Commissioner Matt Hughes
Matt Hughes was elected to a full term in 2019 after being appointed to fill a vacant seat in 2018. He has a bachelor of arts degree in political science and a master of public administration, both from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Hughes is a 2009 graduate of Cedar Ridge High School and served as student body president in his senior year. Professionally, Hughes is a finance manager of a statewide nonprofit organization focused on voter registration and civic engagement. He is a lifelong resident of Hillsborough, and his family has lived in Hillsborough and the greater Orange County area since the 1760s. Having lived in all corners of Hillsborough, Hughes currently lives in the Waterstone area.
In his free time, Hughes enjoys being out in the community, playing with his two dogs Charlotte and Makena, visiting local history sites, and cheering for his beloved UNC Tar Heels.
Hughes represents the town in the following capacities:
- Central Pines Council of Governments Board of Delegates (alternate)
- Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau
- Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization Board (alternate)
- Hillsborough Water and Sewer Advisory Committee (rotation)
- Orange County Family Success Alliance Advisory Council
Hughes also is involved in community service through the following:
- Alliance for Historic Hillsborough, member
- Democratic National Committee, member
- Hillsborough Historic Commission, chair
- Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce, ambassador
- Juvenile Justice Planning Committee of the Governor’s Crime Commission, member
- Kidscope Advisory Council, chair
- Orange County History Museum, treasurer
- Orange County Partnership for Young Children, president
- Orange County Schools Racial Equity Task Force, member
- North Carolina Local Progress, member
- Northern Orange Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, president
