Meet Ivy Taylor, the University’s local relations director

A decade ago, Ivy Taylor was Mayor Taylor, serving three years as San Antonio’s top elected official. Now the Carolina alum is back in Chapel Hill, serving as professor of the practice in public leadership at the School of Government and the University’s director of local relations.

The Well spoke with Taylor about her return to Carolina and her plans for strengthening the relationship between the University and its neighbors.

Tell us about your journey and how you came back to Chapel Hill.

I was born and raised in New York, but my parents are from Wilmington, so I have North Carolina roots and visited throughout my childhood. I’m a first-generation college graduate. After graduation from Yale University, I realized I needed to start back at square one. I grabbed a college catalog and stumbled upon urban planning, which combined my interests in history, housing and communities. I decided to get my master’s degree in city planning, and Carolina had one of the best planning programs in the nation.

I applied, was accepted and received a Weiss Urban Livability Fellowship from The Graduate School. After graduation, I moved to San Antonio, where I had done an internship and met my husband. I worked for the city and an affordable housing nonprofit organization and later taught at University of Texas at San Antonio while serving as a member of the city council. After five years on city council, I unexpectedly became mayor. Upon leaving city hall, I received my Doctor of Education in higher education and then served as president of Rust College in Mississippi for three years. I was thrilled when the opportunity to serve as a senior adviser to UNC President Hans came my way. This past spring, Chancellor Roberts asked if I would take on the role of director of local relations, which I happily accepted.

What are your top priorities in your first year in this role?

Establishing relationships, letting people know that I’m a resource and getting to know the community leaders are all priorities. Another key focus for me is supporting efforts to strengthen downtown Chapel Hill and the revitalization of Franklin Street.

Affordable housing is another big issue, especially as the University is planning for growth in the coming years and our region is growing as well. I want to build these relationships so we can manage the impacts of that growth together.

How have your previous experiences prepared you for this role?

It’s really three-fold. First, I’ve had the experience of being a student here and can draw on that. Second, I understand the perspectives of local policymakers and elected officials and the things that they have to deal with on a daily basis, from public safety to traffic to waste management. I can also understand their concerns dealing with a partner as big as UNC-Chapel Hill, where every move we make, whether it’s growing enrollment or hosting a sporting event, impacts daily life. Last, I’ve led a campus in a smaller community but certainly had experience with making connections to encourage economic development and growth in the town.

What are the biggest opportunities and challenges in strengthening University-community ties?

Many people point to Chapel Hill Transit as one of the best examples of that partnership. It’s had a great impact on so many people’s lives and there is a huge opportunity to continue to improve it through bus rapid transit.

As for challenges, sometimes what’s happening at the national level in government can make it more difficult to solve local problems. But just as when I was a nonpartisan mayor of a big city, I’ll remain focused on what our local issues are and finding what our common interests are to solve our community’s challenges.