My name is Austin Lowrey, and I recently joined the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance’s Young Professionals Board earlier this year. I grew up in Greenville, S.C., and like many young professionals in the region, I’m a transplant to Charlotte. I originally moved here during my first summer interning in Duke Energy’s Finance Department and got the opportunity to live in South End when all of the skyscrapers were still in Uptown and one of the only breweries worth going to in South End was Sycamore (RIP Food Truck Friday). Throughout my time in Charlotte, I’ve witnessed dramatic change in both Uptown and South End and continue to be impressed with how Charlotte has evolved to be one the best places for YPs to live in the country.
The Charlotte Region and the Carolinas continue to see extraordinary growth, with Charlotte ranking third in the U.S. for total population growth, and North and South Carolina both ranking top five for population growth in 2023. A low cost of living is one of the main drivers of people moving to the area, but many young professionals, including myself, have made the decision to live in the Charlotte Region for reasons other than just “cheap” rent.
One of the main reasons I was drawn to Charlotte was my love of sports. This started for me at a young age while attending Carolina Panthers and Clemson Tigers games in the fall and seeing Panthers greats like Steve Smith and Jake Delhomme up close during summer training camp. My love for the Panthers made Charlotte an easy choice for me, but during my years living in South End and Fort Mill, I’ve discovered this region has so much more to offer to YPs.
Whether you’re interested in Charlotte’s thriving live music scene, want to get outside and enjoy one of the Charlotte Region’s more than 200 parks, or meet up with friends at one of our 75 breweries, there are countless opportunities to make the most of your time outside of work. There’s also plenty of opportunities to get involved in the community through one of Charlotte’s many nonprofits (shoutout to Carolina Youth Coalition) or make meaningful connections with other YPs and business leaders across the region through networking events hosted by organizations such as the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance and numerous others. No matter what you’re interested in, Charlotte likely has something for you.
Opportunities like these along with continued population and economic growth make Charlotte a great city to grow both personally and professionally, which is why the CLT Alliance’s mission to be the voice of business for the region is crucial to sustaining this growth. One important aspect of this is the CLT Alliance’s continued ability to successfully advocate for businesses in the Charlotte Region, at the state capitals, as well as in Washington D.C. at the federal level to ensure the region continues to thrive.
This includes advancing legislation focusing on many of the issues important to YPs, such as maintaining a top-tier quality of life, access to housing, transportation & childcare, attracting and retaining a robust workforce, and providing economic opportunity for all. I’ve recently learned more about the value of focused advocacy efforts and the importance of building strong relationships with legislatures during my time as the Co-Chair of the CLT Alliance’s Young Professionals Advocacy Committee.
As I get more involved with advocacy, I hope to expand opportunities for YPs to have their voices heard by politicians and provide them a platform to highlight issues important to YPs. With that, I challenge YPs to take advantage of upcoming events hosted by the CLT Alliance Advocacy Team and stay tuned for potential YP specific advocacy events hosted by the CLT Alliance’s Young Professionals Board. I’d also encourage YPs to sign up for the CLT Alliance Advocate newsletter that highlights legislative priorities for the Charlotte Region.
I’m excited to see what the future holds for the Charlotte Region and look forward to getting YPs more involved to help us create the most vibrant, innovative, and healthy economy in the nation.
Austin Lowrey is a Lead Treasury Analyst at Duke Energy and a first year member of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance’s Young Professionals. You can connect with Austin on LinkedIn.
