On Monday night in Hillsborough, the Orange County Board of Commissioners formalized big changes in leadership.

The board commended three former elected officials for their service: County Commissioner Alice Gordon, Register of Deeds Deborah Brooks and Sheriff Lindy Pendergrass.

“Whereas Commissioner Gordon has proven to be a dedicated and effective public servant who, as she said on the campaign trail, ‘does her homework’ including combing through every agenda item with keen focus on detail,” said Commissioner Barry Jacobs, reading an official resolution.

After 24 years in office, Alice Gordon chose not to run for reelection. While on the board, Gordon prioritized education and environmental stewardship. In a speech at Monday’s meeting, Gordon gave special emphasis to global climate change.

“I hope the county will do everything possible to address this challenge,” Gordon said. “As a matter of fact, it’s not only the greatest environmental issue, it’s the greatest issue that we probably face in Orange County, the United States and across the world.”

After 39 years of working in the Register of Deeds office, Deborah Brooks was elected as the official Register of Deeds in 2010.

“Whereas Register Brooks truly represents starting at the bottom and working to the top,” read Commissioner Earl McKee.

Former Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton defeated Brooks for this position in November. Brooks was the first Orange County Register of Deeds to issue same-sex marriage licenses.

And Sheriff Lindy Pendergrass chose not to run for reelection after serving as sheriff of Orange County for 32 years. He also served as a Chapel Hill police officer.

“Whereas Sheriff Pendergrass joined the Chapel Hill Police Department in 1957, and Sheriff Pendergrass has served the people of Orange County in a law enforcement capacity for 57 years,” read  Commissioner Renee Price.

Charles Blackwood is Orange County’s new sheriff. Blackwood served as Major of Operations under Pendergrass.

Barry Jacobs and Earl McKee were officially sworn in to office. Jacobs, the former chair, had to move over from the center seat. Members selected McKee as the new chair of the board. Members voted in Bernadette Pelissier to replace McKee as the vice chair.

McKee talked about the sluggish pace of progress to compensate residents in the historically black, low-to-moderate-income Rogers Road neighborhood in Chapel Hill. This is the site of the county’s landfill for 40 years before the landfill closed in 2013.

“I would like to say that even though it seems like we’re moving like a heard of turtles, we are moving,” said McKee.

Mia Burroughs, who took Gordon’s seat on the Orange County Board of Commissioners after being sworn in, made her first vote on the board concerning a request that paves the way for sewer services in the Rogers Road neighborhood.

“It feels as though I’ve cheated really because there are those of you who have been working on this for decades,” said Burrroughs. “I just want to let you know that I’m delighted to be able to support this when the time comes to vote on it.”

The board voted unanimously to approve Chapel Hill’s request to extend its extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) to include 1,000 additional acres. This area contains part of the Rogers Road neighborhood. The approval allows Chapel Hill to contribute funds to sewer services in the neighborhood.