Former state official joins firm’s Raleigh office 

By Jason Thomas
[email protected] 

Nexsen Pruet announced in a news release that David Spratley has joined the firm as director of economic development. Spratley brings decades of experience to his new role with a background in economic development management and corporate finance.  

Spratley joins Nexsen Pruet in the firm’s Raleigh office from the North Carolina Department of Commerce, where he has served as the senior assistant secretary of Finance for the last three years, the release stated. During his time there, Spratley guided several economic development functions focused on business recruitment and incentives negotiations.  

“Joining Nexsen Pruet shows the evolution of my career. After 25 years in economic development, I can drive through any community in the state and see a project that I have been a part of,” said Spratley in the release. “I’m looking forward to carrying on that work with our clients at Nexsen Pruet as we continue to build North Carolina.”  

Spratley was part of the team that brought out the best three years for economic development that North Carolina has ever experienced, according to the release. As part of that work, Spratley was instrumental in bringing big names like Toyota, VinFast and Apple to the state.  

“We are thrilled to welcome David to our team. He brings a wealth of experience and a vast network of strong connections to this role,” said Tushar Chikhliker, head of Nexsen Pruet’s Economic Development Group, in the release. “David will be a tremendous asset in helping the firm leverage and grow opportunities to promote economic development throughout the Carolinas.”  

Spratley graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Earlier in his career, Spratley served in the site selection practice at KPMG in Charlotte, where he provided clients with guidance in the site selection process, business incentives and general economic development best practices.  

Prior to joining N.C. Commerce in 2019, he served as vice president of Business Recruitment at the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.