Dionne Nelson is the President and CEO of Laurel Street, a leading mixed-income housing development company experienced in providing high-quality residences for working families and seniors. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Laurel Street has a development portfolio of nearly 6,000 units across the Southeast. Dionne establishes and manages the overall strategic direction, operations, and growth of the company and has more than 25 years of experience in real estate development, finance, and operations. Dionne also serves as President of LSA Management, a property management company serving Laurel Street’s development properties. LSA currently operates approximately 4,000 stabilized units.
Dionne serves on the Board of Directors for Cousins Properties (NYSE: CUZ) and the Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) and as a Director for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond – Charlotte Branch. She is also a member of the Charlotte Executive Leadership Council (CELC) and the Real Estate Executive Council (REEC). Dionne is a Trustee for the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and a member of the National Advisory Board for the ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing. She also serves on Renaissance West Community Initiative’s Advisory Board and Real Estate Committee and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Childress Klein Center for Real Estate Advisory Board.
Dionne was also named 2023 Charlotte Woman of the Year for exceptional service and exemplary leadership.
Dionne earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard University and graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in economics from Spelman College.