Mark-Anthony Middleton
Title: Mayor Pro Tem
Municipality: City of Durham
Position Interested In: Second Vice President
Tell us why you would like to serve in a leadership position at the League. In particular, specify goals you would like to accomplish as an officer or board member and indicate how, if attained, they will help to achieve Vision 2030 – the League’s future vision of how cities and towns will operate in 2030.
My leadership as a Board Member has been characterized by significant amounts of time working on League goals as a member of the Racial Equity Task Force, and also as a participant in our legislative goal setting. As an officer I'd like to aggressively serve as a League ambassador from Dare to Cherokee to increase participation in League initiatives and power building with a particular emphasis on diversity and smaller municipalities; and to provide continued leadership in the paramount goal of rebuilding our headquarters for generations to come. My past service and intended outreach place me on a trajectory that dramatically squares with our 2030 Operating Principles and Planning Pillars particularly when it comes to urban and rural municipalities working together for economic success and managing changing demographics.
Tell us about your experience as a municipal official. You may want to include information on your service on the municipal governing body, other related boards and special areas of interest.
I was first elected to the Durham City Council in 2017 and was reelected in 2021. I currently serve as Durham's Mayor Pro Tempore. Additionally I serve as Chair of Durham's Joint City/County Planning Commission; Chair of the Durham Crime Cabinet; Chair of the Council Legislative Committee; Chair of the Council Procedures Committee; Liaison to the Durham Arts Council and the Durham Cultural Advisory Committee. I have done extensive work in the areas of housing affordability, shared economic prosperity, police accountability, and transparency in government.
Tell us about your educational background, professional experience, and/or community or civic activities.
I am currently the Senior Pastor of the Abundant Hope Christian and the CEO of Abundant Hope Inc. I also host a popular weekend radio talk show on Choice FM 92.1 called On The Table with Mark-Anthony Middleton. After attending NYC public schools I came south to attend North Carolina A&T State University and graduated with a BA degree in Political Science. I then attended Duke University Divinity School where I served as President of the Black Seminarians Union. I am a member and past Assistant State Director of the nation's first and oldest black collegiate Greek letter fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Have You Participated in Any NCLM Events or Committees?
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CityVision Annual Conference
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Town & State Dinner or Town Hall Days
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Legislative Goals Planning Events or Process
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Regional Meetings
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Legislative Lobby Days
Please provide any other information you would like the Nominations Committee to consider.
One of the things I most appreciate about municipal level government, and by extension the work of the NCLM, is the opportunity to focus on results and tangible outcomes with little to no partisan rancor that too often characterizes our national political life. My portfolio of community and civic engagement long predates my entry into electoral politics and reflects my desire to build relationships and partnerships across diverse political, racial, and cultural lines. As a result I have established a pretty significant media footprint that I invite the nominating committee to consider by googling my name.