Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio named Charlotte Businesswoman of the Year

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - For more than 30 years, Queen’s University has recognized female leaders who make significant contributions to the business community in Charlotte. Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio was honored as Charlotte Businesswoman of the Year for the year of 2020.

As county manager, Diorio leads the state’s largest county. She oversees roughly 6,000 employees and an annual operating budget of $1.9 Billion.

Dioro has been county manager for seven years. She is the first female to hold the position in Mecklenburg County.

Diorio was selected as Charlotte Businesswoman of the Year, in part, because of her leadership during the pandemic.

“It’s a hard job being the county manager and you just have to take each day as it comes because you never know what will come your way. And just being nimble, and able to pivot. Which is what we’ve had to do with COVID because we never knew what was going to happen. And that’s what makes the job exciting and fun, but also makes it incredibly challenging,” Diorio told WBTV before the ceremony.

In her remarks, she thanked the employees of Mecklenburg County. She says the award is just as much theirs as it is hers.