Heidi's Record of Accomplishments


Heidi's two topmost guiding principles for decision-making are racial equity and environmental sustainability in three interlocked areas: health, education and economic security. She works hard on the complex social challenges in these three areas every day, and the County is making progress.

In the area of health:

Heidi pushed for a Sustainability Plan to move Durham County government to 80% renewable energy sources by 2030 and 100% by 2050. She championed the construction of mixed-use, mixed income communities with over 300 units of affordable housing in downtown. Heidi is deeply engaged in creation of a food justice plan, promoting a food system that is racially, economically, and environmentally just and sustainable. She urged dedicating resources to become a “Fast Track City” to end HIV/AIDs related illnesses. Heidi advocated for funding the Eviction Diversion Program to improve housing stability, along with additional funding to better connect people who are experiencing homelessness to shelter, housing and services they need. She backed the Cure Violence model in the County’s Bull City United program to stem violent crime by treating it as a public health issue and preventing its spread. Heidi encouraged medically assisted treatment for opioid use disorder in our detention center.

In the area of education:

Heidi fights annually for increased funding for Durham Public Schools (DPS), including new school construction. She has been a longstanding champion for high quality universal pre-K, and has helped make significant strides toward this important goal. Heidi has supported better coordination across education and social service systems to more fully address childhood trauma and foster school success. She has been a leading advocate for a DPS Central Kitchen, which will transform how and what we feed Durham's children in the 40,200 school meals served each day. Heidi supported the construction of the magnificent new Downtown library, opening in the spring.

In the area of economic security:

Heidi has encouraged a robust work-force pipeline to the thousands of good jobs we are attracting to Durham. She has strongly supported the overhaul of our incentives policy for new businesses who want to locate here to ensure they contribute to our communities and not just their profits. Heidi fully endorses substantial community engagement in the creation of a new Comprehensive Plan and Transit Plan for how we want Durham to grow, develop, and move over the next 30 years.

“Heidi's two topmost guiding principles for decision-making are racial equity and environmental sustainability in three interlocked areas: health, education and economic security.”

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