Ronnie L. Bryant is Founder and Lead Consultant at Ronnie L. Bryant, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in executive coaching, organizational management, and board development and training for top-level corporate and not-for-profit managers. Bryant created the company in 2017 to help executives improve their leadership skills and business acumen to operate organizations while maintaining a competitive edge in diverse, evolving domestic and global marketplaces.

Prior to forming Ronnie L. Bryant, LLC, Bryant served as President & CEO of Charlotte Regional Partnership in North Carolina, for fifteen years. Bryant and his team marketed the sixteen-county region to domestic and global companies as the premier site for expansion and relocation. He created strategic partnerships and brokered viable collaborations, which earned him a national reputation for creating and implementing effective economic development programs.

Bryant’s leadership in economic development spans thirty-five years, including executive positions at Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce (Louisiana), St. Louis Regional Chamber & Growth Association (Missouri), and Pittsburgh Regional Alliance (Pennsylvania). Bryant quickly became one of the nation’s most sought-after economic developers, piquing the interests of Charlotte business leaders, who hired him to lead Charlotte Regional Partnership in 2005.

Bryant currently serves in the Charlotte business community as a board director for American Leadership Forum, Aspire Community Capital, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, Charlotte City Club, and Johnson C. Smith University. Bryant is a national board member for The Bollinger Foundation (Washington, D.C.), The Institute for Work and the Economy (Illinois) and the International Economic Development Council. He is a former board member for The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland Pittsburgh Branch.

Additionally, Bryant is a past chairman for International Economic Development Council and a member of Southern Economic Developers Council, among other associations. He is a former dean and a faculty member for University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute, an adjunct professor for University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and serves as a Visiting Lecturer at Cornell University’s Institute for Public Affairs.

Bryant earned a B.S. in business management from Louisiana State University in Shreveport. He was a fellow at The Center for Intentional Leadership®, Center for Creative Leadership, Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, and University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute. Bryant is a recipient of the American Economic Development Council’s Robert B. Cassell Leadership Award.

Throughout his career, Bryant has garnered national recognition and top industry ranking for his leadership by Site Selection magazine, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and Charlotte Magazine. He is an acclaimed contributor to and global lecturer in economic development marketing, organizational governance, strategic management, and current trends in civic and community engagements. His first book, “Driving from the Backseat – Tips for Surviving as a Not-for-Profit CEO”, was released in April 2019.