Kelley O'Brien, Director
Phone: 919.962.8273
Fax: 919.843.2558
Address: CB# 3330 Knapp-Sanders Building, UNC-CH, Chapel Hill, NC
27599-3330
Email: obrien@sog.unc.edu
Duties: The director is responsible for overall program management and operations of the Consortium.
Background: Kelley O’Brien joined the staff of the Consortium in 2002, when she became project director for the 2003 Civic Index, the first-ever statewide study of youth and adult civic engagement. In 2004 she was promoted to assistant director. In that role, she managed a variety of statewide activities and events that grew out of the Civic Index Community Forums. Kelley holds a B.A. in honors interdisciplinary studies from the University of Georgia and an MPA from the School of Government at UNC-Chapel Hill. Her research has been published in Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Popular Government, and the Kappa Delta Pi Record. Currently she serves on the Board of Directors for Kids Voting North Carolina.
Anita Buie, Administrative Assistant
Phone:919.843.2307 Fax: 919.843.2558
Address: CB# 3330 Knapp-Sanders Building, UNC-CH, Chapel Hill, NC
27599-3330
Email: cecstaff@sog.unc.edu
Duties: Oversees administrative functions of the Consortium.
Background: Anita Buie joined the staff of the Consortium in fall 2005. Formerly, she worked at UNC-Chapel Hill's School of Education, where she was employed for 25 years.
Christie Hinson, Project Director
Phone: 919.962.8389 Fax: 919.843.2558
Address: CB# 3330 Knapp-Sanders Building, UNC-CH, Chapel Hill, NC
27599-3330
Email: hinson@sog.unc.edu
Duties: The project director develops civic education lessons and resources, manages the development of the Consortium's web-based database of civic resources, designs and conducts professional development in schools and community organizations across the state, oversees the Consortium’s Small Grants program, and staffs the Consortium's youth advisory committee.
Background: Christie Hinson joined the Consortium in fall 2006. Prior to joining the Consortium, Christie taught 8th grade social studies in Durham Public Schools for five years; she currently holds a teaching license in Language Arts and Social Studies. Her additional experience with education includes serving as the Assistant Director for an educational non-profit operating in New York City’s Roberto Clemente Learning Center. Christie holds a BA in Theatre and English, and a minor in Cultural Studies from Virginia Tech University.
Jason Damweber, Graduate Assistant
Phone: 919.843.0664 Fax: 919.843.2558
Address: CB# 3330 Knapp-Sanders Building, UNC-CH, Chapel Hill, NC
27599-3330
Email: damweber@email.unc.edu
Duties: In his role as graduate assistant, Jason has developed a system for evaluating lessons to be posted on the Consortium’s database of civic resources. Drawing on his background in education, Jason also writes original, civics-focused lessons and manages the development of other classroom resources.
Background: Jason Damweber is a first-year student in the Master of Public Administration program at the School of Government at UNC-Chapel Hill. After graduating from the University of Virginia in 2004 with degrees in Government and Economics, he joined the ranks of Teach for America. For two year,s he taught English at a Title I high school in Halifax County, North Carolina, where he developed an interest in public policy and administration. He has also worked on a variety of civic literacy initiatives, most notably as a Research Manager for the Department of Public Policy at the University of Connecticut. Jason plans to pursue a career in local government administration.
Kate Shem, Research Assistant
Phone: 919.843.0664 Fax: 919.843.2558
Address: CB# 3330 Knapp-Sanders Building, UNC-CH, Chapel Hill, NC
27599-3330
Email: cecnews@sog.unc.edu
Duties: In her role as research assistant, Kate assists the project director in management of the Small Grants program, oversees the Consortium’s on-line newsletter and monthly e-mail alerts, compiles statistics on website use, and assists in the Consortium’s communications efforts.
Background: Kate Shem is a second-year student in the Master of Public Administration program at the School of Government at UNC-Chapel Hill. This past summer, Kate interned for Seigle Avenue Partners in Charlotte, creating an evaluation system for summer literacy programs targeting at-risk youth. Before entering graduate school, she worked for the Senate Democratic Policy Committee as the Assistant to the Staff Director in Washington. Kate graduated from Duke University with a B.A. in sociology and plans to continue her career in nonprofit management after graduation.
