DEDC taps new executive director

A Chapel Hill native soon will be returning home to bring new direction to the ever-changing downtown atmosphere.

Elizabeth Parham, a 1981 graduate of Chapel Hill High School, recently was selected as the executive director for the Chapel Hill Downtown Economic Development Corporation.

“It’s actually my hometown, so this was a great opportunity for me to use the skills I’ve learned over the last 20 years or so and, so to speak, bring it back home,” Parham said.

After several months of searching and accepting applications, corporation chairwoman Andrea Rohrbacher said members selected Parham because of her previous accomplishments as well as her presentation to the board of directors.

“We just very much liked her style,” Rohrbacher said.

More than 70 candidates applied for the position. Nick Didow, a UNC professor, held the position in the interim.

Parham has worked for more than 20 years on downtown revitalization. For the past 11 years she has served as the executive director of Uptown Lexington, Inc.

“We sure do hate to see her go,” said Greg Taylor, former president of the group. “She’s done an excellent job.”

During her time in Lexington, Parham helped lead the town through several major initiatives, including an award-winning public arts program, Pigs in the City.

The program is composed of a collection of colorful pig statutes located at various spots around the town.

“It’s a project that really put Lexington on the map,” Parham said.

After she begins her new job July 25, corporation members will sit down with Parham to discuss their project ideas for downtown Chapel Hill, Rohrbacher said.

But Parham said she wants to hear what locals have to say before deciding on the corporation’s priorities.

“It’s really not about my ideas,” she said. “It’s really what the community wants to see downtown.”

Parham’s credentials include executive director of Main Street Lenoir, the Uptown Sumpter Association and the Old Greensborough Preservation Society.

An alumna of UNC-Greensboro, Parham said she discovered her interest in downtown development during her college years.

A professor assigned a project that involved studying downtown buildings, and her enthusiasm grew from there.

“What I found from college on is that I really had an interest in the downtown commercial properties.”

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.