Members of the Chapel Hill Town Council come from many walks of life.
They come from all parts of the country, and hold various daytime jobs ranging from dentist to caterer.
And their diverse backgrounds come into play when they make decisions about the town’s future.
Councilwoman Laurin Easthom grew up in Roanoke, Va., and she said her family has always been active in politics. Her grandfather was the mayor of Greensboro, she said.
She practices dentistry part-time and previously worked as a vocational rehabilitation counselor.
Easthom said her work as a counselor made her more aware of how the job market functions.
She said each member of the council has a specific issue that they pursue.
For Easthom, that issue is technology.
She has pushed the town to keeps its website up-to-date and often advocates for a system that would eliminate the need for wireless routers.
Sally Greene grew up in Gilmer, Texas. Her family has owned the town newspaper for four generations, which she said taught her the importance of being involved in local events.
Greene moved to Chapel Hill in 1987 to pursue a Ph.D. in English at UNC.
She said she became interested in joining the town council after serving on a town planning board.
“I saw how individuals could make a difference in the town government,” she said.
Greene said she admired Chapel Hill’s attention to development and the environment.
She is the associate director of the Center for the Study of the American South at the University.
Donna Bell was born in New York City, but she grew up in New Bern and Bayboro. After earning an English degree from UNC in 1994, she moved back to New York and later lived in California.
Bell returned to North Carolina in 2001 to be close to her family. She said she chose Chapel Hill because it combines the best of both city and small town life.
“I grew up where people kept an eye on each other,” she said. “I want to do my part to look out for Chapel Hill.”
She now works as an adjunct associate professor at Elon University.
Penny Rich is also a native New Yorker. She has also lived in Fort Lauderdale and New Orleans before relocating to Chapel Hill in 1998 because of her husband’s job. She now works as a caterer.
“New York is such a crazy place to live,” she said, “Life was never boring for me.”
She said she served on the Orange Water and Sewer Authority committee for six years and was the organization’s vice-chair for one term.
Rich said the poor water quality in New Orleans attracted her to the issue of clean water.
“I just couldn’t see not being involved,” she said.
Other council members come from diverse backgrounds as well.
Mayor Pro Tem Jim Ward grew up in Wilmington, Del., but he has also lived in Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York and Iowa.
He works as a curator at the North Carolina Botanical Garden for the past 29 years.
Gene Pease attended the University of Southern California and the University of Cincinnati before coming to Chapel Hill. He is president, CEO and a board member of Capital Analytics Inc., an investment company.
Ed Harrison earned a master’s degree in environmental studies from Duke University in 1976. He was the first person to be elected to the council from a section of Durham County that was annexed by Chapel Hill in the late 1960s.
He has worked as a consultant for environmental issues for many years.
But Greene and Rich said they would like to see the council welcome more diversity. Bell is the only African-American on the council, and the Asian population is unrepresented.
Rich said younger residents might also feel underrepresented because there are no council members under age 40.
She said she hopes the council would be open to more diversity.
“The diversity is needed, but it has to be respected,” Rich said.
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