Michelle Nance, AICP, is the Director of the Centralina Regional Planning department. She directs Centralina’s work related to land use and transportation, with a focus on regional and local mobility, healthy community initiatives, placemaking, resiliency and community engagement. Her work is dedicated to helping local governments address shared, long-term issues through collaboration and partnerships.

Michelle directed the creation of the Charlotte region’s growth framework, CONNECT Our Future, an effort spanning two states, 14 counties and over 8,400 participants. She co-founded Centralina Health Solutions, aimed at creating healthy, life-long communities, and led a team to develop the greater Charlotte region’s freight mobility study. Currently, Michelle is directing this region’s first transit planning effort, CONNECT Beyond, supporting mobility and access across 12 counties in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Michelle is the former Director of Planning and Development Services for the City of Gastonia and has 25 years of experience in state, regional and local government planning and economic development. Michelle holds a Master of Public Administration and B.S. in Urban and Regional Planning from East Carolina University and is a graduate of the UNC School of Government Public Executive Leadership Academy. She is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). In 2017, Michelle was honored as one of the 50 Most Influential Women in the Charlotte region and was named 2017 Woman of the Year by the Mecklenburg Times.