Commissioner Matt Hughes was appointed to the Hillsborough Board of Commissioners in 2018 and elected to his first full term in 2019. At 27 years old, he became the town’s first millennial and openly LGBTQ+ commissioner and one of its youngest commissioners ever.
Hughes is a lifelong resident of Hillsborough, attending Central, Grady Brown and New Hope elementary schools and Stanback Middle and Cedar Ridge High schools. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Hughes has worked in state government, higher education, politics, and nonprofits with a professional focus on policy, human resources, and finance and operations.
The commissioner has served on a number of local boards and commissions, including Orange County’s board of adjustment, human relations commission and partnership for young children. He also has served as the president of the Northern Orange Branch of the NAACP and as a member of the Juvenile Justice Planning Subcommittee of the Governor's Crime Commission.
Hughes is passionate about zoning reform, affordable housing, economic development and making Hillsborough a safe, affordable and enjoyable place to live, work and play.