Charlotte's tourism arm scrutinized for excluding minority-, women-owned businesses

A member of the Charlotte City Council is demanding action after WCNC Charlotte discovered the city's taxpayer-funded tourism arm excluded minority and women-owned businesses from a series of paydays worth $750,000.

"We need to do better," Councilmember LaWana Mayfield said. "I don't think every department head understands and really gets it."

A WCNC Charlotte investigation in January exposed the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority's longtime reliance on leadership consulting firm Throwing Words.

The CRVA hired the consultant without ever considering other qualified small businesses.

CRVA executives later gave the leadership coach their stamp of approval, first in an online testimonial and then during a Throwing Words podcast.

For more information about this, visit www.wcnc.com.