BREAKING NEWS: Howerton Named Chair of Durham County Commissioners

Durham, NC – Earlier today (Dec. 7), the Durham Board of County Commissioners unanimously selected Brenda Howerton to serve as board chair for the next year. Howerton will preside over Durham County’s first-ever all-female Board of County Commissioners.

In accepting the leadership position, Howerton said, “As a history-making board, we have an opportunity to demonstrate cohesiveness about how we operate as board members with decency and respect so that we focus on the issues that matter most to our community.”

Chair Howerton, who was first elected to the Board of Commissioners in 2008, is also a former president of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners.

New Commissioners Nida Allam and Nimasheena Burns along with Chair Howerton, Commissioner Heidi Carter, and former Chair Wendy Jacobs were sworn in during separate ceremonies this morning (Dec. 7) while observing social distancing rules in place due to the pandemic. Former Board Chair Wendy Jacobs was selected as vice-chair.

In Chair Howerton’s remarks, she also shared her leadership priorities by stating, “The safety and well-being of our community during the ongoing global public health pandemic. We must mitigate the impacts of the pandemic on our local economy and remain financially sound while doing so. We must also work closely with our State Government and industry leaders (every area has been affected) to successfully get a safe vaccine to our residents. And finally, we must identify additional ways to build efficiencies in order to reduce the burdensome obligation on our residents during this economic downturn.”

She concluded, “Thank you for the opportunity to serve as chairperson. Our collaborative approach as a board and with our community partners is paramount, now more than ever, as we navigate through these uncertain times. I know the Durham community I love, will.”