Brenda A. Howerton, Commissioner

Phone: (919) 599-8213
E-mail: bhowerton@dconc.gov
Mailing Address:
3325 Tarleton West, Durham, NC 27713

She was elected to the Durham County Board of Commissioners in 2008 and reelected in 2012, 2016, and again in 2020. She is presently in her fourth term. On August 12, 2017, Commissioner Howerton was sworn in as President of the North Carolina Association of Counties. She is the first Durham County commissioner to be elected to a statewide senior leadership office. Her tenure as president focused on the initiative announced on her installation night "100 Counties Helping Our Children Thrive."

In October 2023, she was selected to lead GoTriangle's Board of Trustees for a one-year term, becoming the first woman and African-American to lead the regional transit agency. She previously served as Vice Chair of the board. 

Previously, she served as Vice Chair of the County Commissioners from 2012 until 2016 and as Chair from 2020 until 2023.  She also serves or have served on a number of local, state and national boards and commissions including: Durham Technical Board of Trustees, Durham Cultural & Public Arts Program, Duke Regional Hospital Board,  Duke Health Chancellor’s Community Health Advisory Board (CCHAB), Convention & Visitors Bureau Tourism Authority, Downtown Durham Inc., Chair of the City/County Planning Committee, Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, Public Health Board, Triangle J Council Center of the Region, Durham City-County Committee Member, Durham Partnership for Children, Durham History Hub, Workforce Development Board and Co-Chair Transformation in Ten Education Task Force, Criminal Justice Advisory Committee (Stepping Up Initiative). appointed by Governor Cooper to the Local Government Employees Retirement System Board of Trustees. (LGERS) and Served on the Emerging Issues Blue Ribbon Commission for early childhood financing.

Howerton was recently appointed by the President of the National Association of Counties (NACo) to serve on the Board of Directors in an at-large position from July 2022 – July 2023.  A key responsibility of board members is to be an advocate to NACo’s legislative agenda and its programs. She has also served NACo as the Chair of the Healthy Counties Initiative Advisory Board and Work Force Subcommittee for the Community, Economic and Workforce Development Steering Committee and a member of the Large Urban Caucus committee. Also appointed to the National Environmental Local Government Advisory Committee by Secretary Michael Regan, and serves as one of the founding member of Counties for a Guaranteed Income for Durham County.

She received her B.S. Degree, in Business Management, Magna Cum Laude, from Shaw University, Raleigh, North Carolina and a certification in Executive Coaching from North Carolina State University. She is the owner of The Howerton & Howerton, Inc. that specializes in organizational development and executive coaching for public and private industries. Her interest in county government stems from her education and work background. She not only has certifications in business, but also certifications from two political leadership institutions.

She was one of the first to complete the Advanced Leadership Corps offered by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Government, a course offered to municipal, and county elected leaders each year. Additionally, Commissioner Howerton completed the Local Leaders Academy (LELA). The LELA is a partnership with the School of Government at UNC-Chapel Hill, North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, and the NC League of Municipalities offer elected officials the knowledge and skills needed to lead and govern their communities.

She is the recipient of the Human Relations Commission Award for commitment to inclusion from the Durham Human Relations Commission. 

In October 2023, Chair Brenda Howerton received the Award of Outstanding Leadership from the National Organization of Black County Officials. She was recognized for her excellent career demonstrating public service leadership, strategic vision, focus, passion and grace.

She moved to Durham in 1986, is a member of Union Baptist Church, raised four children, two graduated from Durham Public Schools and she has three wonderful grandchildren.