Vi Alexander Lyles, a democrat, is the mayor of Charlotte. Previously, she served two terms on city council as an at-large representative from 2013-2017. On Dec. 7, 2015, she was chosen by her peers to serve as mayor pro tem.​

Lyles worked for the City of Charlotte for almost 30 years, starting off as an analyst in the city's budget department before becoming budget director. She was assistant city manager for the city from 1996 to 2004. During her time with the city, she helped create the city’s first capital budget and led the restructuring of government programs to evaluate and assess performance audits for city programs.

She also led and presented the community safety plan and helped develop the city's affordable housing plan and Mecklenburg County's Minority and Women's Business Enterprise Program for small businesses.

After retiring from the city, Lyles joined the Lee Institute and Flynn Heath Holt Leadership as a consulting director, assisting non-for-profit governmental organizations in strategic planning and project implementation. She worked with the Charlotte Housing Authority Moving Forward initiative, the Committee of 21 transportation initiative and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg African American Agenda and Achieve Together community-based advocacy education initiative. She also provided consulting services, leadership development for rising executives and reviews of work processes leading to mergers and efficiencies for nonprofit organizations.

In 2009, the Southern Piedmont Chapter of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators created the “Viola ‘Vi' Lyles Young Public Administrator Award,” which recognizes energy, commitment and drive for excellence in work and community service."

Lyles holds a bachelor of arts in political science from Queens University and a master of public administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a trained facilitator and executive coach, completing programs at the Institute of Government, North Carolina State University and the Lee Institute’s American Leadership Forum.

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