Pamela Wideman

Pamela has over 25 years of experience leading local government teams, with the last 10 years in executive leadership with the City of Charlotte. She is adept at forging creative solutions to government and community issues at the local level, with service to the community as the foundation of her leadership style. She is known for her thoroughness as well as engendering trusting relationships with elected officials, executive leadership across public, private, and non-profit organizations, and residents, all while providing exceptional customer service throughout the process. Pamela most recently served as the Director of the City of Charlotte’s Housing & Neighborhood Services Department, leading a team of over 200 staff across five key divisions. Pamela shaped Charlotte’s affordable housing landscape and managed the oversight of millions of public dollars. She helped create and preserve over 5,000 affordable housing units, created and successfully deployed COVID-19 pandemic relief programs for rent, mortgage, utility, and deposit assistance to keep vulnerable residents housed during the pandemic, developed a new local rental subsidy program, and managed over $68 million in homelessness support and prevention. During her work there, Pamela hired numerous staff members for her department and participated on executive search panels for positions both with the City of Charlotte as well as other municipalities and organizations. She is a highly sought-after speaker for her expertise in affordable housing and has spoken on numerous panels across the country. Pamela strongly believes that “service is the rent we pay for living on this earth” and is often asked to share her public sector experiences with students, professional trade organizations, and local municipalities. Pamela has a passion for developing and implementing solutions that serve the community. She served as an initial Advisory Board Member for the Greenlight Fund in Charlotte and on the Mayors and CEOs Committee for U.S. Housing Investment. She was awarded the Master of Public Administration Alumna of the Year and received a Leadership in Black Excellence from her alma mater, the University of North Carolina – Charlotte. Pamela was also recognized as a Women’s In Leadership Champion by the Charlotte Chapter of the Urban Land Institute. Additionally, the Charlotte Business Journal recognized her as one of the top 10 “Behind the Scenes” newsmakers in 2017 and 2020. Pamela previously served on the Board of Directors for the United Way of Greater Charlotte and the Children and Family Services Center.