On the Porch: Ellen Brown – Myths about Money

This Week: Tami Schwerin is a re-developer of The Plant, taking a cold-war industrial plant and creating a community hub of food, beverage and experiences. Her past experience includes founding a local food, renewable energy and cultural non-profit; Abundance NC. Before that she helped build Chatham Marketplace, a local co-op grocery store. She has served on art and environmental boards of directors. She traveled the world selling software in her younger years and renovated several old broken-down houses. Tami loves a challenge and creating a world that she wants to live in. She grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina and loves the south and Pittsboro.  Kyle Shipp serves as the Mayor of Pittsboro, North Carolina, where he focuses on responsible growth, infrastructure, and transparent governance. He previously served as a Town Commissioner and Planning Board member. In his full-time role, Kyle works as an engineer in the data center industry, specializing in industrial control systems. He also serves as Board Chair of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Carolina, supporting youth development across the region. With a background in engineering and a passion for community service, Kyle works to ensure Pittsboro grows in a way that reflects its values and long-term vision.

This Week: Adam Edelen is a dynamic leader with a demonstrated record of success in both the private and public sectors. As founder and CEO of Edelen Renewables, he has garnered significant attention for forming partnerships to pioneer coal-to-solar projects and other green energy developments in struggling energy communities. His firm’s unique Social Impact Solar® approach reflects a deep commitment to economic revitalization and environmental sustainability.

This Week: Travel was John Foley's first passion so a career in the airline industry was natural. The smiles on the faces of the people he met while circling the globe shaped the person he is today. After studying medicine and graduating from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science degree, Foley began a 20-year career as a kidney dialysis technician. He even donated a kidney to a patient he was treating in Durham NC. In his latest chapter, Foley is a realtor and and town commissioner leading Pittsboro NC forward during a time of remarkable change.

This Week: Rebecca Dickenson is President & CEO of The Chatham Chamber, where she is leading a bold new chapter focused on business growth, regional collaboration, and strategic advocacy. With a strong background in chamber leadership and a track record of building high-impact partnerships, Rebecca works to connect local businesses with the opportunities, resources, and relationships they need to succeed. A UNC-Chapel Hill graduate and lifelong North Carolinian, she brings a values-driven, results-oriented approach to advancing Chatham County’s role in the Triangle’s dynamic economic landscape.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

This Week: Frank White is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and a Rhodes Scholar. He earned an M.Phil. in Politics from Oxford University. Frank’s book, The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution, is considered by many to be a seminal work in the field of space studies. He has authored or co-authored additional books on a wide range of topics, including SETI, AI, and climate change. Frank is also co-executive editor of Sentient Media, LLC, President and Board Chair of the Human Space Program, and a Professor at Kepler Space University.