On the Porch: Theo Nollert – Leading on Policy

This Week: Graig Meyer is the Executive Director of the NC Justice Center where he will continue to "prioritize decisions and policies that make our state safer, healthier, more fair, and more prosperous". Meyer brings more than a decade of leadership in the North Carolina General Assembly, where he served in the House of Representatives beginning in 2013 and most recently in the State Senate representing Orange, Person, and Caswell Counties. Throughout his legislative career, Meyer championed strong public education, access to health care, economic opportunity for working families, and policies that strengthen communities across the state. Before entering public office, Graig spent sixteen years working in North Carolina’s public schools. A trained social worker and longtime public-school advocate, Graig has focused his public service on helping families connect to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. 

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.

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: Rebecca Sommer-Petersen was born and raised in Winston-Salem and Chapel Hill. She spent her adult years in New York and Massachusetts, where she earned 2 master's degrees from Boston University School of Theology. Rebecca has worked in a variety of church and social service settings, including early childhood, youth development, camp and conference program design, and adult services. Rebecca returned to NC in 2021 and became the Director of The Salvation Army service center in Chatham County, fitting her skills in Social Services and Ministry. She lives in Chatham County with her husband and her dog Ivy.  Julianne Kluk is a South Carolina native and proud University of South Carolina alumna who is passionate about helping others overcome difficult moments. She has worked with The Salvation Army for the past year and a half as a Case Manager Specialist, where she leads the Pathway to Success program. Through this program, Julianne supports individuals and families experiencing crisis, helping them access resources, build stability, and take meaningful steps toward a more secure and hopeful future.

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: 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. 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. James Wood is currently Professor of Latin American and modern world history at North Carolina A&T State University. He is the author of The Society of Equality: Popular Republicanism and Democracy in Santiago de Chile, 1818-1851 and the co-editor of Problems in Modern Latin American History: Sources and Interpretations, now in its fifth edition with Rowman and Littlefield. As a Fulbright scholar for Chile in 2016 he was a visiting professor at the Universidad Diego Portales in Santiago (where he observed Chilean student activism up close).

This Week: Lisa M. Fedele is a creative strategist, community advocate, and entrepreneur dedicated to building vibrant, people-centered places. With a passion for arts-driven development and innovative food concepts, she leads projects that blend culture, commerce, and community impact. Her work spans downtown revitalization, small-business incubation, and storytelling that elevates local voices. In addition to her community work, Lisa serves as Global Creative Operations Lead at Cisco Systems, where she oversees large-scale brand programs, cross-functional creative workflows, and operational strategy. She is known for bringing clarity to complex initiatives, building high-performing teams, and delivering cohesive global experiences that strengthen Cisco’s brand and customer engagement.