Jurisdiction: Elizabeth City
University: Duke University
Hometown: Charlotte, NC
On where he calls home: Home is where I can communicate freely with loved ones, be they family, friends, or even myself. Preferably we are physically together but that is not always required for me to feel at home. I feel grounded in and defined by my interpersonal relations because, while I feel confident in my own identity, to feel at home is to feel that I can outwardly share myself that with others.
Recent Work Accomplishments:
Shom wrote a letter of interest to receive $2.25 million in FEMA funding. If awarded, this money would help upgrade outdated pump stations to better manage sewage and stormwater flows. He analyzed historical data to see how rainfall contributes to the overburdening of pump stations, sewage contamination of water resources, and excessive inflow at the wastewater treatment plant. He also authored a $150,000 AIA grant from NC DEQ to purchase technology and hire contractors to help identify areas in the city's aging sewer system that are in need of repair. Shom also wrote a 40-page ADA transition plan for the public and created a guidance sheet for city staff regarding ADA compliance.