Local Roots, Global Reach: Driving Economic Growth Through International Partnerships

Join the World Affairs Council of Charlotte on April 15th for a timely and important conversation with North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, who will explore how global relationships are strengthening local communities and driving record-setting economic growth across the state.

North Carolina continues to rank among the top destinations in the United States for economic expansion and international business (through Q3 in 2025):

  • 25 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects | $1.7 billion in foreign capital investment | 2,727 new jobs created through international companies
  • More than 60 foreign-owned firms are operating in the southeastern region of North Carolina

When including both domestic and foreign investment:

  • 81 new economic development projects | $21.3 billion in total capital investment | 24,000+ projected new jobs

North Carolina’s economic performance reflects this momentum:

  • 5.6% GDP growth (inflation-adjusted) in Q3 2025, surpassing both national (4.4%) and regional (4.5%) averages
  • Only five states experienced faster growth
  • 84,000+ net new residents between mid-2024 and mid-2025; the highest domestic in-migration of any state

Key international investment partners include Germany, Canada, France, Japan, and the United Kingdom, with strong sector growth in banking, manufacturing, technology, aerospace, and life sciences.

Secretary Marshall will share her perspective on how North Carolina successfully attracts, builds, and retains investment from international companies while addressing the strategic importance of foreign direct investment in driving job creation across the state. At a time when global supply chains, capital flows, workforce mobility, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies are reshaping regional economies, she will also highlight why sustained global engagement is essential to maintaining long-term economic growth and delivering meaningful benefits to communities throughout North Carolina.

Join us for a forward-looking discussion on how local leadership and global connections are positioning North Carolina for continued economic success.

 

 

  • WACC Private Reception Sponsorship and Underwriting – DOWNLOAD LINK 
  • WACC Global Business Series Sponsorship and Underwriting – DOWNLOAD LINK

Program Information: 

Date: Wednesday, April 15th, 2026
Check-In and Pre-Lunch Networking: 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Lunch & Presentation: 12:00 – 1:30 PM
Location: Hilton Charlotte Uptown (222 E. Third St., Charlotte, NC 28202)
Cost: $75 (WACC Member Rate) | $95 (Non-Member Rate) | $55  (Young Professionals of the WACC Member Rate) | $40 (WACC Student Member / Teacher Member Rate)

 

 

 

Biography: 

In 1996, Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall became the first woman ever elected to a statewide, executive branch office in North Carolina and has served as President of the National Association of Secretaries of State. Voters re-elected her to an eighth term in 2024, and Governor Cooper presented her with the NC Order of the Long Leaf Pine award in 2022, the Governor’s highest award for service to the State. A former teacher, small business owner, and private practice attorney, Secretary Marshall was elected to the NC Senate before rising to statewide office. 

Under Secretary Marshall’s administration, more than 2.2 million businesses have been formed, she has pioneered e-commerce in government, protected investors and intellectual property owners, and promoted financial capital formation in North Carolina. 

Secretary Marshall has been very active in many civic groups in the areas of child welfare, women’s issues, and agriculture and small town economic development. She credits 4-H as an important part of her youth and received Lifetime Achievement Awards from North Carolina 4-H and in 2014 was inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame. 

She holds a B.S. in Home Economics from the University of Maryland and a law degree from Campbell University. She has received Honorary Doctorate Degrees from Campbell University, Lees-McRae College, Meredith College and the Republic of Moldova State University of Medicine. In 2024, she was also bestowed with the Order of the Republic, the government of Moldova’s highest honor, by Moldova President Maia Sandu. 

Since becoming Secretary of State, she has received numerous state and national awards for leadership in technology, government innovation, and women’s leadership. These awards include: 

  • The 2025 US Chamber’s Award for Excellence in IP Enforcement;
  • PMI’s United to Safeguard America from Illegal Trade (USA-IT) Community Impact Award;
  • The 2025 Institute of Public Leadership (IOPL) Distinguished Alumni Award, also thereafter named in her honor as the Elaine Marshall Alumni Award;
  • The First Annual Achievement Award from the national Notary Public Administrators Section of the National Association of Secretaries of State in 2023, also named in her honor as the Jaeger-Marshall NPA Achievement Award;
  • The 2023 creation of the Elaine F. Marshall Academic Scholarship from the North Carolina Notary Association (NCNA) for Active NCNA members;
  • The 2022 Champion for Children Award from the North Carolina Foundation for Public School Children;
  • The 2020 Ray of Light award from Boundless Impact for her decades of work advancing North Carolina’s Global Competitiveness;
  • The N.C. Bar Association’s 2020 Public Service Award;
  • The 2019 Brand Protection Hero Award from the Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection (A-CAPP);
  • The 2018 Person of the Year Award from The Women’s Business Center of North Carolina and was inducted into the North Carolina Women Business Owners Hall of Fame the same year;
  • The 2017 International Trade Lifetime Achievement Award from the Charlotte Business Journal;
  • The 2017 Woman of Achievement Award from Meredith College;
  • Leadership North Carolina’s 2016 Governor’s Award for Public Service; and
  • She has been recognized as a leader in state trademark protection by the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition and Underwriters Laboratories, among others, received a Gold Record from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and was even named an Honorary Mountie by the Royal Canadian Mountain Police.