Terms of Service
Mayor: 2023-2025; 2025-2027
Town Council Member: 2015–2019; 2019-2023
Mayor Pro Tem: 2017–2019
Jessica Anderson was elected to serve as Chapel Hill’s mayor in November 2023 after serving two terms on the Chapel Hill Town Council. During that time, she served as Mayor Pro Tempore from 2017–2019, chaired the Council Committee on Economic Sustainability from 2021–2023, and represented the Town on the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness board.
Ms. Anderson is a Professor of the Practice at UNC in the Public Policy Department. Previously, she worked as a Senior Policy Analyst at the SERVE Center at UNC Greensboro where she conducted needs assessments for school districts in North Carolina, statewide program evaluations, and provided technical assistance to communities around the country working to end youth homelessness.
She holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy (concentration in social policy) from Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy and has spent her professional career immersed in education policy at the national. state and district levels.
Ms. Anderson’s prior civic engagement experience includes work in a residential facility for pregnant and parenting teens experiencing homelessness and volunteer work in mentoring and skilled nursing facilities.
Ms. Anderson lives in the Coker Hills neighborhood in Chapel Hill with her husband, Karthik, daughter, Elena, and son, Nico, as well as their dog Ollie. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, podcasts, exercising, and attending local music and cultural events.
Membership
- North Carolina Metropolitan Mayors Coalition
- US Conference of Mayors
- Mayors Innovation Project
- Climate Mayors
- Mayors Against Illegal Guns
- Orange County Mayors, Managers, & Chair
- Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership
- Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro (Non-voting)