Pat McCrory was born on October 17, 1956 in Columbus, Ohio and is married to Ann Gordon McCrory.
Pat grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina and attended Ragsdale High School where he was President of the student body.
Pat graduated from Catawba College in 1978 with a B.A. degree in Political Science/Education and in 2001 Catawba College awarded McCrory with an Honorary Doctorate Degree. Since graduation, Pat has been with Duke Energy Corporation in various management positions.
Pat began his political career in Charlotte in 1989 when he was elected as an At-Large City Council representative. He was reelected in 1991 and 1993, served as Mayor Pro Tem in 1993 and elected Mayor in 1995.
In December 2001, Mayor McCrory joined Stan Brookshire and John Belk, Sr. to become only the third Mayor in Charlotte history to serve a fourth term.
Mayor McCrory has distinguished himself as a leader in the areas of public safety, economic development, housing and transportation. He has been nationally recognized for his leadership in developing Charlotte’s 25-year transportation and land-use plan.
Since September 2001, McCrory has been called upon by President Bush and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to identify public safety partnerships between local and federal government and develop a local Citizens Corp.
Mayor McCrory is involved in many national organizations;
President of the Republican Mayors and Local Officials (RMLO) organization.
Presently Chairs the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) Committee for Housing and Community Development.
Is the past six-term Chair of the USCM Environmental Committee.
Founder and inaugural Chairman of the North Carolina Metropolitan Coalition because Mayor McCrory recognized the need for coordinated lobbying among North Carolina’s 25 largest cities.
Is the only elected official to serve on the national board of the Afterschool Alliance and is a featured Mayor in Harvard University’s Faith-based Executive Session.
The Mayor has testified before Congress on environmental issues, transportation policy and privatization initiatives; and has been the guest on several national broadcasts, including National Public Radio, Lehrer News Hour, CBS This Morning, MSNBC, CNN and CNBC.
In 2003, the Mayor was the recipient of the national Homeownership Hero Award recognizing his innovative work in leading Charlotte to have one of the highest homeownership rates in the country.
Mayor McCrory founded the Mayor’s Mentoring Alliance in 1995 and was presented the 2001 Governor’s Outstanding Local Official Award for his mentoring work. He is also involved with many local charity boards and serves as the honorary chair for the Charlotte chapters of the Alzheimers Foundation and Arthritis Foundation.
