Hometown Heroes

Hometown Hero: Ivette Mercado

by Jordan Beyle | March 23, 2026 | Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, Town Square | 0 Comments

This week's Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Ivette Mercado. Mercado is a full time administrator at Glenwood Elementary School and for the last 23 years she has run the after school program at Dobbins Hill Community Center, helping hundreds of kids...

Hometown Hero: Pat Richardson

by Jordan Beyle | March 16, 2026 | Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, Town Square | 0 Comments

This week's Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Pat Richardson. Richardson is the founder of the Monet Richardson Community Foundation. The MRCF is named after Pat's daughter Krissy, a hometown hero in her own right, who launched a program with the...

Hometown Hero: Carol Chandler and Cindi Ebert

by Jordan Beyle | March 9, 2026 | Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, Town Square | 0 Comments

This week's Hometown Heroes, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, are Carol Chandler and Cindi Ebert. Chandler and Ebert were both recently recognized with Chatham County's 6 Over 60 Award, honoring older adults who make their community a better place. They've both spent...

Hometown Hero: Nataliia Bondarenko

by Jordan Beyle | March 2, 2026 | Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, Town Square | 0 Comments

This week's Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Nataliia Bondarenko. Bondarenko is the outreach coordinator for the Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and East European Studies at UNC. She came here after the beginning of the war in Ukraine. In her role at...

Hometown Hero: Paul Slack

by Jordan Beyle | February 23, 2026 | Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, Town Square | 0 Comments

This week's Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Paul Slack. Slack is the chief civil rights officer for Orange County. He and his team make sure all county services are equally open and accessible for everyone and that everyone in Orange County knows...

Hometown Hero: Christy Jones

by Jordan Beyle | February 17, 2026 | Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, Town Square | 0 Comments

This week's Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Christy Jones. Jones is a member of the East Chapel Hill rotary club and Christ United Methodist Church in Southern Village. She recently brought both groups together for a meal packing event last month...

Hometown Hero: Caroline White

by Jordan Beyle | February 9, 2026 | Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, Town Square | 0 Comments

This week's Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Caroline White. White is a senior at UNC and the president of Solar Equity, a student run nonprofit that's been around for four years. Solar Equity gives solar energy access to others who might not...

Hometown Hero: Sheryl Zimmerman

by Jordan Beyle | February 2, 2026 | Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, Town Square | 0 Comments

This week's Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Sheryl Zimmerman. Zimmerman is a distinguished professor at UNC whose work is directly and indirectly helping millions of people nationwide with the Center for Excellence in Assisted Living. The center...

Hometown Hero: Kirby Saunders

by Jordan Beyle | January 26, 2026 | Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, Town Square | 0 Comments

This week's Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Kirby Saunders. Saunders is Orange County's Emergency Services Director. He and his team are responsible for coordinating the local response to winter storm Fern. That effort includes setting up locations...

Hometown Hero: Joseph Megel

by Jordan Beyle | January 19, 2026 | Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, Town Square | 0 Comments

This week's Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Joseph Megel. After 22 years teaching in UNC's department of communication, Megel is headed into retirement. He's been a beloved teacher for many UNC students, but he's best known for the Process Series,...

Emma Parry: Hometown Hero

by Staff | Sep 6, 2016 | Featured, Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint | 0 Comments

Emma Parry is this week's Hometown Hero. Emma is 14 years old. President Obama's 2012 reelection campaign was the beginning of her interest in politics. She started calling voters at age 10 as a volunteer for Obama's reelection bid. She also knocked on doors and...

Brenda Thomas: Hometown Hero

by Staff | Aug 29, 2016 | Featured, Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint | 0 Comments

Brenda Thomas is this week's Hometown Hero. Brenda and her husband Terry decided to open their home to foster children, but her history with foster children and special needs children goes way back. Brenda was a foster child as an infant. Her son was born with...

Rev. Thomas Nixon: Hometown Hero

by Staff | Aug 22, 2016 | Featured, Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint | 0 Comments

Rev. Thomas Nixon is this week's Hometown Hero. He has been the pastor of St. Paul AME Church for 12 years. Recently, the members of St. Paul celebrated Rev. Nixon's 35 years in the ministry and 30 years as a pastor. His many awards and honors include Community...

Keith Cochran: Hometown Hero

by Staff | Aug 15, 2016 | Featured, Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint | 0 Comments

Keith Cochran is this week's Hometown Hero. Keith coached Rainbow Soccer teams for 30 years before recently retiring. He started in 1986 when his oldest son was 6. He coached both of his sons and they became assistant coaches as adults. He is stepping down now...

Leanne Joyce: Hometown Hero

by Staff | Aug 9, 2016 | Featured, Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint | 0 Comments

Leanne Joyce is this week's Hometown Hero. Leanne is the Founder and President of Positive Impact for Kids. The organization strives to improve the hospital experience for children and teenagers receiving inpatient medical care in the United States. Get more...

Kevin Shields: Hometown Hero

by Staff | Jul 29, 2016 | Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint | 0 Comments

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