Orange County: Volunteers for County Boards, Broadband, and National Conference

This Week: Rachael Newberry has deep experience leading innovation programs and technology-based economic development initiatives in partnership with organizations like RIoT, NC IDEA, and municipal government leaders. Rachael launched the RIoT Accelerator Program in 2018, leading growth to six locations and advising 160+ startups that have created 500+ jobs and generated more than $150 Million in revenue. Rachael also acts as a liaison between public and private sector partners to spur collaboration in the smart cities space and support entrepreneurial ecosystem development. Previously, Rachael built and ran a behavioral science-focused startup program at Duke University (though she is a proud UNC alum), where her work was featured at Google and in Forbes and Inc. Magazine.

This Week: Chef Arlena Strode is a culinary education expert and the founder of the Children's Culinary Institute. With a passion for nurturing young talents, she established the institute to inspire children to explore the art of cooking. Her award-winning curriculum is taught in over a dozen places worldwide, and she is the author of five amazing children's biographies about chefs in history who changed our culinary world. Chef Arlena's innovative approach combines interactive, hands-on experiences with a strong emphasis on education and creativity. Under her leadership, the institute continues to cultivate the next generation of chefs and food enthusiasts.

This Week: Valerie Foushee is a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing North Carolina's 4th Congressional District. She assumed office in January 2023 after serving nearly a decade in the North Carolina General Assembly. In the 119th Congress, Rep. Foushee holds several key positions including Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics (Committee on Science, Space, and Technology), and Co-Chair of the House Democratic Commission on AI and the Innovation Economy. Recently her key areas of legislative focus and advocacy have been Immigration, Environment and Healthcare, Accountability, and Campaign Finance

This Week: NC Sen. Natalie Murdock is a native North Carolinian, UNC alum, and senate representative for District 20, which encompasses Durham and Chatham County. She served as Deputy Communications Director for NC Attorney General Josh Stein. She is the first woman of color under 40 to be elected to the NCGA and was elected in 2020 with over 100,000 votes. As a freshman senator she immediately filed over 100 bills that range from supporting black maternal health, expanding healthcare access for ALL to providing greater access to the ballot.

This Week: Beth Bronson is a 2026 candidate for County Commissioner of Orange County NC, in District 2. An Orange County native and UNC alum, Beth and her partner Dale, bought their first home in 2020 and rehabilitated their vernacular brick ranch into their forever home in the Mebane/Cheeks area. She has come up in both the local service industry and as a clinical researcher at one of the area’s top research hospitals. After working to ensure over-development did not change her neighborhood, she applied to multiple advisory boards, with current appointments on both the Planning Board and Board of Adjustments for Orange County.

Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Renee Price spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, August 10.  She discussed rural broadband, fiber optic lines in Hillsborough, and the end of the statewide COVID state of emergency.

The Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau hosted an Open House at their Franklin Street Visitor Center to celebrate the annual $187 million tourism industry in Orange County. The agency is a division of Orange County.

Orange County is celebrating Black History Month by remembering the history of segregated schoolhouses, and the achievements of African-American students who attended them.