Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Ceremonial And Personnel topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Durham County honors Judge Willis P. Richard, welcomes new library director and fills multiple board vacancies
Summary
The board read a resolution honoring the late Judge Willis P. Richard, heard family remarks, introduced Dana Connors as the new county library director, and announced a slate of appointments to county boards and commissions.
Durham County commissioners used the ceremonial portion of their meeting to pay tribute to the late Judge Willis P. Richard, introduce a newly appointed county library director, and announce multiple appointments to boards and commissions.
Commissioner Wendy Jacobs read a resolution recognizing Judge Willis P. Richard’s lifetime of public service. The resolution summarized Richard’s public career — service in North Carolina’s House and Senate, on the Court of Appeals and the state Supreme Court, leadership at Campbell University’s law school, work on juvenile justice and pro bono clinics, and charitable support for the Durham County Main Library through the Willis P. and Leonia P. Richard Endowment. "He loved Durham and the library very, very much," said his daughter Jennifer Richard Ritz, who thanked the board for the tribute.
The board then introduced Dana Connors as Durham County’s newly appointed library director. Assistant County Manager Joanne Pierce presented Connors’ background, noting leadership roles in library systems in Texas and in North Carolina including Charlotte-Mecklenburg and New Hanover counties. Connors, who said she had been on the job five weeks, thanked staff and the community and praised the library workforce.
The meeting also included a run of board and commission appointments announced by county staff. Among the selections were Jenny Campbell for the Bridal Welfare Advisory Committee; Anthony Gregorio (at-large), Roger McDougall (dentist), Palacio Rhodes (optometrist), Victoria Orto (nurse) and James Miller (veterinarian) for the Board of Health; Charles Robinson Jr. for the Boxing and Wrestling Commission; Alexandria Gwyn and Kamala Uzzle to the Durham Convention Center Authority; Kayla Kils and Sarah Cunningham to the Durham County Women’s Commission; Aura Musso Clemens to the Durham Planning Commission; and Italo Medallius to the Historic Preservation Commission. Staff apologized in the readout for any mispronunciations.
The board also acknowledged interim library staff who served while the county recruited a full-time director, including Stephanie Fennell and Tammy Hall.
What happens next: The resolution serves as a formal tribute in meeting minutes and records; the library director will begin community engagement and staff transition tasks; appointees will be contacted about onboarding and start dates.
No formal public comment was recorded on these ceremonial items during the session.
