School of Government mourns passing of former adjunct faculty member Leslie Anderson

The UNC School of Government is saddened to share the recent passing of adjunct faculty member Leslie Anderson at the age of 74. A long-time friend of the School and an instructor for the School’s Center for Public Leadership and Governance (CPLG), Anderson led several courses for elected officials and facilitated board retreats for local governments across the state.  

She first joined the School in 1998, tasked with helping develop a presence for the School in civic education and engagement. Anderson was involved in developing the Carolina K-12 program—formerly the NC Civic Education Consortium—which works to extend the resources of the University System to North Carolina’s K-12 educators. She also contributed to the School's work in community economic development.

In western North Carolina, she was widely regarded as a dedicated public servant and civic leader. Anderson worked for the City of Asheville for more than 20 years, and in 1986 was named the first director of the City Downtown Development Office, helping to kick off the highly successful, decades-long revitalization of Asheville.

Read Anderson’s full obituary and learn more about her legacy of civic service to the state.