Guilford County Commissioner James Upchurch is relatively new to the Board of Commissioners.

He was just seated last December, however, that newness didn’t prevent him from grabbing a national appointment at a recent conference of county officials.

During the National Association of Counties (NACo) Conference in mid-July, which was held just outside of Washington, DC, Upchurch was chosen to serve on the Community, Economic, and Workforce Development steering committee.  That committee is responsible for “all matters pertaining to housing, community and economic development, public works, and workforce development including the creation of affordable housing and housing options for different populations, residential, commercial, and industrial development, and building and housing codes.”

At the Board of Commissioners Thursday, August 19 meeting, Chairman Skip Alston praised Commissioners Kay Cashion, Carolyn Coleman and Carlvena Foster – along with Upchurch – for recent appointments and awards at the state and national levels.

Cashion is extremely active outside of her local responsibilities – for years, she’s served in key positions at the state and federal level among county officials. Currently, she serves as vice chair of NACo’s Arts and Culture Commission as well as vice chair of the Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee.

 Coleman was recently honored by black commissioners across the state for her contributions to society.

 Carlvena Foster currently serves as the 2021 president of the Women of NACo.

Upchurch, in his new role, joins seven other county leaders from across the state to represent North Carolina on the committee.

Upchurch said he was very honored to serve on the committee and he said he’s looking forward to bringing new ideas in Guilford County and providing input on the national committee.

He called this an opportunity to focus on key issues that influence the economy “both locally and on a national level.”