Viola Lyles

Viola 'Vi' Alexander Lyles is the 59th mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina, first elected in 2017. She is the first African-American female mayor of the city. Lyles grew up in Columbia, South Carolina, and earned 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. Before becoming mayor, she served on the Charlotte City Council from 2013 to 2017, including a term as Mayor Pro Tem. Her career with the City of Charlotte spanned nearly 30 years, where she served as a budget analyst, Budget Director, and Assistant City Manager. After retiring from the city, she worked as a consulting director for non-profit and governmental organizations.