.com. Proposals must be submitted via email to events@clt2012.com by 5:00pm on May 7, 2012. Questions about this RFP must be submitted by email to events@clt2012.com by close of business on Friday, April 27, 2012.

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Contact: Suzi Emmerling; 704-444-8331; semmerling@clt2012.com

Charlotte- Yesterday, Dr. Dan Murrey, the Executive Director of the Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee, presented a convention update to the Charlotte City Council regarding convention planning and community outreach. Council members were invited to ask questions and offer suggestions after the presentation.

Charlotte in 2012’s community outreach was the main theme of Dr. Murrey’s presentation. He discussed the many ways that people can get involved with, and learn more about, the convention – from community service to naming an eaglet at the Carolina Raptor Center to submitting events to Charlotte in 2012’s online community events calendar.

Dr. Murrey announced for the first time the results of Charlotte in 2012’s eaglet naming contest. People from across the country voted online on one of four possible names for an eaglet born at the Carolina Raptor Center, one of the twelve sites chosen by Charlotte in 2012 to host official delegate parties during the convention. Tipping their hat to the region, online voters overwhelmingly chose to name the eaglet "Carolina." Little Carolina will be soon be released into the wild by the Raptor Center.

Charlotte in 2012’s current grassroots fundraising campaign calls for donations of $5 to have their name placed on the official NASCAR stock car for the convention. The stock car will be featured at events leading up to the convention. Civic and community organizations looking to promote local events may submit them for posting on Charlotte in 2012’s community calendar so that visitors and Charlotteans can attend community events that are relevant to the convention. Dr. Murrey concluded his presentation with the ways in which the convention will leave a lasting legacy on the city of Charlotte and how the city leaders may carry Mayor Foxx’s legacy projects forward after the convention.

For those interested in being a part of this convention while supporting both the community and the convention at the same time, Dr. Murrey introduced two newly formed non-partisan groups dedicated to these core missions. The DVAs (Donors, Volunteers, Ambassadors) is a women's group dedicated to building a positive, effective network for engaging Charlotte women in support of the community and the Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee. An energetic group of young professionals called “GO CLT” have formed with a similar mission. The DVA’s and GO CLT invite any person committed to these goals to become members.

The DVAs officially launched earlier this month with its first community service project.  DVA members volunteered their time to refurbish the Amay James Recreation Center, which had been closed for nearly two years. GO CLT launched with a happy hour membership recruitment event earlier this month. Both groups ask for a $20 donation to the convention and a commitment of 12 hours of community service to become a member. They will both focus their community service projects in the four legacy areas; sustainability, youth employment and civic education, healthy children; healthy families, and an inclusive local economy.

Dr. Murrey encouraged everyone to sign up for email updates and join the Host Committee’s social networks on Facebook and Twitter to keep informed of convention updates, opportunities, and the date of Carolina’s release into the wild. More information on Charlotte in 2012’s community outreach initiatives can be found at www.charlottein2012.com.


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Contact: Suzi Emmerling; 704-444-8331; semmerling@clt2012.com

CHARLOTTE – DVA, a women's group formed to build a positive, effective network for engaging Charlotte women in support of the community and the Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee, officially launched yesterday with its first community service project. Neighborhood leaders, Reid Park Academy parents, and teachers joined DVA members to volunteer their time to refurbish the Amay James Recreation Center, which had been closed for nearly two years.

“Joining together in service today will ensure that the convention leaves a positive, lasting impact on this community and reinforce the magnificent story of Charlotte by allowing our actions to speak as loudly as our words,” said Samara Foxx, wife of Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx and DVA member.

The DVAs are a non-partisan group that has united to support the convention and community as donors, volunteers, and ambassadors. Their goal is to enjoy opportunities for leadership, service, education and celebration that connect them to the civic excitement of the convention as well as to each other. They invite all women in Charlotte of all ages to join in their efforts.

Refurbishing the Amay James Recreation Center falls into Mayor Foxx's "Healthy Children and Healthy Families" Convention legacy initiative, one of four legacies that he announced in September, 2011. The volunteers cleaned up the grounds around the recreation center, planted flowers at the entrance to the building, assembled park benches and picnic tables, and painted new lines and refreshed the nets on the basketball court.

“DVA Charlotte is committed to creating a legacy and making a difference. We are all about Charlotte and all about women. So let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work,” said Sandra Conway, leader of DVA Charlotte, rallying the volunteers to begin work.

In addition to providing recreation activities for residents in the neighborhood, the recreation center will now be used for:

- Middle school gym classes for Reid Park Academy
- Indoor and outdoor recreational activities for Reid Park residents
- Office/meeting space for the neighborhood association
- Office space for the agencies involved in the Reid Park Collaborative
- Space for a YWCA afterschool program

The re-opening of the Amay James Recreation Center now means that Reid Park students have a place for middle school gym classes and an afterschool program.

DVAs ask for a $20 donation to become a member and plan a service project every month up to the convention. More information can be found about the DVA’s and this event at Charlottein2012.com or Facebook.com/DVACharlotte.

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Contact: Suzi Emmerling; 704-444-8331; semmerling@clt2012.com

Charlotte- Today, the Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee launched its most recent grassroots fundraising campaign to raise money for the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Supporters of Charlotte in 2012 will receive an email from NASCAR legend H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler asking them to donate $5 or more to become a sponsor of the Charlotte in 2012 “Powered by the American People” stock car. The names of those who donate $5 or more will appear on the Convention’s official stock car that will be featured at events leading up to the convention.

Wheeler writes in his email: “I’m proud that my home state was chosen to host the 2012 Democratic National Convention and excited to share some of the southern hospitality that we are known for in the Carolinas. I’m even more proud that the Convention will kick off with a free, family-friendly Labor Day celebration at the place I spent the majority of my career at – the Charlotte Motor Speedway.”

The “Powered by the American People” fundraising campaign marks the next phase of Charlotte in 2012’s grassroots fundraising effort. The 2012 Democratic Convention is the first in modern history to not take corporate, PAC, or lobbyist money. This new approach to fundraising means that more Americans can be a part of the grassroots fundraising effort to power the Convention and make it the most open and accessible convention ever.

Other grassroots fundraising efforts include two “Come to Convention” contests in which two Americans won free airfare and accommodation in Charlotte for convention week, a design contest for one of the Convention’s official posters, an online merchandise store, and a Carolinas barbeque sauce contest that is still underway.

Those interested in having their name on the convention’s official stock car may visit www.charlottein2012.com and donate $5 or more on the home page.

A North Carolina native, Howard Augustine Wheeler, Jr., is the past president and general manager of NASCAR's Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS), a premier auto racing venue. Better known as "Humpy," he is one of the most decorated promoters in NASCAR auto racing and helped transform the 1.5-mile superspeedway into one of the world's leading sports facilities. Humpy is a member of nine Halls of Fame, including the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

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Contact: Suzi Emmerling; 704-444-8331; semmerling@clt2012.com

CHARLOTTE -- The Democratic National Convention Committee, in conjunction with credit unions in the Carolinas and nationwide, and the National Journal Group, today kicked off the rejuvenation of the rooftop children’s playground at Carolinas HealthCare System’s Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte.

Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx and Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) CEO Steve Kerrigan were joined at the kickoff celebration by National Journal Group Editor-in-Chief Ron Fournier and credit union representatives, including North Carolina Credit Union League President/CEO John Radebaugh and Local Government Federal Credit Union President/CEO Maurice Smith, on behalf of Credit Union National Association (CUNA).

In the months leading up to the 2012 Democratic National Convention in September, credit unions and National Journal will work with the DNCC to convert existing outdoor rooftop space on Levine Children’s Hospital 12th floor into a dynamic play space. New features will include a touch-activated light and color “bubble wall,” a deck and pavilion, outdoor play equipment, and much-needed environmental improvements.

The participants formally kicked off the project with a “ceremonial water sprinkling” of freshly planted seeds that will grow into flowers in the refurbished playground.

“I am grateful to all involved for making this possible,” said Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx. “An opportunity like this is a perfect example of why we worked to bring the convention to the city of Charlotte. After all the crowds are gone, projects like this and the impacts they have on Charlotte’s families, will define the legacies that the convention will leave.”

“From day one, the DNCC has made it a priority to be a part of the Charlotte community and to give back to the city through service,” said Steve Kerrigan, CEO of the Democratic National Convention Committee. “Upgrading the rooftop space at Levine Children’s Hospital is a great way to aid in a child’s recovery. We’re honored to participate in this project, which will impact so many families not only in Charlotte, but across the region.”

The Credit Union National Association (CUNA) and National Journal Group are honoring the Democratic National Convention by taking on the project. This year’s effort represents credit unions’ tradition of honoring each national political convention city with a “leave-behind” project that will serve the local communities long after the conventions have left town.

John Radebaugh, President and CEO of the North Carolina Credit Union League, said, “We’re excited to put the credit union philosophy of people helping people into action by helping with this worthy project, and in the process join with the Democratic National Convention to shine a light on the amazing work that Levine Children’s does for the communities it serves.”

The overall project is expected to cost $300,000, which will be paid for with funds raised by credit unions nationwide. The Carolinas Credit Union Foundation, representing credit unions belonging to the North Carolina Credit Union League and the South Carolina Credit Union League, are spearheading the fundraising efforts for Levine Children’s Hospital. CUNA Mutual Group, an insurance and financial services provider for credit union members, and COOP Financial Services, a credit union-owned payments and card processing network, are also providing support for the undertaking.

“This project represents the real good that can come when groups as diverse as credit unions, media companies and political convention organizers come together to help the children of this community,” said National Journal Editor-in-Chief Ron Fournier, who emceed Wednesday’s kickoff celebration on the Levine Children’s rooftop.

Levine Children’s Hospital welcomed the efforts from all of the partners. “It is our mission to ensure extraordinary healthcare for children and their families, and part of that involves creating a sense of normalcy during their hospitalization,” said Martha Whitecotton, President of Levine Children’s Hospital. “The improvements being made by the Democratic National Convention Committee, National Journal, and credit unions will help provide a special place where patients become regular kids… and where they can play, which is an essential tool in the healing process.”

Construction of the playground will unfold over this spring and summer. Volunteers from credit unions, the Democratic National Convention Committee and National Journal Group will lend a personal hand in the building. The project is part of the Democratic National Convention Committee’s “2,012 Hours for DNCC 2012” campaign, in which the DNCC staff has committed to performing 2,012 hours of service to the Charlotte community before the convention. A ribbon-cutting event marking the end of construction, and opening of the playground, is planned for the week of the Democratic National Convention September 4 – 6 in Charlotte.

The Credit Union National Association (CUNA) and National Journal are also sponsoring a companion playground construction project at All Children’s Hospital in Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida, site of the Republican National Convention. CUNA President and CEO Bill Cheney noted that CUNA has sponsored leave-behind projects at each national party convention since 2000.

“Credit unions really see this as an opportunity to leave something positive behind that will continue to benefit the Charlotte and Tampa communities long after the balloons have dropped and the convention ended,” said Cheney.

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About DNCC: The Democratic National Convention Committee is a not-for-profit organization responsible for planning and executing the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, the week of September 3, 2012. The DNCC has committed to performing 2012 hours of service to the Charlotte community in the months leading up to the convention. Staff members currently tutor weekly at Allenbrook Elementary School. Additional projects have included assembling 500 care packages for N.C. troops serving overseas, volunteering with the local Veterans Day parade and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, as well as at various non-profit organizations throughout the city.

Carolinas HealthCare System (www.carolinashealthcare.org), one of the nation’s leading and most innovative healthcare organizations, provides a full spectrum of healthcare and wellness programs throughout North and South Carolina. Its diverse network of more than 650 care locations includes academic medical centers, hospitals, healthcare pavilions, physician practices, destination centers, surgical and rehabilitation centers, home health agencies, nursing homes and hospice and palliative care. CHS works to improve and enhance the overall health and wellbeing of its communities through high quality patient care, education and research programs, and numerous collaborative partnerships and initiatives.

About Levine Children’s Hospital: Levine Children’s Hospital is a 234-bed hospital and the most comprehensive facility of its type between Atlanta, GA and Washington, DC. Since its opening in 2007, the hospital has grown to include more than 30 pediatric specialties. Levine Children’s Hospital has twice received national distinction by U.S. News & World Report as one of “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals,” and is the only facility of its kind in North Carolina to receive the gold seal of approval from the Joint Commission for its High-Risk Neonatal Program.

About CUNA: The Credit Union National Association (CUNA) is the nation’s largest advocacy organization for America’s 7,000 non-profit credit unions, not-for-profit financial institutions that are owned and controlled by their members. More than 93 million Americans are members of a credit union. For more information on credit unions, please visit www.asmarterchoice.org.

About the North Carolina Credit Union League: The North Carolina Credit Union League is the state trade association for the nearly 95 NC credit unions. Credit unions are not-for-profit financial institutions that are owned and controlled by their members. More than 3.3 million people in NC are members of a credit union. For more information on credit unions, please visit www.asmarterchoice.org.

About National Journal: National Journal is Washington’s premier source for 360-degree insight on politics and policy. With up-to-the-minute breaking news and analysis at NationalJournal.com, the essential intelligence of National Journal Daily, the knowledge and depth of National Journal magazine, and the comprehensive campaign coverage of National Journal Hotline, National Journal delivers everything you need to know to stay ahead of the curve in Washington.

For more information, contact:

Kirstin Ashford, (Carolinas HealthCare Foundation on behalf of Levine Children’s Hospital) 704-355-4048, Kirstin.Ashford@carolinas.orgJoanne Peters/Kristie Greco (Democratic National Convention Committee), 980-249-5310, press@demconvention.comSuzi Emmerling (Charlotte 2012 Convention Host Committee/Mayor Foxx), 704-444-8331, semmerling@clt2012.comPatrick Keefe (Credit Union National Association) 202-508-6765, pkeefe@cuna.orgJeff Hardin (North Carolina Credit Union League), 919-457-9063, jhardin@ncleague.orgJohn P. McGrail (Carolinas Credit Union Foundation) 704-305-7587, john@carolinasfoundation.orgTaylor West (National Journal Group), 202-266-7756, twest@nationaljournal.com

Contact: Suzi Emmerling; 704-444-8331; semmerling@clt2012.com

Charlotte, NC - In anticipation of the upcoming convention in Charlotte, the Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee has partnered with Carolina Raptor Center to engage people across the Carolinas, the nation, and the world to help name a baby eaglet born at the Raptor Center on February 25, 2012.

“Charlotte in 2012 is proud to partner with Carolina Raptor Center. By naming this eaglet, people may contribute to a living legacy that is emblematic of the natural beauty, strength of character, and spirit of freedom that make possibilities real here in the Carolinas and our nation,” said Dan Murrey, Executive Director of the Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee.

Those interested in voting on the eaglet's name must select one of four names below:

Carolina, Legacy, Spirit, Wohali (eagle of Cherokee legend)

Beginning today, April 2, those interested in voting must go to Charlotte in 2012's Facebook page which can be found at http://www.facebook.com/charlottein2012.

Voting will continue until Sunday, April 15. The winning name will be announced in an email from Charlotte in 2012. All those interested in learning the eaglet’s name are encouraged to sign up for email updates at www.charlottein2012.com.

“We are tremendously excited to offer people a way to connect to our mission of environmental stewardship and conservation of birds of prey as we name this eaglet and prepare to release it into the wild in the coming months,” says Jim Warren, Executive Director of the Carolina Raptor Center.

This eaglet was born on-site at Carolina Raptor Center, one of the twelve sites that was chosen by Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee to host official delegate welcome events during the upcoming 2012 Democratic National Convention in September.

The American Bald Eagle is native to North America and is the national bird of the United States.

Carolina Raptor Center

The Carolina Raptor Center is one of twelve sights selected by Charlotte in 2012 to host a welcome event for the state delegations coming to Charlotte for the convention. The mission of the Carolina Raptor Center is: Conserve. Educate. Inspire.

Carolina Raptor Center is dedicated to environmental stewardship and the conservation of birds of prey through education, research, and the rehabilitation of injured and orphaned raptors. As a charitable 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, CRC relies on public financial support to fulfill our mission. Supporters can release a raptor, adopt a bird, make a charitable donation, purchase a membership or sponsor a capital improvement project.

Find out more about the Carolina Raptor Center at www.carolinaraptorcenter.org.

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Contact: Suzi Emmerling; 704-444-8331; semmerling@clt2012.com

CHARLOTTE – The Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee announces its support of the Mayor’s Youth Employment Program (MYEP) by using its Vendor Directory to encourage local businesses and vendors to take an active role in supporting this Legacy ally.

Companies and organizations in the Vendor Directory received a letter from Host Committee Executive Director Dan Murrey sharing with them information about the MYEP. In conjunction with the office of Mayor Anthony Foxx, the program has been designed to engage youth in civics lessons and job preparedness by offering real-world and meaningful opportunities for students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

“By supporting our efforts to connect young people to careers, area businesses and DNC vendors will benefit our community and themselves by growing a capable and prepared future workforce,” said Mayor Anthony Foxx. “In an increasingly globally competitive environment, this effort is giving Charlotte kids an edge and demonstrates how we are engaging our community partners in some imaginative and unique ways, while leaving a lasting legacy.”

“We are excited to join together with the Mayor’s office to engage both local businesses and youth in meaningful career exploration opportunities in the build up to the Convention,” said Murrey. “Working with youth in the region is a key part of the Convention’s Legacy initiative, and this is one great way we can instill relationships between talented youth and committed local businesses.”

Businesses in the Vendor Directory are being encouraged to support MYEP by:

• offering a full-time, paid internship
• providing job shadowing opportunities
• partnering with MYEP to participate in Career Day
• Adopting an agency through the Mayor’s Mentoring Alliance to allow employees to volunteer with students, among other opportunities.

MYEP provides paid and unpaid internships for high school youth in the public, non-profit and private sectors. MYEP, students receive job mentoring, coaching and valuable hands-on experience with business partners like Microsoft. MYEP participants receive certificates of completion from the Mayor and a MYEP Skills Certification pin upon successful completion of all training. More information about MYEP can be found here.

The Charlotte in 2012 Vendor Directory is an innovative and interactive online tool that enables local businesses to create a company profile that features the goods and services they provide and links them to local subcontractors and consumers as well as convention visitors. It can be accessed online at www.charlottein2012.com.

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Contact: Suzi Emmerling; 704-444-8331; semmerling@clt2012.com

CHARLOTTE—The Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee is seeking college students and recent graduates for summer internships with the Host Committee for the Democratic National Convention. The internship experience is one of the core components of hospitality and logistics for the 35,000 guests coming to North Carolina for the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

“I can’t think of a better civics lesson, or a better way for a young adult to be a part of this historic event, than to contribute first hand to the success of the convention and the city of Charlotte,” said Dan Murrey, Executive Director of Charlotte in 2012. “We are grateful for the support we have already received from our Fall and Spring intern corps and thrilled to open the opportunity to more interns.”

Charlotte in 2012 is committed to crafting a genuinely fun and informative experience for our volunteers, guests of the Charlotte region, and the community’s residents. Host Committee interns will have the opportunity to gain a first-hand experience of what happens behind the scenes in preparing for a major political convention. The interns will have opportunities to participate in special events and hear from pre-arranged speakers during their internship term.

Interns must be enrolled at a post-secondary academic institution (e.g. Community College or Accredited University) or no more than one year of graduation from an undergraduate or graduate program. The deadline to apply for the summer intern program is Wednesday April 18, 2012 and the program begins May 21, 2012. For most opportunities, interns must be available a minimum of 20 hours per week. Ideal candidates will be able to stay in the Charlotte Metro area through the week of the Convention, September 3-7.

Interested candidates should visitwww.charlottein2012.com to learn more about how to apply.

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Contact: Suzi Emmerling; 704-444-8331; semmerling@clt2012.com

CHARLOTTE—The Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee and the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) today announced that they have adopted a diversity contracting policy for the 2012 Democratic National Convention that represents unprecedented progress towards both the inclusion and use of diverse businesses.

The diversity contracting policy is in addition to practices that have been operational since the inception of both organizations to increase the participation of diverse businesses.  The policy states that the DNCC has a goal of spending at least one third of its aggregate dollars with Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Women Business Enterprises (WBEs), Disability-Owned Businesses, LGBT-Owned Businesses and Veteran-Owned Businesses for its contracts and projects.

“I am proud of the major steps we are taking to further strengthen our commitment to diversity at the DNC and 2012 convention,” said Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz. “Our party values economic inclusion and shared prosperity and I believe that this groundbreaking effort will increase opportunity for all.”

“Never before has a host committee or a convention committee dedicated the resources and effort to diversity contracting at the levels we see here,” said Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx, Co-chair of the Charlotte in 2012 Host Committee.  “Not only will the 2012 Democratic National Convention stand as a model for the inclusion and utilization of diverse businesses, but it will have a lasting impact on this community and the surrounding region for years to come.”

“The DNCC is committed to ensuring the growth and success of underrepresented entrepreneurs,” said Steve Kerrigan, CEO of the DNCC. “We believe our diversity policy and practices are consistent with our mission and they reflect the importance that our stakeholders place on the development of minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, LGBT-owned and disability-owned businesses in their communities.”

In October, the Democratic Party hired a Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) to advise the party and the convention on diversity staffing and procurement. One of the CDO’s first tasks was to work with the convention committee and the host committee on a diversity contracting policy. In addition, the DNCC and the Charlotte in 2012 Host Committee put tools and systems in place early on to maximize the inclusion and utilization of diverse businesses. They include:

· A robust vendor directory, established in August 2011, that is the sole source for 2012 Democratic National Convention contracts and subcontracts. It allows businesses to self-identify as certified MBEs, WBEs, Disability-Owned Businesses, LGBT-Owned Businesses or Veteran-Owned Businesses. All companies that wish to do business with the Host Committee or the DNCC must register through the vendor directory.

· Business outreach program and staff to implement adequate sourcing mechanisms for convention contractors to assist in identifying MBEs, WBEs, Disability-Owned Businesses, LGBT-Owned Businesses and Veteran-Owned Businesses.

· Regional outreach and public information forums to inform and prepare businesses for economic opportunities around the convention. · Fully integrated efforts toward diverse spending. Vendors are asked to help the DNCC meet its goal in the RFP and contract process through:

1. Diverse spending plans—Vendors must develop and provide a diversity utilization plan that would maximize the participation of MBEs, WBEs, Disability-Owned Businesses, LGBT-Owned Businesses and Veteran-Owned Businesses (including subcontractors where applicable) in the provision of goods and services for which the vendor will be responsible. The DNCC considers the plan submitted by vendor as an important factor in evaluating responses to RFPs and awarding contracts with the DNCC.

2. Efforts Toward Diverse Spending—Each contract awarded will require the vendor to make efforts to contract with MBEs, WBEs, Disability-Owned Businesses, LGBT-Owned Businesses and Veteran-Owned Businesses for the provision of goods and services for which the vendor is responsible as a means of assisting the DNCC to meet its one third diverse spend goal.

3. Diverse spending reporting—Each contract awarded by the DNCC will require vendors to provide bi-weekly reports to the DNCC detailing participation by MBEs, WBEs, Disability-Owned Businesses, LGBT-Owned Businesses and Veteran-Owned Businesses as a means of assisting the DNCC to meet the one third diverse spend goal.

Below is the DNCC Diversity Contracting Policy:

DNCC DIVERSITY POLICY Since its inception, it has been the practice of the DNCC to provide equal opportunity to all business enterprises to participate in all aspects of the DNCC’s contracting and purchasing programs without regard to race, creed, age, sex, national origin, ethnic identity, physical or mental disability, veteran status, marital status, economic status, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other legally protected basis. The DNCC has and will continue to conduct outreach and informational programs with constituent groups, businesses, and trade associations to prevent discrimination against any person or business enterprise on the basis of any of these factors.

Recognizing that some individuals, groups and business enterprises, including Minority Business Enterprises, Women Business Enterprises, Disability-Owned Business Enterprises, LGBT-Owned Businesses and Veteran-Owned Businesses, have not historically received opportunities to participate equally in contracting opportunities and to ensure and reaffirm the DNCC’s continuing commitment to progress and success in achieving the goal of equal opportunity, the DNCC adopts the following diversity policy:

“Disability-Owned Business” means a business enterprise which is Owned and Operated by one or more persons with disabilities.

“LGBT-Owned Business” means a business enterprise which is Owned and Operated by one or more gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (“LGBT”) persons.

“Minority Business Enterprise” or “MBE” means a business enterprise which is Owned and Operated by one or more of the following ethnic minority groups: African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian American / Pacific Islander and Native American.

“Owned and Operated” means (1) the business enterprise is at least 51% owned by one or more of the respective diversity groups, or in the case of any corporations, limited liability companies or partnerships, at least 51% of the voting stock or interests, as applicable, is owned by one or more of the respective diversity groups and (2) the management and daily business operations of the business enterprise are controlled by one or more of the respective diversity groups.

“Women Business Enterprise” or “WBE” means a business enterprise which is Owned and Operated by one or more women.

“Veteran-Owned Business” means a business enterprise which is Owned and Operated by one or more veterans.

An MBE, WBE, Disability-Owned Business, LGBT-Owned Business or Veteran-Owned Business may establish its qualification by providing to the DNCC:

• Its certification status from a federal, state or local governmental agency; or

• Its certification from a third-party certifier (e.g. the Minority Supplier Diversity Council, National Women Business Owners Corporation, US Business Leadership Network, etc.); or

• Documentation that would enable the Chief of Staff of the DNCC to verify that the vendor qualifies. This third method is designed to cover those vendors who are easily verifiable, such as sole proprietorships, small partnerships, closely-held corporations and small company that do not engage in significant government business or do not have the resources to seek a governmental or third-party certification.

The DNCC has a goal of spending at least one third of its aggregate dollars with MBEs, WBEs, Disability-Owned Businesses, LGBT-Owned Businesses and Veteran-Owned Businesses for its contracts and projects.

It is the policy of the DNCC to provide minorities, women, persons with disabilities, LGBT persons and veterans equal opportunity to participate in all aspects of contracting and purchasing programs, including but not limited to participation in procurement contracts for materials, supplies and equipment, and contracts for construction.

It is further the policy of the DNCC to prohibit discrimination against any person or business enterprise on the basis of race, color, ethnic identity, sex, creed, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, veteran status, marital status, economic status, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other legally protected status, and to conduct its contracting and purchasing programs so as to prevent such discrimination.

It is the policy of the DNCC in concert with the Host Committee or other local, state and federal agencies and with the assistance of minority, women, persons with disabilities, LGBT and veteran groups and agencies, actively to seek and identify qualified MBEs, WBEs, Disability-Owned Businesses, LGBT-Owned Businesses, and Veteran-Owned Businesses, and to offer them the opportunity to participate, and to encourage them to participate, in contracting and purchasing programs.

It is not the policy of the DNCC to provide information or other opportunities to MBEs, WBEs, Disability-Owned Businesses, LGBT-Owned Businesses, or Veteran-Owned Businesses that will not be available to all other business enterprises. It is the intent of this policy to establish procedures designed to assure MBEs, WBEs, Disability-Owned Businesses, LGBT-Owned Businesses, and Veteran-Owned Businesses access to information and opportunities available to other business enterprises. It is the intent of this policy to widen opportunities for participation, to increase competition, and to reduce costs.

The DNCC will award contracts without regard to race, religion, color, ethnic identity, creed, national origin, sex, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, marital status, economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other legally protected status. The DNCC will award contracts to the bid that best meets the requirements of the DNCC. Neither the DNCC nor the Host Committee is bound to accept the lowest offer or any tender submitted.

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Contact: Suzi Emmerling, 704-444-8331, semmerling@clt2012.com

CHARLOTTE – The Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee is pleased to announce the official launch of the Volunteer Management System for the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Those who have previously expressed interest in volunteering by signing up on the Charlottein2012.com website were the first to be notified by e-mail that they must register in the Volunteer Management System to become an official volunteer for the convention. Interested volunteers can register at Charlottein2012.com.

The new, secure system allows volunteers to build a personal profile, enter specific skills and interests, and choose the area in which they would like to volunteer. Volunteer opportunities fall into one of the following four categories: Administration, Hospitality, Logistics, and Transportation. People may also indicate if they are interested in volunteer opportunities in the months leading up to the convention and during convention week, or convention week only. As Charlotte in 2012 determines volunteer needs for the convention, these profiles will enable convention needs to be matched with individual’s skills and interests.

“This is the next major step in building our volunteer corps,” said Dan Murrey, Executive Director of Charlotte in 2012. “These volunteer opportunities offer the people of this community and region yet another way to be a part of history. And we couldn’t put on a successful convention without the contributions of our volunteers.”

Director of Volunteer Operations Courtney Counts, and her team, are responsible for recruiting, training, and deploying the volunteers who will be representing Charlotte during the convention. Ms. Counts will oversee this new volunteer management system leading up to and during the convention.

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Contact: Suzi Emmerling; 704-444-8331; semmerling@clt2012.com

CHARLOTTE – This week, Charlotte in 2012 released a Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking to work with a Barbeque sauce vendor as part of the merchandising effort for the convention. The RFP calls for three different types of BBQ sauces; mustard, vinegar, and tomato, to represent and showcase the different styles from around the Carolinas. The sauces will be sold together in Charlotte in 2012’s online merchandise store to people from across America.

“I love the food from this region – I even smoke my own pork - so I understand very well the importance of selecting three barbeque sauces that truly represent the flavor of the Carolinas,” said Dan Murrey, Executive Director of Charlotte in 2012. “We expect bids from eastern Carolina, western Carolina and South Carolina…Needless to say it will be a challenge to select the best sauces, but I think I speak for my entire team when I say that we are looking forward to the taste test.”

This is part of a grassroots fundraising effort, and proceeds go toward funding the convention. Charlotte in 2012 is the first Host Committee in convention history to raise convention funds without accepting monetary corporate contributions; monetary contributions now come from individuals, foundations and charitable organizations.

Those interested in submitting a proposal to sell barbeque sauce must register their business in the Vendor Directory at www.charlottein2012.com and must be open to working with Charlotte in 2012 on any creative designs having to do with the bottle and labels. Sauces must be made in America, and preference will be given to those made in the Carolinas. Final proposals are due by Monday, February 27th, 2012.

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Read more: Barbecue Sauce RFP

Please send proposals to Jackie Bateman at jbateman@clt2012.com by Feb 27, 2012 - CLOSED

Contact: Suzi Emmerling; (980) 228-6327; semmerling@clt2012.com

CHARLOTTE, NC - At a press conference today at the Charlotte Museum of History, the Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee announced the venues that have been selected to host welcome events for the 15,000 members of the media and approximately 6,000 delegates coming to Charlotte for the 2012 Democratic National Convention. The Media Welcome Event on Saturday, September 1, 2012 will be at the North Carolina Music Factory. The Delegate Welcome Event will be held on September 2, 2012, and divided between 12 unique venues around the region.

For many of the visitors, these events will be their first impression of the city. Hosting events at 13 venues also expands business opportunities to companies across the region.

In the coming weeks, Charlotte in 2012 will be seeking event planners to plan the events at each venue site. The Requests for Proposal (RFP) will be released on Thursday through the Vendor Directory that can be found at www.charlottein2012.com. RFP’s will also be reviewed at a closed press information session this Thursday, February 2nd, 2012.

“This announcement demonstrates how hard we are working to showcase the entire Charlotte region while maximizing the economic impact of the 2012 convention,” said Mayor Anthony Foxx, Co-Chair of the Committee for Charlotte.

“We are very proud to announce thirteen separate venue locations to welcome convention delegates and members of the press,” said Dan Murrey, Executive Director of Charlotte in 2012. “Hosting our guests at these distinct venues truly puts our best foot forward as we welcome these folks to Charlotte, many coming here for the first time.”

The locations of the Delegate and Media Welcome Events are as follows:

On Saturday, September 1, credentialed media will be invited to the Media Welcome Event at the North Carolina Music Factory. This venue was selected both for its capacity and for its wonderful story. Like many Charlotteans do, father and son Rick and Noah Lazes recognized opportunity when they saw it. It was in the form of an aging, unused textile mill that they transformed into the North Carolina Music Factory, a 37-acre entertainment district on the edge of Uptown Charlotte. It offers 14 world class venues, from upscale dining to outdoor courtyards. Members of the media from all over the world will see firsthand how Charlotte takes a modern approach to its rich history.

On Sunday, September 2nd, approximately 6,000 delegates will be hosted at 12 different venues in the region at official Delegate Welcome Events. The venues represent the diversity, culture, landscape and history of the Charlotte region. Selected venues include:

East of Uptown is the Charlotte Museum of History. This museum is an educational organization collecting, sharing and celebrating the history of the Charlotte region. The ten acre site of the museum is also home to Charlotte’s oldest surviving building, the Hezekiah Alexander House.South of Uptown delegates will be hosted at the Duke Mansion. The mansion takes its name from James Buchanan Duke. It would be difficult to tell this region’s story without including the Duke legacy, which includes Duke University, Duke Energy, and the Duke Endowment, a Carolinas based foundation.

West of Charlotte, in Gaston County, is the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. Over 380 acres of lush meadows, manicured gardens, and an orchid conservatory were gifted to this region by Charlottean and textile executive Daniel Stowe for all to enjoy.

Huntersville offers a true gem in the region, The Carolina Raptor Center. This facility is dedicated to the conservation of birds of prey and offers a full-service avian hospital and a living museum with over 25 species of raptors.

Delegates will be welcomed at a US Olympic training facility – the U.S. National Whitewater Center. It is located on over 400 acres of woodlands in western Mecklenburg County along the banks of the Catawba River and boasts world class whitewater rafting, kayaking, rock climbing, zip-lining and biking.

The people of the Carolinas have always cherished animal life and natural surroundings, and The Raptor Center, the Stowe Botanical garden, and the U.S. National Whitewater Center illustrate that passion beautifully.

Just West of Uptown is the Wadsworth Estate. Built in 1911 in the historic Wesley Heights neighborhood, this estate has seen a variety of transformations, but was recently purchased by former Judge Shirley Fulton. The Wadsworth Estate is situated on one of charlotte’s beautiful tree-lined streets and faces Charlotte’s Uptown and city skyline.

The region holds a proud heritage in stock car racing and the NASCAR Hall of Fame celebrates the sport’s history and honors its icons that have made significant contributions to the sport.

While NASCAR is beloved here in North Carolina, so are the arts and sciences. Delegates will be entertained at the Mint Museum which is home to local, American and European contemporary art as well as one of the finest collections of craft and design. The collection has moved in rece nt years to an architecturally striking home, but The Mint was the first art museum in North Carolina and has provided this region with cultural enrichment for over 75 years.

Charlotte is also home to the largest movie going experience in the Carolinas, the IMAX theater housed in Charlotte’s very own Discovery Place. Delegates will enjoy active exploration of science, nature, and technology including a new aquarium, exotic rainforest, and other interactive exhibits.

Another Charlottean who has bestowed a gift upon this region to further enrich the cultural landscape is Andreas Bechtler. An immigrant from Switzerland, he made his family collection of more than 1400 artworks of mid-20th century art, such as Warhol and Picasso, available for viewing in The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art.

Charlotteans will agree that our city would not be where it is today if not for our former Mayor, a man who continues to lead both locally and nationally, including his role as co-chair of Charlotte in 2012’s Steering Committee, Harvey Gantt. The Harvey B. Gantt Center celebrates the rich legacy of African-American art, history and culture through dance, music, visual art, film, educational programs, theatre productions and community outreach.

And last but certainly not least is the nation’s most comprehensive interpretation of the post-Civil War American South at the Levine Museum of the New South. This museum boasts award-winning exhibits and programming to deepen awareness and understanding of the “New South.”

Please contact Suzi Emmerling at semmerling@clt2012.com or 704-444-8331 with further questions about the official Media Welcome Event or the official Delegate Welcome Events.

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Contact: Suzi Emmerling, 704-444-8331 semmerling@clt2012.com

RELEASE: Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee Introduces Courtney Counts, Director of Volunteer Operations

Charlotte, N.C. – The Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee today introduces the Director of Volunteer Operations, Ms. Courtney Counts.

“The task at hand is no small feat: Courtney will recruit, train, and deploy the volunteers who will be the face of Charlotte during the convention,” said Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee Executive Director Dan Murrey. “This is a critical role and we are thrilled that she has joined the team -- she has done this before and she will do it again. She has roots in North Carolina and I know that she and her volunteers will make our city and state proud.”

Counts comes to the committee after serving in a similar role for the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee, where she assisted with recruiting, training and managing volunteers to fill up to 10,000 volunteer shifts within the North Texas region during the week of and leading up to the Super Bowl.

Counts hails from Orlando, Florida, has family here in North Carolina and has now achieved a life-long goal of moving to her father’s native state. She is a graduate of Florida State University receiving a Master of Science in Sport Administration and a Bachelors of Arts in International Affairs and Political Science.

Counts and her team are currently building a Volunteer Management System that will enable interested volunteers to build a personal profile that includes skills and interests. The Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee will send notification when the system has launched.

If you would like to schedule an interview with Ms. Counts, please contact Suzi Emmerling at 704-444-8331 or email at semmerling@clt2012.com.

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Though 2012 will be the first convention for 27-year-old Jackie Bateman, she’s already a veteran campaigner. The Mankato, Minn., native — who got her start fundraising for her former high-school teacher’s unlikely congressional run — has moved to Charlotte as grassroots finance director for Charlotte in 2012. She is already a fan of the city and is featuring the Charlotte skyline in new merchandise designed to raise money and appeal to young contributors.

Bateman is part of the team charged with raising $36.65 million for the 2012 convention without corporate cash or individual donations more than $100,000 (though Duke Energy has guaranteed a $10 million line of credit). She's responsible for the merchandise (she worked with designer Dawn Kussman of Fayetteville) as well as a just-ended contest with the prize of airfare and hotel during convention week for those who signed up online at www.charlottein2012.com for updates. And she oversees events designed to draw in donors.

“I like being in politics. I like the fast pace of it. I like being able to move around and meet so many people,” Bateman said. “I’m good at it.” Since the DNC kick-off event in September, the host committee has signed up 100,000 people across every state.

Bateman was one of those high-schoolers who, as part of a youth-in-government program, traveled to her state capital for a weekend of mock legislating. Her activism became real in 2005 when she was a student at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and heard that Tim Walz, her former global studies teacher and a retired Command Sergeant Major in the Army National Guard, was challenging a 12-year incumbent to represent her largely rural home district in the U.S. Congress.

“I honestly wanted to do communications,” she said, but a friend told her, “‘No, I’ve got that job.’” Fundraising wasn’t filled yet. “So I sent in my resume and I called him and he called me back, and he was, like, ‘Have you ever fundraised before?’ and I was, like, a little. I’ve been to a couple of fundraisers.

“That’s the beauty of working for a first-time candidate," Bateman said. "The communications director was a first-time communications director. We were all incredibly green — which was kind of the beautiful thing about the whole campaign,” she said. “I remember the day we got our first $1,000 contribution.”

Walz won. “No one thought that we could do it,” Bateman said. Though she said the campaign didn’t get national party support, the comedian and author Al Franken, who had a national radio show at the time, met Walz and became an advocate. Bateman got a call from Franken’s team when he decided to run for the Senate; she stayed for his close election and the recount for the current senator from Minnesota.

As deputy finance director, a favorite duty was call time, sitting in a room with the candidate for eight to 10 hours, making phone calls to voters. (When she now occasionally runs into Franken, he will always say, “'Remember when we did call time,'” she said.) Bateman also planned events that featured such guests as actor Bradley Whitford and Democratic political adviser Paul Begala, the benefit “of having a candidate that knows everyone,” she said.

In her next job, raising funds for the state party in Minnesota, Bateman found out that selling the person is a lot easier than selling the party. “Everybody takes everything out on the state party,” she said. But it’s where she started doing more grassroots fundraising. “Our state party was really funded on getting 15,000 people to give $25, building our e-mail list and building our direct mail list and having low-dollar events.”

The Charlotte host committee is a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501c3 with the support of many of the city’s boosters of all parties. Bateman, though, is a lifelong Democrat — the only one in her high school class who supported Skip Humphrey in his Minnesota gubernatorial race against Norm Coleman and eventual winner, former wrestler Jesse Ventura. She packed some favorite vintage outfits and headed from St. Paul to Charlotte when she got the call from the convention finance director.

In her Charlotte-based grassroots finance job, Bateman is responsible for the merchandising, Internet and e-mail marketing, social media outreach and low-dollar events. Since August, Bateman has lived close to convention headquarters Uptown, and has attended concerts at the Neighborhood Theatre and the Visulite as well as a NASCAR race.

She drove down with her supportive mother, who is, like the rest of her family, not political at all. “I love my parents. I consider them ‘Joe voter.’ They call me up and say, ‘So I saw this commercial,’ and if they tell me the messaging we were going for, I’m like, ‘That’s working.’”

And her thoughts on Minnesota’s most prominent GOP presidential hopeful? Bateman disagrees with most of Michele Bachmann’s political positions. But, as she said, “Minnesota likes to have its balance.”

Mary C. Curtis, an award-winning Charlotte, N.C.-based journalist, is a contributor to The Root, NPR, Creative Loafing and the Nieman Watchdog blog. Her “Keeping It Positive” segment airs Wednesdays at 7:10 on TV’s Fox News Rising Charlotte, and she was national correspondent for Politics Daily. Follow her on Twitter.

Contact: Suzi Emmerling, Press Secretary
980-228-6327
semmerling@clt2012.com

RELEASE: Committee for Charlotte in 2012 Announces Convention Host Committee and Steering Committee Members

Committee for Charlotte Will Host A Press Availability Today, September 27, 11:30 a.m., Details Below.

Charlotte, NC - Today marks the announcement of the members of the Committee for Charlotte in 2012’s Host Committee and Steering Committee. Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx and Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers will serve as co-chairs of the Host Committee, with Governor Beverly Perdue and Senator Kay Hagan serving as Honorary Co-Chairs of the Host Committee. Mayor Harvey Gantt will serve as Chair of the Steering Committee and Governor Jim Hunt and Mr. Hugh McColl will be the Honorary Co-Chairs of the Steering Committee. A full list of members and chairs is below.

“We are fortunate to have a diverse array of talented and dedicated people who are committed to the success of Charlotte, the Carolinas, the greater southeast region and the Convention,” said Foxx. “This bipartisan group of leaders, some from within and some outside of Charlotte, will ensure that the convention planning process connects to the Carolinas and beyond. I look forward to working with all of them to put forward the best convention ever."Host Committee members will keep informed of progress on the convention and upcoming events, and they will communicate to the constituents and interest groups they represent about convention planning activities and opportunities to participate. The Committee for Charlotte will look to committee members to provide information about ways to engage the broadest cross-section of the public in the convention efforts.

The Steering Committee will serve in an advisory role to the staff and leadership of the Committee for Charlotte. Their collective voice will ensure that Charlotte’s story is told authentically to the broadest possible audience.

"The Steering Committee represents a diverse group of people that will bring the hopes and concerns of their constituencies to our discussions," said former Mayor Harvey Gantt. "Their insights will be invaluable in serving the convention and this region."

The members of the Host and Steering committees have committed to attending regularly scheduled meetings. Some individuals within the group may be called upon for help with special projects based on their individual area of expertise. They serve in a volunteer capacity and will not receive payment or benefits.

“We are incredibly grateful for the time and energy these people are committing to the success of this convention,” said Dan Murrey. “Their work is a public service to the Charlotte community and the Carolinas.”

Host Committee Members

Governor Beverly Perdue, Honorary Co-Chair
Senator Kay Hagan, Honorary Co-Chair

Mayor Anthony Foxx, Co-Chair
Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers, Co-Chair

The Honorable Kelly Alexander
The Honorable Martha Alexander
Ms. Barbara Allen
The Honorable John Arrowood
The Honorable June Atkinson
The Honorable Michael Barnes
Mr. Tim Belk
Mr. Erskine Bowles
The Honorable G.K. Butterfield
Ms. Concetta Caliendo
The Honorable Patrick Cannon
The Honorable Becky Carney
The Honorable Nancy Carter
The Honorable Dumont Clarke
The Honorable Dan Clodfelter
The Honorable James Clyburn
The Honorable Harold Cogdell
The Honorable Warren Cooksey
The Honorable Roy Cooper
Ms. Pat Cotham
The Honorable Tricia Cotham
The Honorable Jeanette Council
The Honorable Janet Cowell
Mr. John Crumpler
The Honorable Walter Dalton
The Honorable Charlie Dannelly
Mr. Donald Davis
Ms. Aisha Dew
The Honorable Andy Dulin
The Honorable George Dunlap
The Honorable Beverly Earle
Ms. Olma Echeverri
The Honorable Doug Echols
Ambassador Mark Erwin
The Honorable Bob Etheridge
Mr. Ken Eudy
Mr. Scott Falmlen
Ms. Carol Fowler
Mr. Dale Frederiksen
The Honorable Henry Frye
The Honorable Phillip Gilfus
The Honorable Wayne Goodwin
The Honorable Jeffrey Graham
The Honorable Malcolm Graham
The Honorable Parks Helms
Ms. Eliza Hernandez
The Honorable David Howard
The Honorable Yvonne Johnson
The Honorable Allen Joines
Mr. Larry Kernea
The Honorable Patsy Kinsey
The Honorable Larry Kissell
The Honorable Vilma Leake
Mr. Steve Lerner
Ms. Georgia Jacquez Lewis
The Honorable Elaine Marshall
Ms. Betty Ray McCain
The Honorable Mike McIntyre
The Honorable John McNeill
The Honorable Charles Meeker
The Honorable Brad Miller
The Honorable James Mitchell
The Honorable Rodney Moore
The Honorable Cornelia Olive
The Honorable Scott Padgett
Mr. Robert Page
The Honorable Cyndee Patterson
The Honorable Edwin Peacock
The Honorable David Price
The Honorable Betty Chafin Rash
The Honorable Heath Shuler
The Honorable John Spratt
The Honorable Brad Thompson
Mr. Ed Turlington
Mr. John Verdejo
Mr. Everett Ward
Ms. Joan Washington
The Honorable Mel Watt
Ms. Gwen Wilkins
The Honorable Beth Wood
Major General Cornell Wilson, Jr. (Ret.)

Steering Committee Members

Governor Jim Hunt, Honorary Co-Chair
Mr. Hugh McColl, Honorary Co-Chair

Former Mayor Harvey Gantt, Chair
Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx, ex officio Chair

Mr. James Andrews
Ms. Dianne Bailey
Mr. Shannon Binns
Ms. Crandall Bowles
The Honorable Dr. Jason Burgess
Mr. Brett Carter
Ms. Gabi Culpepper
Ms. Marni Eisner
Mr. Frank Emory
Mr. Mitchell Gold
Mr. Cameron Harris
Ms. Landra Johnson
Dr. Clifford Jones
Mr. Michael Jones
Ms. Cynthia Marshall
Dr. Michael Marsicano
The Honorable David Grier Martin
Ms. Angeles Ortega-Moore
Mr. Will Miller
Mr. Andrew Plepler
Ms. Karen Popp
The Honorable Dr. Wilhelmenia Rembert
The Honorable Jennifer Watson Roberts
Mr. Jim Rogers
Rabbi Judy Schindler
Mr. Stoney Sellars
Mr. Robert Stolz
Ms. Marion Sullivan
The Honorable Mike Todd
The Honorable Richard Vinroot

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The local group preparing Charlotte to host the 2012 Democratic National Convention released the names of its host and steering committee members Tuesday. And the list mostly reads like a Who's Who of Carolinas Democrats.

Except for the handful of Republicans, that is.

That's right: At least four members of the GOP will be part of Charlotte's effort "to put on the greatest convention that this country's ever seen," as Dan Murrey, CEO of the host committee, put it at a Tuesday news conference.

Among those appearing in front of the microphone with Murrey was Charlotte council member Andy Dulin, a Republican who asked Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx to name him to the host committee.

Dulin made it clear his focus will be on showcasing Charlotte and enriching local businesses rather than propelling President Barack Obama - the star of next September's convention - to a second-term victory.

"I would like for the conventioneers and the service people who come to Charlotte ... to have the best time they've ever had, spend lots of money, have a safe time - and then be disappointed in November (2012)," Dulin told reporters. "But I'm not worried about November now. I'm worried about safety and business opportunities in September 2012."

Joining Dulin on the 85-member host committee - co-chaired by Foxx and Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers - will be the two other Republicans on the Charlotte City Council, Edwin Peacock and Warren Cooksey.

Former Charlotte Mayor Richard Vinroot, also a Republican, will sit on the 33-member steering committee, an advisory group that will be chaired by another former Charlotte mayor, Harvey Gantt, a Democrat.

Dulin & Co. may get some guff from rank-and-file Republicans, but N.C. GOP Chairman Robin Hayes said it was a smart move by the host committee planning the Democratic gathering.

"All of those folks are good citizens," Hayes said, and know that the convention is an opportunity to show off the Charlotte region.

"We've got to help our local economy," Hayes said. "The president and governor sure aren't."

Speaking of Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue, she will be one of the two honorary co-chairs of the host committee; U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., is the other.

The honorary co-chairs of the steering committee: Former N.C. Gov. Jim Hunt and former Bank of America CEO Hugh McColl.

Every Democratic member of Congress from the Carolinas also was named to the host committee, as were two former members - John Spratt of South Carolina and Bob Etheridge of North Carolina - who lost their seats in 2010.

The host committee also will include Democratic state legislators, state officials, county commissioners and Democratic activists.

Former UNC System President Erskine Bowles, who ran for the U.S. Senate twice as a Democrat, is on the host committee. His wife, former textile executive Crandall Bowles, is on the steering committee.

Unlike the national Democratic Party's Convention Committee, an unapologetically partisan group that's planning the actual convention in Time Warner Cable Arena, the two local committees announced Tuesday will focus on making sure Charlotte is ready for its big moment on national TV. Also important: that city and state groups feel included and have a voice in the planning.

Murrey said both committees will meet regularly - by conference call, if necessary - and offer "valuable feedback" from their various constituencies around the state.

Members of the host committee live all over the state, while members of the smaller steering committee are mostly local and represent various communities - faith, business, labor, Latino - whose "hopes and concerns" will become part of the discussion as the city gears up for the convention, Gantt said.

Charlotte isn't setting any precedent by including Republicans in this effort. The host and steering committees that readied Denver to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention had Republican members - and GOP financial contributors.

In gearing up for a national political convention, "it's a community thing, not a Democratic thing, at the host committee level," said Chris Lopez, communications director for the 2008 host committee in Denver. "You need everybody pulling for you, helping out - no matter what their political stripes are."

In Tampa, Fla., site of the 2012 Republican National Convention, there are at least three Democratic business leaders on the city's host committee governing board, said Matt Becker, chief operations officer.

On Tuesday, Republican Dulin said he's contributed no money to the host committee effort so far, but wouldn't rule it out down the road.

As the Democratic convention approaches and the partisan rhetoric flies, he said he hopes to keep his focus on having a safe and profitable convention.

"Am I going to have more Democratic paraphernalia floating around the city of Charlotte than I like? Sure. Would I like to be supporting the Republican Convention? Sure," Dulin said.

"But the Democrats are coming. And I'm committed to helping the host committee and the steering committee make a great convention for the city."

Staff Writer Celeste Smith contributed.

Bob Page. Photo Credit: Replacements, Ltd.

CHARLOTTE — Three of North Carolina’s most well-known LGBT businessmen and philanthropists were named Tuesday to host and steering committees for Charlotte’s Democratic National Convention in 2012.

Bob Page. Photo Credit: Replacements, Ltd.

Hickory furniture-maker Mitchell Gold was named to the Charlotte in 2012 Steering Committee. Greensboro’s Bob Page and Dale Frederiksen of Replacements, Ltd., were named to the Charlotte in 2012 Host Committee.

Both Page and Gold have given generously to the Democratic National Committee, though Page leads in contributions. Page has contributed nearly $140,000 to the party since 2007, according to a quick review of Federal Elections Commission records available at OpenSecrets.org. From 2007 to 2009, Gold contributed $7,500 to the party. Both men and Frederiksen, Page’s partner, have also given varying amounts to the state Democratic Party and several Democratic candidates.

The 2012 steering committee will be chaired by former Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt with an honorary chairmanship given to former North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt. The committee will serve in an advisory role to the staff and leadership of the Committee for Charlotte, the group originally formed to coordinate the city’s bid to host the DNC next September.

Co-chaired by Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx and Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers, the host committee’s honorary chairs are Gov. Bev Perdue and U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan. Host committee members will keep informed of progress on the convention and upcoming events. They will be charged with communicating to constituents and interest groups various opportunities to participate and engage in convention planning processes.

The Democratic National Convention stands to bring some 35,000 visitors and worldwide media attention to the Queen City in during Labor Day weekend, September 2012.