Presented June, 1994
Introduction
Overview
Strategic Goals
Action Plan
Mayor's International Cabinet Member and Friends, 1994

Introduction
During his first term as the mayor of Charlotte, Richard Vinroot realized that his southern city was becoming distinctly international. Himself the son of a Swedish immigrant, Mayor Vinroot invited members of the community to advise him on how best to facilitate the transition already underway.

Thus was born Charlotte's International Cabinet, composed of educators, business people, leaders of international organizations and citizens interested in Charlotte's evolution into an international city.

These thirty plus citizens meet monthly, providing a forum for discussion of the international issues the city faces. Their primary function is to advise the Mayor. In addition, the Cabinet offers all citizens and groups involved in international activities the opportunily to interact, to share information and ideas and to coordinate their interests.

Since Charlotte has, in recent years, become the third largest banking center in the U.S. and is host to over 300 foreign corporations, the Cabinet thought it important to draft an "International Vision for the 21st Century."

The elements of this vision are a citizenry that recognizes the importance of the city's international relationships, civic and business leaders committed to building an international city, a local environment supportive of this goal and the expansion of international opportunities and global linkages.

The Cabinet then addressed the issues which it regarded as crucial to the process of internationalization. It created six issue groups which drew upon a cross-section of the community to prepare their reports: visibility and awareness; community services and welcome; international organizations; international business and economic development; education; and, cooperation of higher education and business.

Soon thereafter, the Mayor secured, through the U.S. Department of State's Pearson Exchange Program, the loan of a foreign service officer to direct the work of the Cabinet and its steering committee, and to formulate cohesive strategic goals and action plans. The following Vision, Goals and Action Plan represent more than a year's efforts by many Charlotteans.

Overview
Charlotte is emerging as an international city within a dynamic urban region. As international trade expands and advances in communication and technology bring the peoples of the world closer together, cities are taking on new roles in the global arena.

Charlotte welcomes these changes and is committed to strengthening its international position. As it enters the 21 st century, Charlotte is committed to developing;

• Informed Citizenry
  • A citizenry that is part of the global community and that recognizes the importance of the relationship between the life and prosperity of the Charlotte region and the rest of the world.
• Committed Civic Leaders
  • A civic leadership that is well informed about world affairs and fully committed to enhancing Charlotte's role as an international city.
• Active Business Community
  • A business community committed to integrating the region's industrial, financial and commercial institutions into the world economy.
• Supportive Environment
  • An environment that promotes an international perspective, an appreciation of other cultures and the acceptance and integration of people of all nationalities, religions and ethnic backgrounds.
• International Opportunities
  • A multitude of opportunities for students and citizens of all ages to enrich themselves through cultural exchanges and international education programs.
• Global Linkages
  • A wide range of financial, commercial, educational, cultural and social linkages around the globe that integrate Charlotte into the world community.

Strategic Goals
The Mayor's Cabinet identified six important goals that Charlotte needs to achieve to ensure its vision for the 21 st century.

• Visibility and Awareness
  • Create a visible Charlotte through improved global and domestic awareness of Charlotte as an international city.
• Community Services and Welcome
  • Develop an environment that welcomes and values international visitors and citizens; provide effective access to all necessary community services for international citizens, regardless of language skills or ethnic origin.
• Education
  • Develop cultural understanding and tolerance in the Charlotte community; ensure that education teaches not only skills and languages but also history, geography and a sense of the interconnectedness of the world today.
• Higher Education and Business
  • Coordinate education and business to ensure an educated and trained work force, capable of meeting the demands of international business and manufacturing.
• International Business and Economic Development
  • To ensure future growth and market expansion, support the present economic development focus of the City, County, Charlotte Chamber and Carolinas Partnership in encouraging and supporting both foreign investment in the Charlotte region and expansion of local industry through exports and investment abroad.
• International Organizations
  • Enhance the visibility, credibility and viability of Charlotte's non-profit international organizations and promote their cifcctive coordination.

This strategic plan for Charlotte's future has two key elements: education and cooperation. Both must be defined broadly. Education must move beyond the schools to include businesses, immigrants and the media to ensure that Charlotte is recognized, and recognizes itself as an international city.

There must be improved cooperation between the City and County, among the counties of the Charlotte region, between business and education, between business and the international organizations, among the international organizations themselves, and between long-time Charlotteans and the newcomers from around the world who are making all facets of Charlotte international.

Action Plan
This Action Plan identifies the most important, the most feasible and the least expensive steps that the citizens and institutions of the region can take to make Charlotte an international citistate.

First and most importantly, make the city and surrounding region friendly and accessible to visitors and citizens.

• In the short term:
  • Design gateways to the city with multilingual signs and information booths; translate necessary information and signs at all public buildings for the benefit of international visitors and residents.
  • Provide multilingual capabilities for public services, education and business and expand interpreting and translation services.
  • Arrange programs to teach the members of ethnic groups and organizations how to seek social services for the members of their communities.
  • Increase the number and visibility of English language (ESL) and literacy classes and publicize the opportunities for foreign language instruction in Charlotte.
  • Internationalize hotels and entertainment facilities for the benefit of visitors.
• Over the longer term:
  • Support the continued growth of the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, both with additional international freight and passenger services and as a gateway to the rest of America.
  • Support the design of a flexible and affordable transportation system for the region to accommodate international visitors.

Develop cultural understanding in the Charlotte community.

• In the short term:
  • Design an orientation program for international newcomers to the Charlotte region.
  • Increase community awareness of the growing international populations of Charlotte, their contributions and their needs.
  • Include in all educational curricula the need for understanding and tolerance of cultural and religious diversity.
• Over the longer term:
  • Develop specific cross-cultural training programs for persons who work with internationals - for example, in banks, hospitals, social service agencies and schools.

Tap existing resources in the Charlotte area to provide information, assistance, education and coordination to internationalize Charlotte.

• In the short term:
  • Use existing groups and organizations, including the Cabinet, to provide information on international events and issues and available services for international newcomers.
  • Use the library system and other available information networks to provide information on services to the general public, to new ancl to the business community.
  • Use existing international business, transport and service connections to expand educational and promotional efforts.
  • Engage religious and community groups to include international newcomers, regardless of their ethnic origins, in the full life of the community.
• Over the longer term:
  • Develop a system to involve local organizations and agencies in international events.
  • Encourage business and international organizations to cooperate for their mutual benefit.
  • Increase support from the business community for Charlotte's international organizations and encourage cooperation for their mutual benefit.

Investigate committing new resources to enhance international infrastructure. Over the longer term, study the feasibility of:

• Building an International Trade and Service Center, perhaps at the Airport, to house services such as customs, immigration, transport and currency exchange in one convenient place.
• Organizing an international center where information, services and programs for internationals could be coordinated.
• Using technology to link classrooms to world-wide resources.

Advertise Charlotte's increasing international focus and its growing international economic and cultural ties.

• In the short term:
  • Identify Charlotte's niche markets and locales for targeted publicity.
  • Create a public relations plan for Charlotte in order to take advantage of the publicity and international media coverage of local events; for example, target ads in business journals both here and abroad and expand the geographic focus.
  • Produce publicity materials, both print and video and in several languages, which will promote Charlotte in a variety of settings and to many audiences.
  • Systematically publicize the growing role of international business and trade in the region.
  • Actively solicit and promote international arts and performances, as well as the festivals and events of local ethnic and international groups.
  • Organize an intensive effort to take advantage of Charlotte-based sports events via a targeted publicity campaign.
  • Plan an international event under Cabinet (co)sponsorship.
  • Encourage editorials on international affairs and offer to brief the local media on international news and events on a regular basis.
  • Increase local awareness of international concerns and issues by helping Charlotte's residents and businesses to think global Iy.
  • Increase community awareness of the growing international populations of Charlotte, their contributions and their needs.

Encourage Charlotte's businesses and organizations to broaden their international horizons and membership.

• In the short term:
  • Expand the efforts of the City, County, Chamber of Commerce and Carolinas Partnership to increase the involvement of small businesses in international affairs, includir. participation of internationals in civic affairs.
  • Organize trade and investment missions to foreign cities to attract investment and identify export opportunitie
  • Educate Charlotte area businesses in the tangible benefits of exporting and on the relationship between exporting, local investment abroad and continued foreign investment in the Charlotte region.
  • Involve students in activities with the international communities and organizations in Charlotte, arrange internships with international businesses and encourage contacts between students and international visitors, residents and businesses.
  • Include international business people in local programs and strategic planning for international development.
  • Institute a one-stop, broad-based information system to connect international, national and local business.

The Charlotte region must define education broadly to ensure that present and future generations can contribute to and benefit from the internationalization of the community.

• In the short term:
  • Strengthen foreign language instruction and international studies programs.
  • Recruit multilingual faculty and those with an international background or experience.
  • Reward students and teachers for international activities, with an awards program to recognize good teachers, researchers and others who bring an international perspective to the classroom
  • Promote and support study abroad and exchange programs for both students and faculty.
  • Support seminars, speakers and other programs designed to complement international studies' offerings.
  • Increase local awareness of international concerns and issues by helping Charlotte's residents and businesses to think globally.
  • Continue to promote and expand training seminars that focus on specific skills needed for conducting international business.
• Over the longer term:
  • Connect business with the elementary and secondary school systems to enhance vocational and alternative training programs.
  • Revise the curricula to incorporate an international perspective from kindergarten through high school.
  • Emphasize the international aspects of all elements of the curricula in both academic and technical programs.
  • Provde technical training as part of a comprehensive package to help the area's labor pool meet the specifications of international businesses.
  • Establish doctoral programs in the region's universities to increase the prestige of the area, better support business and attract high-tech industry.
  • Recognize and reward international teaching, research and service at both public and private institutions.
  • In the institutions of higher learning, promote programs to support international economic development and prepare the next generation for dealing with the challenge of a global economy.

The Cabinet should oversee the implementation of the Action Plan and remain active and involved, as coordinator for specialized committees.

• Establish an International Coordinating Committee to bring together representatives of all international non-profit organizations, including educational institutions, at first to coordinate programming and activities. Later, the committee could investigate joint fund-raising, as the interest and need arises.
• Establish an International Business Cooperation Committee to increase cooperation among the business community, educational institutions and the non-profit international groups. Representatives from these groups could meet under the auspices of the Cabinet to build closer ties and to seek ideas and programs which would be of mutual benefit.
• Create an International Education committee to coordinate with the County to produce a systematic regional effort to promote international programs, activities and study-abroad and exchange programs.

In the final analysis, the goal of the Strategic Plan, the Action Plan and of the Cabinet itself, is to encourage all Charlotteans to work together to realize Charlotte's international vision.

THE MAYOR'S INTERNATIONAL CABINET,  Members: June, 1994

• Peter Akerblom - Director, International Programs, Carolinas Partnership
• Michael Almond - Chairman, International Division, Parker, Poe Adams & Bernstein
• Jonathon Benson - President, The Ben Criag Center
• Frances Bracket - Executive Director, Charlotte World Affairs Council
• Robert M. Bryan - Attorney, Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson
• John Connaughton - Director, NC Economic Forecast, UNC Charlotte
• Wayne Cooper - Honorary Mexican Consul & Arcon Manufacturing Company
• Millie Cox - Honorary French Consul & Director of International Programs, Charlotte Country Day School
• Tony Dick - Director, Charlotte's Council for International Visitors
• Isabel Kaemmerer Draper - Volunteer in International Programs
• Michael Gallis - Architect, Michael Gallis Associates
• Ramesh Gokal - Motion Realty
• Eckart Goette - Honorary German Consul and Consultant
• Carroll Gray - President, Charlotte Chamber of Commerce
• Mark Heath - Executive Director, Carolinas Partnership
• Ingeborg Hegenbart - Executive Vice President, Southern National Corporation
• Justin Hunt - Director of Export Promotion, Charlotte Chamber of Commerce
• Kimm Jolly - Executive Director, International House
• Harold Josephson, Associate Vice Chancellor for International Programs, UNC Charlotte
• Denisa Leach - President, Board of Directors, Latin American Coalition
• Leon Miller - Minority Affairs, Mecklenburg County
• Jerry Orr - Director of Aviation, Charlotte/Douglas International Airport
• Jack Perry - Director, The Dean Rusk Program in International Studies, Davidson College
• Margaret Pierce - Director of Community Services, International Health & Community Services, Inc.
• Robert Pittenger - President, The Robert Pittenger Company
• Jennifer Watson Roberts - International Division, First Union National Bank
• Gene Schaffer - Department of Curriculum & Instruction, UNC Charlotte
• Melvin Tennant, III - President, Charlotte Convention and Visitors Bureau
• William Thompson - Director, International Experience Program, Queens College
• Peggy Wesp - Executive Director, Charlotte Sister Cities
• Melford Wilson - Director, International Center, Winthrop University
• Manuel Zapata - Zapata Engineering
• Richard Zollinger - Director, International Business Program, Central Piedmont Community College

Committed Friends:

• Joseph Barwick - Central Piedmont Community College
• Alan Gordon - Attorney and Sister Cities
• Jim Murchison, Principal, Independence High School
• Leslie Paliyenko - Vice President, Community Relations, Spirit Square
• Cindy Stringham-Smith - The Sunrise Group

City of Charlotte Officials:

• Mayor Richard Vinroot ( Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, PA)
• O. Wendell White - City Manager
• Del Bergsdorf - Assistant City Manager
• Larry Rosenstrauch Director, Economic Development
• Janet Malkemes, Cabinet Director
• Nancy Elliott - Assistant Budget Director
• John Wallace - Neighborhood Services Department