Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan Interview

Mayor of Greensboro on your own WSJ exports. I remember in the fall when we first learned that this was going to be an issue altogether. You were understandably tightlipped about a lot of things he couldn't say much about your pitch to keep headquarters in Greensboro, because you didn't know who was listening. You didn't know how many competitors there might be, will now according to Jim Phillips a few weeks ago where in the final week or two of this the final stages of this process try to figure out where ACC headquarters are going to be, or if they're going to stay in Greensboro and I'd imagine everything's been laid out in the table so let's start and the obvious place. Are you more than cautiously optimistic at this point about the issue they are practically optimistic and are praying that final week been coming for a long time. We thought that we would get an answer in the fall during the men's basketball tournament and then right after the spring meeting. So I think we have made this a very difficult decision for them.

I'm glad you bring up timeline so your belief is. This might be resolved a lot quicker if it wasn't for some of the actions you and your team is taken absolutely. We have come up with effective creative proposal and actually I think there were three in total that every time they presented a roadblock. We found a way to go over or around it.

I think we gave them a great proposal on and where you are sitting on the edges are heat to see what they decide. We heard about a handful of things I've been in touch with a lot of ACC people trying to figure out what exactly is happening here, we heard about the private plane we've heard about the real estate opportunities but you tell me what were some of the issues they specifically wanted to address with you and how have you addressed well number of the airplane public debate one and we think that we had a creative solution by offering them on their personal airplane therapist and I think they liked it so much that he got shot to somebody other venues as well for after you help on a number if you where we came up with out-of-the-box thinking when it came to PEI mental health issues that need to specific in our proposal. I know that the people of Greensboro would be really proud of the package.

We put together for just one change of student scenery when it comes to grand over or do what is it about. I've heard people talk about Jesus.

There might be places that are closer to downtown that have more restaurant options, things of that nature exactly spin the conversation about Brando.

Yeah, I think a blog grand over. It is a great location but realized that they were in.

It could be quite where on their employees could go out to lunch or dinner or shop and so I think ultimately it came down to the fact that they wanted a more Account present in nuts. See the economic piece of this is what interest me to and I did something that you people can often forget about like you know all these things that we see that affect normal people your constituents. Also it affects these larger companies in these leagues as well.

Do you believe the current economy for real estate Mayor Von could play into Greensboro's advantage when they're trying to decide whether it's smart to uproot things. Now I know that they have confidence in the city of Greensboro when they had with any mentoring that we were able promote mobilized or encoded immediately.

Could given the play at. We offered them in the public service when everyday if you we have written to the occasion. We really do put the Colton first because they go to other venues and their loss. People don't even realize that they are in town, but when they are at the Greensboro Coliseum. They are the effect and there is just petrified.

So I know that that is important to them were taking a two-pronged approach. Not only can we want them to hear, but we also want to stay in the rotation you believe those two things are linked.

Mayor Von we've been told that they're not but I do believe that in some way they are linked, but I think that we have such a history with them that we will we will set security found on current regard Nancy Vaughn with this year and it just makes sense. If you have the women's tournament units to be supported for a tremendous know a period of time so consistently and the history obviously there to ice. I just don't understand how anybody cannot include Greensboro and not be a part of the mix, but another thing that's frustrating to meet Mayor Von joining us. Greensboro Mayor WSJ exports what you say to the naysayers. Often folks that aren't from around here who say that this issue it doesn't really matter where the headquarters as RRS visits is mostly symbolic what you said well you know our history.

We want to keep them here. They are a small office.

There is about 50 employees today are nonprofit they don't have a huge footprint here in the city of Greensboro, but it is a point of pride for us. They are a press conference. We had a long association with them. We believe that we served them well grown and they thrive, but we also knew that with the wicked big schools coming and that it was going to change the philosophy of the ACC and that they would want greater coverage in the footprint.

Yes, this what a lot of people might not know is that you need 10 out of the 15 ACC schools that includes Notre Dame to approve a vote out of Greensboro, whether it be Charlotte, whether it be Orlando like, has been reported to you understand you have a good familiarity with what the politics are behind-the-scenes between what you described to be the big schools and some of the schools that are more traditional members we had been arm reaching out to all of the school and we offered to bring the man get to show them around Greensboro could be cancer and Pres. one or really make the decision have never been to Greensboro before, and I think that they may have on a different picture in their mind what Greensboro has to offer and that if they were here that they would embrace it a little bit more. The people who have been here really like our city where we are hopeful. How many schools take you up on that offer. I would say about half of them Nancy Vaughn with this year and that's one of the things I give you a lot of credit for Mayor. You've been very proactive about this. It's clear, it matters to you I saw you went down to Amelia Island for ACC spring meetings. For example, why you do that because it was a great opportunity for us to meet with the schools that we hadn't had some one-on-one time with you. Great kind of very sweet memory.

My parents went to the spring meeting for probably for a couple of decades.

My dad was 2828 year year. This is a conference that I know intimately that it is morning me just a business. It is something that is literally put the food on the table of my family.

I remember coming down here and going to the going of the tournament and how well-run they are? My dad worked great, but you know talking to him.

He's been gone now for 11 years. But even talking to him before he left he ACC you know he certainly was concerned about the spreading footprint and what that would mean for us in the city Nancy Vaughn with the seer Greensboro Mayor obviously been pretty important couple of weeks when it comes to election cycles and things of that nature.

I waltzed into to your constituents bring this issue up to your mentioned in passing a pretty regular occurrence.

You know what that is been quiet for so long but yet we are we are just honoring what he wanted and that was to not make a political issue out of it and allow them to do their evaluation and regardless what happens. I do know that the city of Greensboro is really pleased with the way we represented you said the last time we visited that when John Swofford retired, you knew that this was going to be accelerated regardless of who the new commissioner was going to be, but getting to know Jim Phillips a little bit more during this process. How has your perception. How has your opinion evolved about ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips. I really like Commissioner Philip, I think it's been very transparent. It is been nice working with him, and he mentioned from the very beginning that they were killing higher assessment of the ACC, not just the real estate governance and you don't think that the name, image and likeness happened and the athlete portal so college athletic college athletic is just changing and I think that they are trying to react to those changes, which really makes me think why put something else on your weight when you've got all of these other huge issues that you got a look at moving to now just doesn't seem to be the right time. What hurt you more if they decided to leave and specifically leave the state of North Carolina. Certainly, I would like to stay in North Carolina but I want them to stay right here in great Mayor Von joining us your Nancy Vaughn Greensboro Mayor kind of spend time with us when is your understanding that this is going to be resolved one way or another. Any minute now we we truly thought that it might be resolved. Right after the spring meeting when the chairperson presidents met on so I think it could happen in the next few weeks. Any thoughts about your Tar Heels run through the final for the damage again.

Oh, you know the kind that out about the whole men's tournament and how we didn't represent very well. Well currently in the end we did spend out about the when this gets resolved. Would love to have you back. Thanks for what you doing for the Triad. I know a lot of people are taking notice and a lot of people really care about this issue, myself included. So much for sharing your insight with us today. Thank you. Have a nice day.

There's a goes a lot to digest their from Vince Yvonne updates on ACC headquarters. Any minute now.

She says that this thing could be resolved.

What you do after a really newsworthy interview like that talking movies at the movies with Will Dalton. The other guys be in the subject out of that