Betty Doster, Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Constituent Relations, discusses the events of April 30th 2019 and her role in coordinating elected and public officials. Ms. Doster was attending a legislative session in Raleigh when she received news of the shootings on campus. After speaking with Charlotte's City Manager and Mayor Vi Lyles, Ms. Doster drove back to Charlotte where she began coordinating various public officials' visits to campus. After an internal briefing that evening, the Chancellor and Ms. Doster went to the Town Center Plaza shopping mall parking lot across University City Boulevard from campus to address families. Over the next twenty-four hours, Ms. Doster managed communications between UNC Charlotte and elected officials, and managed those who wanted to attend the vigil on May 1st. She notes the outpouring of respect, goodwill and affection for the University shown by public officials, many of who planned to participate in the April 30th 2020 Remembrance Day events. Ms. Doster concludes by praising Chancellor Dubois' leadership and noting that Mayor Lyles presented Chancellor Dubois the Harvey Gantt Award for his fifteen years of service with the University, but also for his leadership in Charlotte's darkest time.
