On the Porch: Lisa Sorg – Environmental News

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: Walt McRee has held leadership roles with PBI and the public banking movement since its earliest years. In addition to serving as Chair and President (2015-2017), Board Director, and Senior Advisor, Walt has been centrally involved as co-founder and director of other public banking initiatives including the Pennsylvania Project and Banking On New Jersey. Following an extensive national media career, Walt created, produced and co-hosted radio and TV programs for public banking including, “It’s Our Money with Ellen Brown” on the Progressive Radio Network as well as “Public Bank Solution” TV series. Following his initial period as PBI Chair, Walt founded Public Banking Associates, a national consultancy of public banking experts helping legislators and policy professionals address creation of their own public banks. Walt has also held founding leadership positions in other public interest issues including world hunger, the environment, public broadcasting and the arts. He holds a BA in Philosophy and Geography from Valparaiso University.

This Week: Nida Allam is a Canadian-American politician, political activist, and data analyst. She grew up in NC's 4th congressional district, the daughter of Indian and Pakistani immigrants. She attended North Carolina public schools and then NC State University, where she led a campaign to partner with local healthcare workers to provide free healthcare to low-income community members. Allam is currently the vice-chair of the Durham County Board of Commissioners, to which she was elected in 2020, making her the first Muslim woman to serve in public office in North Carolina. 

This Week: Sheriff Mike Roberson has been Chatham County Sheriff for 10 years and recently announced his bid for election as a County Commissioner in 2026. A dedicated law enforcement officer who promoted integrity, teamwork, and community involvement by supporting local businesses, churches, and community events, Roberson has training and experience in public safety, crisis response (including group crisis intervention), terrorism response, protecting and serving children, leadership and supervision, communication, diversity (including organizing against racism) and responding to medical emergencies. As a lifelong resident of Chatham County he is passionate about serving his community and is married to his high school sweetheart.

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: After three decades of work in global public health, Cindy Waszak Geary (Hillside Class of ’73) turned to creative non-fiction writing, weaving together personal experience with social and cultural histories. Her first book, Going to School in Black and White, co-authored with LaHoma Smith Romocki, describes how they as two teenage girls—one black, one white—each were altered by a court-ordered desegregation plan for Durham, NC in 1970. She recently published a second book, also a memoir, Ancestral Landscapes. A graduate of UNC-CH, she has continued to live in Chapel Hill most of her adult life, and now also spends part of her time in the mountains of western NC, where she has deep ancestral roots. She is the mother of Emily and Max and the grandmother of Daisy. LaHoma Romocki has held senior leadership global health positions with extensive field experience in sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Romocki has an undergraduate degree from Duke University, both masters and PHD from UNC-CH. She is a Professor and former Chair of the Department of Public Health Education at NCCU. Romocki is working to build the capacity of the next generation of the public health workforce and health care administrators. She has led study abroad programs and advises students interested in pursuing careers in the health. She is a resident of Granville County and is active in many organizations throughout the community.

This Week: A Triangle native, Kristine Sloan brings a deep commitment to justice, interdependence, and authenticity into all of her work. She’s an entrepreneur, executive leader, facilitator and strategist. As the Executive Director of Leadership Triangle, Kristine works to connect local leaders to their values, purpose and vision, in service of greater regional collaboration and impact. Prior to Leadership Triangle, Kristine was the CEO of StartingBloc, supporting 3200+ social entrepreneurs and activists as they made significant social change. Earlier in her career, Kristine led a multimillion dollar grant project in Burundi for All Across Africa, designed cross-cultural programming for NC State University, worked on water advocacy rights with indigenous populations in South India and co-founded a social enterprise in West Africa.

This Week: Rhonda Jean is the founder of Nearby Nearby, a local discovery platform built specifically for rural communities. After struggling to find accurate, up-to-date information when she moved to Pittsboro, North Carolina, Rhonda began building tools that make it easier to discover nearby businesses, events, parks, trails, and community resources all in one place. Nearby Nearby shows results based on what’s actually nearby, using location and community-verified information rather than paid ads. Rhonda is a rural innovator and community advocate focused on strengthening local economies, civic pride, and community resilience through better access to local information.

This Week: Jordan Jones is a musician, educator, and business strategist from Durham, NC. Throughout his career, he has worked as a performing musician, studio engineer, and educator. He has played with many groups including the US Army National Guard, Royal Jelly, and Liquid Pleasure. Recently he marched in the 2026 Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena,CA. He now focuses on helping creative spaces and entrepreneurs develop sustainable revenue models around their work. Outside of his professional work, Jordan enjoys bowling, fishing, painting, and spending time with his family.