Michelle Nance, FAICP
FAICP Statement
Michelle is a transformative leader, skilled in building strong collaborative, cross-sector partnerships in the Charlotte region. Michelle’s work to develop and implement the Charlotte metro’s first growth framework, CONNECT Our Future, and regional mobility plan, CONNECT Beyond, led to coordinated investments and mobility projects, critical in a fast-growing region. She pioneered innovative planning tools to support practicing planners and influence change. She established APA-NC’s first diversity committee and has advanced women in planning. Her leadership in healthy communities planning and body of work connecting transportation and land use in practice have cemented her legacy in the profession.
Professional Biography
Michelle Nance is the State and Local Government Market Leader at VHB Charlotte where she supports the firm’s growing presence in the Carolinas, helping communities address complex challenges at the intersection of mobility, land use, and economic development. A Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners and former Charlotte Woman of the Year, Michelle has 30 years of experience, most recently as Deputy Executive Director of Centralina Regional Council. There, she led major initiatives including the CONNECT Our Future growth strategy and the CONNECT Beyond regional transit vision. Known for her collaborative, future-focused approach, she is widely recognized for her leadership across the planning and transportation sectors, holding key roles in the American Planning Association, Charlotte Metro Chapter of WTS, and as Adjunct Faculty at East Carolina University's Community and Regional Planning Program. She received her Master of Public Administration and BS in Urban and Regional Planning from East Carolina University.