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Cohort 7

Jurisdiction: Western Piedmont COG

University: Davidson

Hometown: Asheville, NC

Shelby Zeilender is the Lead for North Carolina Fellow for the Western Piedmont Council of Governments. Originally from Asheville, Shelby is proud to call Western North Carolina home. She graduated magna cum laude from Davidson College with a BA in Political Science and a second major in Hispanic Studies. At Davidson, Shelby received high honors for her senior thesis on gendered political communication, titled “Not Just Lip Service: The Dynamics of Appealing to Women Voters,” and was inducted into the Pi Sigma Alpha honor society for her academic achievements. Her professional experience spans youth voter mobilization, local political campaigns, and public policy research.

September 22, 2025

In Clayton, numbers show how resources support services and meet residents’ needs. Each figure in the budget provides insight into how departments operate and how programs are funded, creating a…

July 25, 2025

By Andy Bradshaw The School of Government is pleased to share the continued work of Lead for North Carolina Fellows. As the western region of the state continues to respond to the…

June 18, 2025

In August 2024, Paloma Garcia-Serrano stepped into the Foothills Regional Commission for her first day of work as a Lead for North Carolina Fellow. Lead for NC is a leadership development program…

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