Skip to content

Walker Harrison

Cohort 1

Jurisdiction: Spindale

University: UNC-Chapel Hill

Hometown: Carrboro, NC

Biography

Walker Harrison served as a fellow for the Town of Spindale, where he conducted a large ordinance overhaul project by conducting extensive research and consolidating information to inform updated Town ordinances. He also helped plan the grand opening of Spindale’s Thermal Belt Rail Trail and was invited to speak to state legislative staff members about his work on walkability and business vitality in Spindale. Additionally, he contributed to a project that spatially referenced all tax-delinquent properties in the Town, providing a visual representation of property tax data.

Before LFNC

Harrison earned a bachelor’s degree in geography from UNC-Chapel Hill, with a concentration on environmental systems and geospatial analysis. As an undergraduate, he received multiple awards for innovative use of geospatial (GIS) analysis in his research. He also completed a minor in German at Universität Mannheim in Germany. While at Carolina, Harrison worked as a science educator and mascot at Morehead Planetarium and as a research assistant at UNC’s Highway Safety Research Center.

News

September 22, 2025
An Educational Fellowship Shares Clayton’s Story through Numbers

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…

News

July 25, 2025
Placement of Lead for NC Fellows in western NC aims to support Helene recovery

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…

News

June 18, 2025
From Student to Public Servant

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…

Join a New Generation of Public Service Leaders

North Carolina communities are ready for you.

Get started
AmeriCorps

Knapp-Sanders Building
Campus Box 3330
UNC-Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3330

© 2024 Lead for North Carolina. All rights reserved.