LaBar departing from Charlotte regional business group – Business North Carolina

Janet LaBar is leaving as CEO of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance in the next month, the economic development group said Wednesday.

An interim CEO will be announced as the board seeks a full-time successor.

LaBar joined the group in 2019 after holding a similar post in Portland, Oregon, for five years and, previously, as chief performance officer at the Phoenix Economic Development Council.

“We thank Janet for her years of hard work at the CLT Alliance and her dedication to our region,” said Ali Summerville, an Ally Financial executive who chairs the group’s board executive committee. “I am confident the CLT Alliance will remain a strong regional organization that is focused on growing the economy, advocating for business, and convening diverse stakeholders, thanks to the support of hundreds of investors, partners, and a dedicated professional staff.”

LaBar said she was “proud of the work we’ve done together to elevate Charlotte as a region where businesses and talent can thrive.”

The Alliance was formed through a merger of the former Charlotte Chamber and Charlotte Regional Partnership, which promoted economic growth in about a dozen area counties in North and South Carolina.

LaBar’s husband, James LaBar, is senior vice president of economic development at Charlotte Center City Partners, who promotes development in the Uptown and South End areas.