{"biography":"Diana Hestor Hales is a candidate for the District\u202f05 seat on the Chatham County Board of Education in the November\u202f3\u202f2026 election. The Board of Education governs the county\u2019s public schools, setting policy, approving budgets and overseeing the superintendent, responsibilities that align with Hales\u2019s long\u2011standing focus on education and community transparency [5].\n\nBorn January\u202f20,\u202f1947, Hales has lived in Chatham County for 28\u202fyears, residing at 528\u202fWill\u202fBe\u202fLane, Siler\u202fCity. She retired from North Carolina state government after a two\u2011decade career with the Center for Geographic Information & Analysis (CGI&A) and the Department of Cultural Resources, where she worked as a communications and outreach specialist. Her spouse, Cheyney M.\u202fHales, also retired from state service in the Department of Cultural Resources [5].\n\nHales\u2019s professional background spans public\u2011sector and private\u2011sector roles. She spent 20\u202fyears in public service, including positions at the UNC\u2011Chapel Hill Graduate School of Business, UNC\u2011TV, and CGI&A within the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). She retired in 2010 after a 17\u2011year tenure as the communications and outreach specialist for CGI&A, where she led GIS workshops for local officials and K\u201112 teachers. Prior to her state\u2011government work, she held marketing, publishing, broadcasting and sales\u2011force management roles in the private sector [9].\n\nHer community involvement is extensive. Hales is a member of the Rocky River Heritage Foundation, the Chatham Conservation Partnership, the Haw River Assembly, Clean Water for North Carolina, and the North Carolina Conservation Network. She participates in Siler City\u2019s NC\u202fSTEP program, helped found the Siler City Development Organization, and has served on the county panel that evaluates nonprofit funding requests. For the past three years she has attended every Chatham County Board of Commissioners meeting, publishing concise, factual summaries and issue alerts to keep residents informed about county decisions [9].\n\nHales\u2019s campaign platform centers on three priority issues for Chatham County: (a) protecting surface and groundwater resources by opposing fracking, pursuing moratoriums, zoning buffers and securing the county\u2019s share of Jordan Lake water; (b) managing growth and infrastructure by collaborating with developers, towns and the Economic Development Corporation to plan for schools, emergency services, water\u2011wastewater systems and transportation, and updating the Comprehensive Land\u2011Use Plan; and (c) increasing government transparency by revitalizing advisory committees, restoring public\u2011meeting schedules and ensuring deliberative decision\u2011making free from partisan pre\u2011determination. These priorities are drawn from her stated platform and reflect her experience in research, communication and advocacy [5].\n\nAlthough this is Hales\u2019s first run for elected office, she argues that her career in public\u2011service communications, her work with teachers through GIS education, and her ongoing efforts to inform citizens about county governance equip her to serve effectively on the Board of Education. She emphasizes a commitment to supporting teachers, improving school funding, and ensuring that educational policy decisions are made openly and with community input.\n\n## Sources\n- [5] [Diana Hales](https://indyweek.com/news/politics/elections/diana-hales/)\n- [8] [Chatham County, NC - Diana Hales](https://chathamnc.legistar.com/PersonDetail.aspx?ID=141032&GUID=1553AF40-97AE-45A0-BBB2-ECBA5FC8B240&Search=)\n- [9] [Diana Hales to run against Brian Bock for District 3 Commissioner seat \u2013 Chatham Chatlist Highlights](http://chathamchatlist.com/2014/02/14/diana-hales-run-brian-bock-district-3-commissioner-seat/)\n- [11] [Diana Hales Archives - Chatham Journal Newspaper](https://chathamjournal.com/tag/diana-hales/)","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_school_board_district_05","county":"chatham","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Chatham County Board Of Education District 05"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Diana","fullname":"Diana Hestor Hales","lastname":"Hales","middlename":"Hestor","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_school_board_district_05","contest_title":"Chatham County Board Of Education District 05","county":"chatham","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"chatham","office_key":"county_school_board","office_title":"County School Board Member","party":"","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":"chatham","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_school_board_district_05","contest_title":"Chatham County Board Of Education District 05","county":"chatham","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"chatham","office_key":"county_school_board","office_title":"County School Board Member","party":"","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_school_board","office_title":"County School Board Member","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"summary":"Diana Hestor Hales, a retired NC state communications specialist, is running for Chatham County Board of Education District\u202f05, focusing on water protection, growth management, and government transparency.","terms":[],"token":"86eac774ba2e0670"}