CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Angela Charles went from an entry-level, street maintenance position to now holding one of the top positions in the City of Charlotte. She will lead the city’s planning and preparation for this summer’s Republican National Convention.

“As a person who worked in 2012, it's a fantastic opportunity to lead that effort,” Charles said as we spoke in her Government Center office.

When it comes to her experience leading the City of Charlotte through a major moment, the Democratic National Convention is only the tip of the iceberg.

Currently an assistant city manager overseeing city services like police, fire, and Charlotte Water, this coming April, Charles will mark a monumental 32 years working for the City of Charlotte.

She showed us around the northwest facility where she once worked. It's the street from the historic Franklin water treatment plant on Brookshire Boulevard.

“The buildings here were built in the 1920's,” Charles explained. They're what used to be the headquarters for Charlotte's street maintenance, water, and wastewater services. 

But Charles' history-making rise to a top city position, leading events that put it on the world stage, had a humble beginning some might scoff at.

“Bating manholes for rats and working in the mosquito control division,” she explained. It was a job she took right after she got her engineering degree from N.C. State. Not long after, she applied to the City of Charlotte. She was hired at street maintainence as an assistant field operations supervisor.

She has literally laid the groundwork for the city's ever-growing demand for water.

And it was at that time, when Charles had her boots on the ground, she says she initiated one of the most defining moments for Charlotte-Mecklenburg's water and street maintenance services.

“Trying to get out of this small space,” she said about the Patton Avenue facility. But she had to find a way to get upper management's attention. “I remember it like it was yesterday, ladder was here and I climbed up on top of the building, with my video camera,” she said. Her intention was to show the cramped space all the crews, trucks, and equipment were using. The stunt worked and later led to the northeast Charlotte field office for Charlotte Water.

She spent more than two decades leading those city services, establishing herself as a trailblazer along the way. She is the first African American woman division head for Charlotte Water and also its first African American woman director. Furthermore, she is the first African American woman in the state licensed to train other municipalities in water distribution and wastewater treatment.

“She took the time to find out the knowledge of the men and put the right men out there on the right jobs,” said Stan Carter, a Charlotte Water utility technician who first started working with Angela 30 years ago.

Don River, currently a division chief for Charlotte Water, also remembers starting with the city around the same time Charles did.

“She made a big change in this organization,” River said. “The change came when she came.”

“I am proud of her because it's a million people a year that we serve water to,” Larry Mackey added. He's a crew chief for Charlotte Water and came under Charles' tutelage 13 years ago.

But Charles will tell you it's the crew members that really are inspirational.

“Two of the guys from Charlotte Water brought that to me two weeks ago,” she said as she pointed to a fire hydrant sitting by her desk back in her Government Center office. It's a fire hydrant that used to service Charlotte streets.

“Yup, 1897, that's historical,” she said pointing at the hydrant's stamp. All around her office are unique mementos of a history that many of us probably pass by without a thought. “It's meter number nine in the whole Charlotte system, so think about the early 1900's and a community starting to meter,” she said pointing at an old water meter.

But for Charles, they are reminders of being the example of ultimate female empowerment.

“I've been in a male dominated field,” she said. A starting point three decades ago, that has now prepared Charlotte's infrastructure for an extraordinary event like the Republican National Convention.

“There are seven teams that we have in the city, organized to make sure that we are prepared for the RNC,” Charles said.

Angela Charles will be leading it all on the city’s behalf.

“When you look at pre-Angela, and you look at post-Angela, I hope there is difference that can be made,” she added.

The president and vice-president for the 2020 Republican National Convention will hold a conference call with members of the media on Monday morning, March 2, to discuss planning and preparations for this summer’s event.