New Hanover County Board of Commissioners Vice Chair Deb Hays has been named as one of 28 people selected from across the state to be part of the inaugural cohort of the Hunt State Policy Fellows Program, according to a news release.

The program aims to provide a bipartisan group of future education policymakers and aspiring state and local elected officials in North Carolina “with the resources, space and expertise needed to develop thoughtful positions on a variety of education policy issues,” according to The Hunt Institute.

The institute gathers leaders from across the state, including county commissioners, school board members, mayors, city councilors, advocates and other community leaders, stated the release.

“I am honored to be chosen as part of this important program, and look forward to engaging with leaders and advocates from across the state about education, public policy, and how we build consensus on behalf of our students,” Hays said in the release. “I hope this will help further our local efforts to enhance education in New Hanover County, and I plan to bring the things I learn back to our Board of Commissioners and Board of Education to help develop policies and strategies that benefit our schools, families and children well into the future.”