Orange County Commissioner Anna Richards was honored by The Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro with its 2023 Public-Private Partnership Award. Commissioner Richards was honored Feb. 9 during the Chamber’s 2024 Annual Meeting at The Carolina Club.
The Chamber presents the award annually to an individual whose work and community service builds bridges between the public and private sectors to the benefit of the entire community.
The Chamber’s citation for Commissioner Richards read: “This year’s Chair’s Award for Public-Private Partnership recognizes a business leader, a civil rights leader, and an elected official. But unlike a year where we might recognize more than one person, today we honor a single person who embodies all three.
“A former aerospace executive with a 40-year career at McDonnell Douglass and Boeing, our award winner retired to Chapel Hill where her leadership and people skills were honored with election to the presidency of our local chapter of the NAACP.
“Anna Richards, we choose to recognize you for your leadership and partnership, your honesty and trustworthiness, your accessibility and willingness to listen, and your commitment to improving how government runs and serves its citizens.”
Richards was originally appointed to the Board of Commissioners in September 2021 to fill the vacancy created by Mark Dorosin’s resignation. She was elected in November 2022 to complete the remaining two years of his term and did not file for re-election in 2024.
"Anna Richards has been an exceptional partner to the local business community, bridging the gap between public and private sectors,” said Aaron Nelson, President and CEO of The Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro. “Her commitment to leadership, honesty, and trustworthiness sets a remarkable standard. We are thrilled to present her with the 2023 Chair's Award for Public-Private Partnership, recognizing her outstanding contributions to our community's growth and development."