Heidi Carter, Commissioner
Phone:  (919) 225-4268
Email: hcarter@dconc.gov
Mailing address:
31 Falling Water Drive, Durham, NC  27713   

Heidi Carter was first elected to serve as County Commissioner in 2016, and is currently serving her second term. She was most recently sworn in on December 7, 2020. Previously, she was a member of the Durham Public Schools (DPS) Board of Education from 2004-2016, where she served as Board Chair and Vice Chair, each for four years.  She has also been active on numerous community boards, including the Durham County Board of Health, Student U Board of Directors, Youth Council of the Workforce Development Board, Partnership for a Healthy Durham, YMCA Board of Directors, Mayor’s Poverty Reduction  Initiative Health Task Force, Gang Reduction Steering Committee, DPS School Health Advisory Council, NC Action for Healthy Kids, and Friends of the DPS Hub Farm.   

She currently serves on the following local, regional, and state boards and committees: 

Alliance Health Board, County Commissioner Advisory Committee and Network Development Committee

Animal Welfare Advisory Committee

Bike Pedestrian Advisory Committee

Community Child Protection Team

Community Child Fatality Prevention Team

Durham Arts Council Board

Environmental Affairs Board

Farmland Protection Advisory Board

Homeless Services Advisory Committee (HSAC), HSAC Policy and Planning committee

North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) Education Steering Committee 

Piedmont Food Processing Center

Triangle J Council of Governments

Prior to serving on the DPS Board of Education, Heidi worked as a Research Scientist in RTP, a medical assistant, and a DPS substitute teacher.  While her children were in school, she was a steady volunteer for Durham Public Schools, including PTA president and School Improvement Team leadership.

Heidi received an MPH Degree in Maternal and Child Health from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, an MS Degree in Medicinal Chemistry from UNC, and a BS Degree in Biology from Duke University.  

Heidi is married to Scott Carter, who worked as an electrical engineer at IBM for 30 years and recently retired from Lenovo.  She and Scott have lived in Durham since 1979, and they have four children, all graduates of Durham Public Schools. Besides doting on her three grandchildren, for fun, Heidi likes to read, cook, bike, run, and play the ukulele.