This day of recognition falls on February 24, 2024, and serves as an opportunity to spotlight the tireless efforts of government communicators who work diligently behind the scenes.

Meet Catherine Wright, Hillsborough’s first communications professional. She started working as a contractor for the town in 2004, part time in 2006 and full time in 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wright currently manages the Communications Division, which is now made up of three full-time employees.

Check out our Q&A with her.

What did you do before joining the town?

I worked for daily newspapers on the copy desk and as an editor before having kids. My last stint was as bureau editor for The Chapel Hill Herald when it was a daily and when it had seven reporters and multiple interns covering Orange County. After kids, I continued freelancing for newspapers and magazines, writing columns, features and real estate articles, and serving as a writer, copy editor and senior editor for aviation lifestyle magazines. I continued some of this freelance work while working part time for the town.

When did you join the town?

I started working with the town on a contract basis in 2004 to teach writing classes to employees and to write a justification that led to a grant from the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund to help build Riverwalk. In June 2006, I came on board as a very part-time employee, working flexible hours of about 5 to 10 hours a week. I’m grateful to Eric Peterson, our town manager, for introducing me to government service and for his dedication to communication and to the growth of town employees. Eric is the one who approached me about teaching writing classes, writing the Riverwalk justification and later creating newsletters and news releases for the town.

What prompted you to join the town?

I really enjoyed the time I had spent with town employees — not only through my work as editor of The Herald and through the writing courses and grant work that I did for the town, but also through a police citizens academy that my husband and I took in our early days as Hillsborough residents. The offer to work flexible and very part-time hours in and out of the office suited my life at the time with two young children at home — 4 and 1 at the time — and I liked the idea of working for my hometown. Hillsborough has always had very dedicated and fun employees for as long as I’ve lived here — about 27 years now. And it was a leader in flexible and remote work long before the pandemic.

What did you do when you first started?

When I started as an employee, I served as the public information officer and worked on producing an annual newsletter for residents and on writing news releases as needed. At that time, we produced and mailed a large newsletter of about 8 or more pages to residents. I worked at a desk on the second-floor landing of Town Hall between the town manager and assistant manager’s offices. I remember my editor at The Chapel Hill News, Mark Schultz, called to ask if it was true that I worked in an alcove off the stairs. Not exactly Harry Potter, but close.

How have you seen your position grow and change?

Over the years, more value has been placed on communications and my help and guidance were sought more frequently. I took over management of the town website, started a government access TV channel, hired two part-time temporary employees to help clean up the website and produce videos, and became part of the town’s management team — increasing officially to 20 hours a week and then 30, although I often worked beyond 40 hours when needed. One temporary employee became full time, developing our current website. We launched the town’s social media in 2014 with the help of a fellow who is now our Administrative Services director. In 2017, we hired a part-time employee who is now our senior communications specialist and took on minutes preparation and more writing, editing, social media, photography, video and graphics design work. Fast forward to just before the pandemic, and I got involved in refreshing the town’s branding and decided I was ready to go full time. Both my kids had made the switch from home schooling to traditional school and were attending Eno River Academy.

What do you do now?

I manage the Communications Division for the town, which is now made up of three full-time employees. We manage the town’s website, social media and branding; lead the annual Government 101 program; put out a monthly community newsletter; manage emergency notifications through OC Alerts for the town; write news releases; produce videos; create graphic materials like the poop fairy signs along Riverwalk; and provide editing and other support to departments for communication to the public. We’re also piloting a community engagement program in which we’ve been offering a way for the community to connect with town staff on a Saturday with childcare and Spanish interpretation provided, and we are working on launching a new town website. In addition, I’m part of the town’s operations and emergency management teams and I serve on the diversity, equity and inclusion team, which is working to create a racial equity plan for the town.

What is the most memorable event of your tenure?

The fire at Bellevue Mill. I had been in an all-day training at the UNC School of Government in Chapel Hill and was driving back into town when I saw the huge plumes of smoke. I walked into my home, and the phone started ringing. It was the town manager, informing me about the fire and about the fire chief asking for my assistance. I gathered some materials, the manager picked me up, and we spent the rest of the night on site, with me taking photos, gathering and providing information to media, setting up interviews, and writing a release for the public. The next day, firefighters took me up in the ladder truck to get photos of the site, which was still smoldering despite their continued efforts spraying it down.

What has been your favorite part of the job?

It’s challenging. Every day is different, with constant deadlines and the opportunity to keep on learning and meeting people. I’ve enjoyed meeting other community members through Government 101, our community liaisons program and other events. And I’ve loved the chance I’ve had to spend with officers in their driver and K9 training programs, with firefighters in their live burn training — thank you, Chief Cabe, for letting me suit up — and with our various crews learning about line breaks, water and wastewater treatment, and curbside collections. It’s been a great nearly 18 years.

Town of Hillsborough
PO Box 429, Hillsborough, NC 27278 | 919-732-1270

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