Well over a year after Hurricane Helene struck western North Carolina, many communities remain deeply engaged in recovery. While the emergency phase has passed, local governments continue to navigate long-term financial, administrative, and infrastructure challenges left by the storm. Officials are balancing day-to-day service delivery with complex grant management, rebuilding efforts, and compliance requirements that will continue for years.

The School of Government is proud to share that faculty member Whitney Afonso was elected as vice chair for the Association for Budgeting & Financial Management (ABFM). She assumed the role in January 2026.

North Carolina’s burgeoning hemp industry could face obstacles to its continued growth with the recent passage of federal legislation, set to take effect in November 2026.

Many parents support their children’s academic goals at Carolina, but few join them on the journey.

Nicole Graysmith ’94 ’99 (JD) is doing just that, pursuing a Master of Public Administration degree from the UNC School of Government alongside her son, Atticus.

What began as an offhand suggestion turned into a full-fledged family affair.

Born in Greece, Erin Mathis moved with his military family to the United States when he was 2, living on various U.S. Air Force bases until his father retired and the family settled for a while in Selma, North Carolina.

“My whole life, I considered North Carolina to be home,” Mathis said.

He fell in love with Chapel Hill as a teenager during a birthday trip to the Dean E. Smith Center for a men’s basketball game.