Position/philosophy statement
My governing philosophy emphasizes practical solutions, fair representation, responsible growth, and a transparent, responsive county government.
Current Occupation
Owner/Operator Beeman Electric Company
Age (optional)
46
Campaign Phone
9199036386
I bring a combination of public service, private-sector, and hands-on experience to this role. I have served eight years on the Orange County Planning Board, working on land use, growth, and infrastructure issues. As a small business owner in the trades, I regularly interact with county Building and Inspections and understand how permitting and regulations affect residents and businesses. This experience gives me insight into how county policies are developed and how they function in practice, allowing me to approach decisions with a focus on practicality, fairness, and long-term planning.
Affordability will be the most important issue facing the County Commission over the next two years. Addressing affordability requires a coordinated approach that connects housing, infrastructure, and economic development. Expanding wastewater treatment capacity is critical to supporting responsible growth, increasing housing options, and allowing businesses to locate and expand without overburdening residential taxpayers. Without adequate infrastructure, costs continue to rise and opportunities are limited. Thoughtful, long-term planning will be essential to ensuring Orange County remains accessible and livable for all residents.
The County Commission can most effectively support local schools by aligning education funding with workforce and economic development needs. Expanding Career and Technical Education through investments in facilities, equipment, and partnerships with community colleges and local employers helps students gain practical, in-demand skills. These programs improve graduation outcomes, support local businesses, and contribute to long-term affordability by connecting education, employment, and community stability.
Improving the local economy requires a coordinated approach that links workforce development, infrastructure investment, and responsible growth. I support expanding Career and Technical Education to ensure local employers have access to a skilled workforce. I also support investing in core infrastructure, including wastewater expansion, to allow businesses to locate and grow while supporting housing development. Encouraging economic development that broadens the tax base helps reduce pressure on residential taxpayers and strengthens long-term stability. County policies should focus on practical planning, public-private partnerships, and removing unnecessary barriers to sustainable growth.
Improving the quantity and quality of social services requires coordination, accessibility, and long-term planning. I support strengthening partnerships between the county, nonprofit providers, and community organizations to improve housing stability, mental health services, and support for seniors and vulnerable residents. Effective social services help people remain housed, healthy, and able to participate in the workforce, which supports economic stability and affordability. County policies should focus on making services easier to navigate, using data to measure outcomes, and directing funding toward programs that demonstrate effectiveness and accountability.
I am running for County Commission because I believe local government works best when it is practical, fair, and focused on long-term outcomes. My experience on the Orange County Planning Board and as a small business owner in the trades has given me a clear understanding of how county decisions affect residents, workers, and businesses in real life. I believe addressing affordability requires coordinated planning around workforce development, infrastructure investment, and responsible growth. Expanding Career and Technical Education, strengthening core infrastructure like wastewater systems, and ensuring county government is accessible and responsive are key to maintaining quality of life. I am committed to thoughtful decision-making, transparency, and serving the entire county with balance and respect.
Position/philosophy statement
I'm running to build a more affordable, resilient, and caring Orange County. My record reflects a willingness to listen, to lead with my values, to center our most vulnerable residents.
Current Occupation
Non-profit Consultant
Age (optional)
56
Campaign Phone
9198245197
This is a challenging time, which means that we need experienced officials in local government who can provide steady leadership, make tough decisions, and make progress for their residents. I am a known and proven public servant with the experience to make an immediate impact in office, having recently completed eight years of service on the Chapel Hill Town Council. During that time, I played a crucial role in increasing affordable housing; championing greater housing variety and density; strengthening transit systems; mitigating the impacts of climate change; streamlining the development review process; and expanding economic development. I was also born and raised in Orange County, built my career here, and am raising my family here.
As Orange County grows, we cannot allow rising housing costs to displace low- and middle-income families or for development to negatively impact rural areas. I will support expanding housing choices within our towns while protecting natural areas and critical farmland, preventing county-wide sprawl, maximizing transit investments, and mitigating climate crisis impact. I will do this by:
● Increasing affordable, low barrier, and “missing middle” housing options in strategic locations.
● Leveraging County-owned land, such as former school properties, to reduce the cost of new affordable housing construction
● Ensuring plans for new housing include current or future transit access.
The state legislature is stressing our schools to the breaking point, by allowing NC public schools to fall to last place in per-pupil funding, and funneling more and more of our tax dollars to private, unregulated schools through vouchers. Because of this, teachers and staff remain underpaid, and, as a result, are leaving the profession at higher rates than ever before. At the same time, our school enrollment is trending downward which is likely to lead to closure of one or more schools over the next several years. As part of this important community discussion, I will strongly advocate that we explore re-use of those school sites for the development of affordable housing for schools staff to attract and retain the best to our districts.
We need a more robust county-wide economic development strategy that achieves the following: a balanced tax base so that we don't overly rely on residential property taxes to fund our services; adds new living wage jobs for residents; and preserves the culture of Orange County. This means renewing our economic development strategy to maximize the county’s economic development districts and recognizing that protecting our farmland is not only good land use policy, but also that agriculture is another important driver of Orange County’s economy. The county is also missing out on the opportunity to participate in the innovation economy that is available due to proximity to UNC, other Triangle universities, Durham Tech and RTP.
I'll be a vocal advocate for the future Orange County Crisis Diversion Center. This facility’s purpose is to divert individuals in behavioral health crises from the criminal justice system and hospital emergency departments. It is desperately needed in our community (has been in planning for the past 6 years). Once completed, it will provide behavioral health urgent care, short-term in-patient care, peer support, and resources and referrals. This will allow folks to receive the specific care they need during crises, rather than becoming entangled in the criminal justice system or an overburdened healthcare system. The County has been doing a stellar job building a best practice continuum of crisis care, and this center is a key piece of it.
Now more than ever, we need a unifying county-wide vision - one that is steeped in our shared values and grounded in affordability, equity, and a commitment to community. My vision includes creating more access to housing, protecting our farmland and natural resources, investing in quality public schools, updating our economic development strategy, fixing our property tax valuation approach, and providing a robust social safety net that is available whenever & wherever it is needed.
It will take a lot of work to achieve that vision. But I believe we can do it if we work together. We need a County Commission that collaborates and brings us together. I hear too often that the BOCC is the government for “the rest of the county”, and I hear about the divides between Northern Orange and Southern Orange. We can’t afford to think like that. I will work to bring us all together, to open communication and collaboration across governments and constituencies and to lead with our common goals.
