CHALT Endorses Hemminger for Mayor, Buansi, Gu, Schaevitz & Stegman for Council
Today, the Chapel Hill Alliance for a Livable Town (CHALT) announced their endorsements for the November 7, 2017 Chapel Hill municipal election. They are Pam Hemminger for Mayor and Allen Buansi, Hongbin Gu, Rachel Schaevitz, and Karen Stegman for Town Council.
“CHALT’s endorsements are based on individual interviews and rigorous evaluation of candidates based on specific criteria,” said Julie McClintock, former member of the Chapel Hill Town Council and member of CHALT’s selection committee. “These criteria include a candidate’s commitment to making steady progress toward community goals; an ability to offer practical suggestions about how each goal can be addressed; listening skills, respect for dissenting views, critical thinking and personal qualities that will allow for effective collaboration with the community; and an understanding of the need for a comprehensive approach to town planning.”
Hemminger, 57, is the incumbent mayor of Chapel Hill. Since being elected, she has brought a new tone of collaboration to town hall and has achieved remarkable progress in the challenging areas of downtown parking, tech sector jobs, regional planning for water quality protection and development review.
Buansi, 30, is a civil rights attorney who was raised in Chapel Hill. He also served as the legal redress chair for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP and policy and field director for current North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein’s campaign.
Gu, 49, is a quantitative researcher at the UNC School of Medicine who has lived in Chapel Hill for 22 years. Gu serves on Chapel Hill’s Environmental Stewardship and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools District Asian American Parents Advisory Boards. She organized the Chapel Hill LIGHTUP 2017, the first town-wide celebration of the Chinese New Year, which took place at University Place.
Schaevitz, 37, is a social justice filmmaker and postdoctoral fellow in the Public Humanities program at UNC. She currently serves as the chair of the town’s task force dedicated to development of the American Legion Property, a 36-acre parcel recently purchased by Chapel Hill. She also serves as a Town of Chapel Hill Cultural Arts Commissioner.
Stegman, 48, a Chapel Hill native, is director of business development for IntraHealth International, a Chapel Hill based non-profit organization. She has also served on the Chapel Hill Housing Advisory Board and as her neighborhood’s PORCH coordinator.
“We believe that the four council candidates we’ve endorsed will bring new voices and fresh perspectives to the Chapel Hill Town Council,” said McClintock. “Along with our mayor, they will provide the strong leadership and values we should expect from those who serve in town government.”
ABOUT CHALT
The Chapel Hill Alliance for a Livable Town (CHALT) was founded in 2015 by former members of Chapel Hill town governance, UNC faculty members and other community leaders. Its goals are to apply evidence and data to maintaining high standards for development, solving traffic problems, keeping Chapel Hill’s schools strong and making the town affordable for individuals of all income levels. You can find out more at https://www.chalt.org/.