A version of the following article appeared in the October 12, 2026, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with local business-y news and insights for Charlotte, N.C.
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Civic and business leader blasts Observer reporter for ‘asinine questions’ over serving as advisor to McGregor’s son’s company
Civic and business leader Malcomb Coley, whose company does construction work for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, objected to being asked about his ties to Raki McGregor, the consultant and former CMS advisor at the center of investigations into CMS. (Photo from UNC Charlotte Belk College of Business.)
by Tony Mecia
One of the enduring mysteries in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools contracting investigation – and there are many – is how precisely Raki McGregor rose to a position in which he became the beneficiary of a $30,000-a-month contract paid for by taxpayers.
One answer seems to be that McGregor, a former Novant Health executive, cultivated relationships with prominent businesspeople.
But at least one of those prominent businesspeople isn’t fond of being asked about that connection.
An article in The Charlotte Observer on Saturday reported that Malcomb Coley, a civic leader who is the former managing partner of Ernst & Young and former chairman of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, bristled when asked about his relationship with McGregor. McGregor is the CMS consultant and ally of former school board chair Stephanie Sneed, and public records show he was paid $30,000 a month by a Raleigh law firm — an arrangement that helped lead to ongoing federal and state investigations into CMS finances and contracting.
The Observer article — written by one of the paper’s top young reporters, Nick Sullivan — disclosed that Coley and former Bank of America CEO Hugh McColl Jr. served as advisors to McGregor’s son’s luxury transportation company, Charlotte Immaculate.
According to the Observer:
The Observer asked Coley about his ties to the McGregor family and Charlotte Immaculate.
He declined to answer questions and criticized the reporter before hanging up.
“Tell me your parents didn’t invest in your education and waste their money so you could ask asinine questions. I want you to print that,” Coley said. “I’ll put my reputation in the community against yours any day.”
Somewhere, a public relations adviser is banging his or her head against the wall.
Coley’s unusually aggressive reply to what sounds like a fair and reasonable question caught the eye of Charlotte leaders over the weekend.
Raki McGregor’s son’s transportation company, Charlotte Immaculate, lists McGregor, Malcomb Coley and Hugh McColl Jr. as advisors. (Screen shot of Charlotte Immaculate webstie)
In addition to his service on boards including Foundation for the Carolinas, UNC Charlotte’s Belk College of Business and Queens University of Charlotte, Coley is also a member of the Charlotte Executive Leadership Council. It ran the executive-in-residence program that placed McGregor as a key adviser to CMS even as his wife’s company had contracts with CMS and Mecklenburg County. Other CELC members include the CEOs of Advocate Health, Lowe’s, Red Ventures, American Airlines, Bank of America and other big companies.
Starting in 2022, McGregor was a key advisor to CMS leadership through the executive-in-residence program.
Coley retired from Ernst & Young last year and is the managing partner of Bright Hope Capital and also the executive director of operations of R.J. Leeper Construction LLC (which Bright Hope owns).
Leeper Construction has worked with CMS for decades and is part of a joint venture that oversees the district’s school construction program, including projects funded by the $2.5B bond referendum approved in 2023.
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