Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx said bipartisanship and public-private collaboration are key to solving local and national challenges during the Elon Law's fall 2012 Bryan Leadership Lecture on Nov. 13.
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Now in his second term as major, Anthony Foxx became the youngest mayor in the Charlotte’s history when he was first elected in 2009. At Elon, he spoke about leadership traits that enable lawyers to succeed in professional and civic life and he identified qualities that have helped Charlotte to thrive and others that have caused the national government to gridlock.
“There is an illness of polarization that has gotten deeply into our politics,” Foxx said. “I don’t think you can answer the question of deficit reduction without someone saying, ‘I will accept what you are asking, but only if you are willing to accept some of what we are seeking.’ I don’t think our country can take another shockwave like the fiscal cliff.”
In contrast, Foxx said Charlotte was achieving economic growth, innovation and urban revitalization as a result of partnerships across sectors of the city.
Below are some excerpts from his lecture, which was part of the Joseph M. Bryan Distinguished Leadership Lecture Series, an integral part of Elon University School of Law’s commitment to develop lawyers who are also leaders.