The City of Durham has announced the appointment of Starla Tanner as the new Director of the Community Partnerships & Engagement Department. Tanner will begin her role on December 1, according to the city’s release.
Tanner brings over 20 years of experience in public affairs, community engagement, public policy, and government relations, primarily within North Carolina. Most recently, she served as Chief Operating Officer at the New Georgia Project & Action Fund, managing multiple regional offices. Her work includes leading advocacy campaigns on issues such as maternal health, voter protection, and environmental justice.
Before her work in Georgia, Tanner held several leadership positions in North Carolina. She served as Intergovernmental Affairs Manager for Mecklenburg County, where she coordinated state and federal advocacy efforts and managed significant federal relief funding. Her work also supported the passage of a source-of-income nondiscrimination ordinance aimed at improving access to housing.
Tanner’s experience also includes her tenure as Director of Government & Community Relations at North Carolina Central University, where she launched initiatives such as the National HBCU Voting Kickoff, which increased student voter participation. She led a $5 million grassroots campaign to support local public schools, coordinating with more than 40 organizations, and developed legislative strategies for groups including the Georgia Association of Educators and the American College of Rheumatology.
City Manager Bo Ferguson outlined Tanner’s qualifications, citing her experience in strategic policy, operational leadership, and community engagement. He noted her familiarity with Durham and North Carolina communities and her role in coordinating with stakeholders to support city decision-making.
In her new role, Tanner will lead the department responsible for coordinating Durham’s engagement with residents. She noted the department’s focus on connecting residents to city decisions through inclusive and accessible approaches, including digital inclusion, language access, and ADA programs, and described its use of data to streamline communication and support citywide initiatives, as per the City of Durham.
