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Cohort 7

Jurisdiction: City of Marion

University: NC State

Hometown: West Jefferson, NC

Joey Vela is originally from West Jefferson, North Carolina, and is the Lead for North Carolina Fellow for the City of Marion. He graduated cum laude from NC State with majors in Political Science and City Planning and was a member of the Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity. In Raleigh, he served as a community climate intern for the City of Raleigh. Most recently, Joey worked as a research technician and policy analyst in the Location Matters Lab at NC State, where he examined spatial patterns of missing permit-level data in Clean Water Act enforcement, and how gaps in available data can lead to a lapse in regulatory monitoring, compromising the public right to know.

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Maria Cuenca-Romero is driven by a genuine desire to give back, turning her passion for public service into meaningful change for the communities she serves. After attaining a bachelor’s degree…

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