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Jurisdiction: Chatham County

University: UNC-Chapel Hill

Hometown: Asheville, NC

Ben Finch serves as a Lead for North Carolina Fellow with the Chatham County Manager’s Office, where he supports countywide performance management, strategic planning, and public access to information. During his fellowship, Ben will help redesign the County’s performance measurement and management framework by researching current practices, collaborating with departments to build organizational support, developing updated performance measures, and assisting with dashboards that can be incorporated into the annual budget process. He will also provide research, analysis, and strategic planning support for countywide initiatives and Board of Commissioners priorities, including projects requiring coordination across departments and community partners. In addition, Ben will help maintain and improve the Chatham County Information Hub by updating public-facing content, improving navigation and accessibility, developing pages for new initiatives, and communicating progress toward the County’s strategic goals. Through these projects, he is gaining hands-on experience in performance management, budgeting, policy research, strategic planning, data analysis, digital communications, project management, and cross-departmental collaboration while helping Chatham County strengthen accountability and transparency.

Ben Finch recently graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill, where he studied Political Science and Global Studies. Interests in law and governance drew Ben to Lead for NC. Outside of work, Ben enjoys learning languages, playing guitar, and staying active through soccer and golf.

September 6, 2026

 This July, the eighth cohort of Lead for North Carolina Fellows arrived at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to begin their journey into public sector careers. After…

August 24, 2026

This July four Western Carolina University graduates were chosen to serve communities across the state as Lead for North Carolina fellows. Lead for NC is a government fellowship program started…

August 24, 2026

This July, the eighth cohort of Lead for North Carolina Fellows arrived at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to begin their journey into public sector careers. After…

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