Longtime Wake County commissioner takes Western NC recovery post in Governor’s Office
The chairman of the Wake County Board of Commissioners has resigned from his post to serve in newly elected Gov. Josh Stein’s administration.
Matt Calabria served on the Board of Commissioners for 10 years, the longest of any current members, and was named the chairman in December. On Monday, he thanked his fellow commissioners, county staff and community members for his time in office, before gaveling out for the last time.
“I was offered an opportunity that I felt would utilize the knowledge and the skills that I’ve acquired in my 10 years here as a county commissioner in service to the entire state,” he said. “And I am excited about what comes next, but it certainly has been a period of reflection for me.”
On Tuesday, Stein announced that Calabria will serve as director of the governor’s recovery office for Western North Carolina.
“Supporting western North Carolina is going to be an all-hands-on-deck initiative that requires a team with diverse experiences and skill sets,” Stein said in a news release. “I am grateful to each of these leaders for prioritizing urgency, focus, transparency, and accountability as we work to rebuild the region.”
Calabria is one of six people hired for the new office, called GROW NC, to focus on the hurricane-ravaged part of the state..
There are two years left in Calabria’s term. He is a registered Democrat, meaning his replacement will be nominated by the Wake County Democratic Party and then voted on by the Wake County commissioners.
Calabria was first elected in 2014 as part of a slate of candidates, called “More With Four,” that swept the Republican majority from the board. Republicans have not held a seat on the board since.
“We’ve made so much progress, and so I just want to acknowledge what it was like 11 years ago on this board,” said Wake County Commissioner Susan Evans. “ totally different from what we have today, and he was part of a transition that was extremely important to moving the Wake County Board of Commissioners to a board that really, really focused on not being complacent, but figuring out how we best support all our residents and improve the lives of all our residents.”
This story was originally published January 3, 2025 at 2:38 PM.
