On The Porch Archives - Page 2 of 17

On the Porch: Dr. Jim Crawford – June 2025 News Roundup

Posted by Aaron Johnson | Jun 29, 2025 | On The Porch

This Week:

Born into a blue collar and agricultural clan in rural Pennsylvania, Dr. Jim Crawford was the first in his family to graduate from college. Earning his PhD from the University of North Carolina, he taught US and World History at several universities in the piedmont North Carolina for several decades. He served as chairman of the Chatham County board of commissioners, and currently serves as trustee for Central Carolina Community College. He is a firm believer in American democracy and trusts that the constitution will hold firm now as it has in past crises despite the broken, distempered electorate.

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On the Porch: Melissa Driver Beard and Rebecca Hankins – Battling Food Insecurity in Chatham

Posted by Aaron Johnson | Jun 22, 2025 | On The Porch

This Week:

Melissa Driver Beard, CORA, Executive Director

Melissa has over 30 years of experience in nonprofit management, including 20 years in executive leadership. She has directed local, state, national, and international programs that advocate for basic human needs and rights. Under Melissa’s leadership, CORA has achieved over a 200% increase in income and an 88% rise in direct client services, demonstrating her ability to drive transformative growth. With a background in global advocacy, program development, and organizational capacity building, Melissa has championed solutions to food insecurity since 2009, fostering collaboration and sustainability.

Rebecca Hankins, CORA, Development and Communications Director

Rebecca brings more than 20 years of experience as a skilled fundraiser, communication strategist, and project manager. During her tenure at CORA, she spearheaded initiatives that increased fundraising revenue by 250% and expanded donor support by 50%. Rebecca is known for her creative approach to donor engagement, digital and traditional media strategies, and rebranding efforts that elevate CORA’s visibility. Her expertise lies in leveraging partnerships and technology to ensure program sustainability and community impact.

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On the Porch: Steve Rao – Asian-American Leader

Posted by Aaron Johnson | Jun 15, 2025 | On The Porch

This Week:

Steve Sandeep Rao, a native of Charleston WV, Steve serves as an At Large Council Member for the Town of Morrisville and served as Mayor Pro Tem from 2015-2017. He served as a Senior Business Development Executive at Alphanumeric Systems, a global tech company headquartered in Raleigh from January 2011 to May 2020 and now serves as Of Counsel and Adviser to State Federal Strategies, where he advises Technology Companies on State and Local Government Business Development Strategy. Council Member Rao is the longest serving Asian-American elected official in NC

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On the Porch: Cal Cunningham – Lifetime Tar Heel

Posted by Aaron Johnson | Jun 8, 2025 | On The Porch

This Week:

Cal Cunningham is founder of Cunningham Law, PLLC, where he represents clients in real estate development and complex civil litigation. He is also manager of Axiom Property Development, LLC, to deliver workforce-affordable housing in the Triangle. Through Cunningham Capital, LLC, Cal engages in venture capital investment, is a board member of Archaius, Inc. (drone technology) and a member of the Charlotte Angel Fund. Cal also currently serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army Reserve, most recently as deputy commander of a legal detachment. He is also a veteran of tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2020, Cunningham was the Democratic Nominee for United States Senate in North Carolina.

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On the Porch: Dr. Jim Crawford – Presidential Corruption

Posted by Aaron Johnson | Jun 1, 2025 | On The Porch

This Week:

Born into a blue collar and agricultural clan in rural Pennsylvania, Dr. Jim Crawford was the first in his family to graduate from college. Earning his PhD from the University of North Carolina, he taught US and World History at several universities in the piedmont North Carolina for several decades. He served as chairman of the Chatham County board of commissioners, and currently serves as trustee for Central Carolina Community College. He is a firm believer in American democracy and trusts that the constitution will hold firm now as it has in past crises despite the broken, distempered electorate.

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On the Porch: Dr. Henry McKoy – NC to DC for the Good of All

Posted by Aaron Johnson | May 25, 2025 | On The Porch

This Week:

Dr. Henry C. McKoy, Jr. is a seasoned professional in business, community and economic development, policy, government, finance, energy, philanthropy and the academic worlds. He held two Senior Presidential appointments in the administration of President Joseph Biden from 2022-2025 following a distinguished career in finance, investing, business, higher education, and public service. Dr. McKoy served as the founding Director of the U.S. Office of State and Community Energy Programs (2022-2024) at the United States Department of Energy where his team managed 28 programs totaling $16 billion in funding, investing in all 50 states, 5 U.S. territories, and Washington, DC, while touching 250 million Americans.

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On the Porch: Chatham Commissioner David Delaney – A Life of Service and Leadership

Posted by Aaron Johnson | May 18, 2025 | On The Porch

This Week:

David Delaney is a Chatham County Commissioner representing residents in District 3, which extends from Pittsboro to the Orange County line. Elected in 2022, David’s county work has focused on strategic planning, climate change, and good governance. David is a cybersecurity and privacy attorney, former senior executive with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, West Point graduate, and army veteran. He has taught national security law at Indiana University and UNC Chapel Hill, he chairs the criminal justice committee of his NAACP branch, and he is an assistant scoutmaster with a Carrboro troop.

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On the Porch: Nicole Villano and Kirsha Dudenhausen on Your Local Co-op Grocery Store

Posted by Aaron Johnson | May 11, 2025 | On The Porch

This Week:

Kirsha Dudenhausen is the General Manager of Chatham Marketplace, a food co-op in Pittsboro, NC where she’s worked since 2021. Working at The Chatham Marketplace means Kirsha can make a difference in her community by helping to provide access to fresh, local goods while supporting regional farmers and other producers. Kirsha celebrates working in a place where she shares common values with employees and customers. Kirsha and her family have lived in Pittsboro since 2018.

Nicole Villano is a Strategy and Development Manager for the National Cooperative of Grocers, a business service cooperative for retail food co-ops in the US. Prior to that she was the General Manager at Deep Roots Market in Greensboro, NC, where she still lives and works remotely. She earned an Anthropology degree from Appalachian State and is working on a Master’s in Sustainability at UNCG. Nicole also serves as Board President for Carolina Common Enterprise, a non-profit cooperative development agency. Nicole believes that food systems are unsustainable without cooperation and that local food economies are critical to our future.

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On the Porch: April News Roundup with Dr. Jim Crawford

Posted by Aaron Johnson | May 4, 2025 | On The Porch

This Week:

Born into a blue collar and agricultural clan in rural Pennsylvania, Jim Crawford was the first in his family to graduate from college. Earning his PhD from UNC, he taught US and World History at several universities in piedmont North Carolina for several decades. He served as chairman of the Chatham County board of commissioners, and currently serves as trustee for Central Carolina Community College. He is a firm believer in American democracy and trusts that the constitution will hold firm now as it has in past crises despite the broken, distempered electorate.

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On the Porch: Sen. Jay Chaudhuri on the NCGA

Posted by Aaron Johnson | Apr 27, 2025 | On The Porch

This Week:

Senator Jay Chaudhuri represents District 15 in the North Carolina Senate. He has spent his career fighting for and working on behalf of the people of North Carolina. Mr. Chaudhuri has served as Special Counsel to then Attorney General Roy Cooper and as General Counsel & Senior Policy Advisor to State Treasurer Janet Cowell. Currently, he is an attorney with the law firm Cohen Milstein in Raleigh. He is the first South Asian American to serve in the North Carolina General Assembly and was elected Senate Democratic Whip in 2019.

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