Dionne Nelson

Biographie : Dionne Nelson is the President and CEO of Laurel Street, a leading mixed-income housing development company experienced in developing high-quality residences for working families and seniors. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Laurel Street has a development portfolio of approximately 3,600 units. Dionne establishes and manages the overall strategic direction, operations, and growth of the company and has more than 25 years of experience in real estate development, finance, and operations. Prior to founding Laurel Street, Dionne served as Senior Vice President at Crosland with responsibility for the company’s affordable housing development and operations. Previously, she managed investments at NewSchools Venture Fund and Earnest Partners and built her skills in strategy, organization, and operations as a consultant with McKinsey & Company. Dionne began her career in the world of financial services working as an Investment Banking Analyst at Salomon Brothers in New York City. Dionne is a Trustee for the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and is a member of the National Advisory Board for the ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing and ULI’s Affordable and Workforce Housing Council. Dionne also serves on the Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) Board of Directors, Knight Foundation’s Charlotte Community Advisory Committee, Fifth Third Bank’s North Carolina Community Advisory Forum, and UNCC’s Childress Klein Center for Real Estate Advisory Board. She previously served as a member of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission and as a board member for Renaissance West Community Initiative, YMCA of Greater Charlotte, Levine Museum of the New South, and the North Carolina Housing Coalition. She is a member of Leadership Charlotte Class 29. Dionne earned a master of business administration degree from Harvard University and graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in economics from Spelman College.