About Rachel

Rachel grew up attending Delaware’s public schools. She saw from an early age the significant disparity in how resources were allocated between her urban elementary school and her suburban middle school. Same school district, worlds apart. She started asking questions early and has never stopped.

Rachel comes from a long line of educators and watched her Mom raise three kids while she was working full-time as an elementary school teacher and earning her Masters in Education, focused on family literacy. Rachel saw how the teacher’s union had her Mom’s back.

Rooted in a desire to help shape the community around her, Rachel earned a Masters in Social Work in New York City. Rachel and her wife moved to North Carolina fifteen years ago, pulled by the lure of the nation’s first public university.

Moving from “case to cause,” Rachel spends her days working with people most impacted by poorly functioning systems, community organizations, local governments, and private businesses to find and implement effective, enduring, and equitable solutions.

Guiding Values

  • Collective Impact - Together we can make a bigger, more lasting impact than we can alone or in silos.

  • Autonomy / Self-Determination - People make the best choices for their families based on the knowledge, resources, and options available.

  • Integrity - Our actions should be aligned with our values. We can build back public trust only when our actions are consistent with our words.

  • Competence - No one knows everything but we all know something. We are stronger together when our collective bodies reflect a range of skillsets and perspectives.

  • Justice - Actions we take in our political, social, and economic systems should create the conditions where everyone’s needs are met, there is equality of opportunity, and meaningful participation in decision-making for all people.

Community Participation

  • EK Powe PTA - Advocacy Chair, currently serving as Captain for Durham Public Schools Strong

  • NC PTA - Serving on Advocacy committee to enhance coordination across school districts in NC

  • National Association of Social Workers (NC Chapter) - former Board Member representing the Central District, serving on the Chapter Committee for Nominations and Leadership Identification

  • Inter-Faith Council for Social Services - Secretary, co-leading the Safe Outdoor Living committee to increase safety and community for unhoused people and change the structures creating harm

  • Bike Durham - founding member, Advocacy Chair