The Chapel Hill Carrboro City School Board narrowed down its list of candidates to replace former board member Rani Dasi to three people at its Sep. 23 meeting.
After receiving 53 applications from community members, the board went through multiple rounds of voting before landing on the three candidates: Jo Wyrick, Honoria Middough and Tongde Wu.
Jo Wyrick currently works as a substitute teacher at Ephesus Elementary and is a freelance writer. Writing under the pen name “Jo Graham,” she has published 32 novels, the most recent of which was released earlier this year. She has served in multiple leadership roles throughout the years, including as the Executive Director of EQUALITY NC from 2000 until 2003, and as the Southern Field Director of the Human Rights Campaign from 2003 to 2005. Finally she moved on to National Stonewall Democrats, ascending from Deputy Director to Executive Director in 2006. In her freelance writing work, she specializes in writing English Language Arts materials such as narrative passages and test questions. She has four daughters who are currently enrolled at CHCCS.
“It’s clear to me that the district is facing critical challenges in the next year,” she wrote in her application, explaining why she wants to serve on the board. “Redistricting is a thankless business and not everyone can be satisfied. Hard decisions have to be made with not only the current student body in mind, but the long-term picture. Simultaneously, districts across the country are facing political challenges from various groups and CHCCS is a target because of our community’s reputation as a liberal bastion in a purple state. I have no doubt as we see targeting of transgender teachers in Wake County that we will be next, and our commitment to fairness must be absolute.”
Honoria Middough is an English teacher and professor, and a political campaign manager. She worked as an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher and department chair for Durham County Schools from 2012 until 2025. As of 2023 she was serving as a member of the North Carolina Association of Educators and received a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities in 2018. In 2025 she was a campaign manager for Chapel Hill Town Council member Camille Berry, who was successfully elected to the position. Middough unsuccessfully ran for a position on the CHCCS board in 2023. Her most recent job as an educator was as an adjunct professor of English at Durham Tech. She is also the Founding Director of Foresight Creative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit “supporting community betterment and innovative endeavors.” She is the parent of a recent graduate of East Chapel Hill High School.
“Teaching and other endeavors allowed me to cultivate strong leadership skills, multi-cultural intelligence, an attuned ear to listen, and so much more,” Middough wrote in her application. “Not being elected to one of the open seats back in 2023 was probably the best thing that could have happened to me – it opened the doorway for me to use my experience as a candidate, to manage two successful campaigns for others in Durham and Chapel Hill respectively. I want to serve on the Board of Education because all of my combined experiences are unique and make me more ready to serve than I would have been then; it feels like now, I have so much more perspective to offer in handling the decisions the board faces.”
Tongde Wu is a senior nonclinical regulatory consultant and toxicologist who currently works for the Biologics Consulting Group, a multidisciplinary regulatory affairs consultancy firm. She holds a PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology, Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology and a Regulatory Affairs Certification. She is the parent of a CHCCS student at Glenwood Elementary, a member of the Glenwood PTA, and was directly involved in advocacy for the school’s Mandarin dual-language program. She is also the president of the American School of Asian Culture’s PTA. ASAC is a nonprofit educational organization offering Mandarin Chinese Language and cultural programs, running after school programs and summer camps.
“As a CHCCS parent, I have seen both the dedication of our educators and the strength of our school communities,” Wu wrote. “I have also seen how uncertainty and gaps between stated commitments and implementation can affect students, staff, and families’ trust in the district. My child participates in Mandarin dual-language education and receives Exceptional Children services, giving me direct insight into the importance of program continuity, individualized support, and careful transition planning. At the same time, I understand that a Board member must serve every student and consider the needs of the district as a whole.”
Rani Dasi left the CHCCS board in August to be sworn in as a member of the Orange County Board of Commissioners. She replaced the late Jamezetta Bedford, who died in June due to complications during surgery.
The board will interview each of the candidates Thursday night at 7 p.m. before voting to decide on its next member.
Featured images via Amazon.com, Middough for Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Board, and Biologics Consulting Group.
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