Jamezetta Bedford — a longtime elected official in Orange County, accountant and advocate for residents with disabilities — died on Sunday, according to her family. The Chapel Hill resident was 67 years old.
Bedford was a two-term Orange County commissioner currently elected to a District 1 seat representing Chapel Hill and Carrboro. She was poised to serve a third four-year term after winning the Democratic primary in March and previously serving 12 years on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education. Her family said she died after complications from a procedure conducted on Friday, June 19.
Orange County Commissioner Jamezetta Bedford speaks at 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro’s Forum On The Hill in the Whitted Building in October 2019. (Photo by Dakota Moyer/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
The daughter of a military member who frequently moved cities as a child, Bedford arrived to Chapel Hill from Baltimore with her husband, Ed, and daughter Shannon in 1992 — as Shannon has autism and the Bedfords wanted to go into Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and have access to key services. Jamezetta’s experience as a parent of a child with autism influenced much of her elected and volunteer work, serving as a PTA volunteer for many years before becoming Ephesus Elementary School’s PTA president. She earned election to the school board in 2003 and used the role to further champion the rights of IDD children alongside all others. She also served as the president for the Chapel Hill chapter of the Autism Society of North Carolina.
Bedford’s passion for public education carried over to when her grandchildren moved to the area and helped inspire her to run for the Orange County Board of Commissioners. After falling short in 2016, she became the president of the Democratic Women for Orange County organization before a successful run to earn a District 1 seat in 2018. As both a county commissioner and school board member, Bedford served three years as chair of the board and several years as vice chair.
As an elected official, Bedford’s attention to detail stood out — fitting for an accountant, as she earned her masters in accounting from UNC in 2004. During campaigns, the Chapel Hill resident would point to her professional experience as a bonus for navigating challenging financial situations and budget proposals. That included helping chart a path forward for Orange County’s two public school districts as they face millions of dollars in facility and infrastructure needs, with the board often helping fund beyond what the North Carolina General Assembly allocated for the districts and establishing a bond referendum in 2024 that passed to allow for the construction of several updated schools.
Having been elected in March’s Democratic primary, Bedford was slated to be on the ballot unopposed in November for her District 1 seat. With her death, North Carolina law says the seat will be vacant until the Board of Orange County Commissioners determine an appointment process. With the primary having passed, the local Democratic Party can make a recommendation to or consultation with the elected board on who to fill the seat, either temporarily through the end of the year or to fill the four-year term set to begin in January.
The Bedford family said a memorial or celebration of life service will be planned at a future date for Jamezetta. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to the Autism Society of North Carolina’s Camp Royall, which is a day- and overnight camp in Moncure that offers programs for children and adults with autism.
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