Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Relations Executive Director Retires

Published on December 24, 2025

Reflecting on Willie Ratchford’s 50-Year Legacy

Throughout Willie Ratchford’s 50-year career with the City of Charlotte, many have called him a pillar of the community and tireless advocate for community harmony. Serving as the executive director of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Relations for 27 years, Willie has built a reputation as a man of principle, strong faith and optimism. Willie’s belief that “all people, regardless of their status, should be treated with dignity and respect,” remains at the core of who he is and the work he does. 

In 1975, Willie began his tenure as an intake generalist for the Neighborhood Centers Department, and in 1980, he accepted a position as a community relations specialist. He remembers being impressed by then-director Jack L. Bullard’s willingness to defend strangers from discrimination. Willie strove to emulate Bullard’s compassion through community work that “advocated for those who may be vulnerable.” He describes his most powerful work being the opportunities to connect community members with few means to resources.  

Building bridges is essential to community relations work, and, when asked how he accomplished that with those he disagreed with, Willie shared that he approaches difficult conversations by sitting close and listening. The power of relationships when working to address community issues through dialogue is something Willie learned quickly. He found that people began to change when they got to know the person they disagreed with.

“Perhaps the most prominent barrier to effective conversations, especially as it relates to race and difference, has been a lack of relationships,” Willie said. “Getting to know each other is the key to dealing with a lot of the things you might do in human relations work. The bottom line is this work teaches you it is okay to be human with each other.”

For decades, Willie has been involved in helping to address issues of inequity, racism and discrimination. As he reflects on this work, he shared that his greatest accomplishments were moments when community members recognized the efforts being made to improve race relations in Charlotte. Willie is instrumental to that work, and in 2006, he was awarded the Nancy Susan Reynolds Award for Race Relations. Judge Rickye McKoy-Mitchell not only nominated Willie for that award, but she also shared a piece of wisdom that has remained with him — this award was not about Willie Ratchford, but about all the people who loved him and contributed to his growth and success. No one person can do this work alone, and Willie understood that serving the community well meant being just as much of a leader as a collaborator. 

This is how Willie has approached serving as executive director. He values bringing people together from all walks of life and facing issues head-on. Being invested in positive outcomes for the community, rather than being right, can create lasting change. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but Willie emphasizes that with patience and perseverance, you’ll eventually see progress. He remains passionate about the community and recognizes how important is it to stay committed to this work. 

“The work still needs our attention and still needs to be done,” Willie said. “We’ve come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.”

Willie is confident that Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Relations will continue its mission to empower, collaborate, engage and promote opportunities to create positive outcomes. His legacy is firmly built on the persistent belief that conversation and kindness can change the world. As he ends his tenure with the City of Charlotte, he does so with a nod to the community, his colleagues and friends…

 “I love you, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” 

Congratulations, Willie, on a job well done!