Commissioners

Dr. Jeannette M. Council was appointed to the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners in 2000 and elected in 2002. Her current term expires in December 2026. Dr. Council served four terms as the board’s vice chair and chair.

As a member of the Cape Fear Valley Hospital System Board of Trustees, Dr. Council served on the Planning Committee, Executive Committee, Compensation and Investment Committee, Nominating Committee and Diversity Practice Committee.

Dr. Council served as the Board of Commissioner liaison to the Mental Health Board, Cumberland County Action Program, Cumberland County Partnership for Children, Library Board of Trustees, Air Quality Stakeholders Commission, Transportation Advisory Committee, Criminal Justice Partnership Advisory Board, ABC Board, BRAC Regional Task Force, Mayors’ Coalition, Fayetteville/Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce and Fayetteville/Cumberland County Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors. She served on Cumberland County’s Facilities, Policy and Finance committees and was appointed to the Board of Health and Southeastern Economic Development Commission. Dr. Council served on the Board of Directors of the Mid-Carolina Council of Governments and received the M.H. “Jack” Brock Memorial Award.

Dr. Council was elected as the N. C. Association of County Commissioners District 6 and At-Large director and served on the Association’s Public Education and Human Services Steering Committees. She was appointed co-chair and chair of the NCACC’s Legislative Goals Committee. Dr. Council also served on the National Association of Counties Human Services and Education Steering Committees and as Secretary, President-Elect and President of the Women of NACo.

Dr. Council served as chair of the N. C. Association of Black County Officials’ Scholarship Committee and received the North Carolina Association of Black County Officials’ Outstanding Member of the Year Award. She was designated as an Honorary Trustee of Fayetteville Technical Community College and the Board of Trustees, and recognized by the Ft. Bragg Area Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority as one of the Top Ten Community Diamonds.

Dr. Council has been involved in various professional and civic organizations to include serving as the president of multiple educational organizations; president of the Fayetteville State University National Alumni Association; member of the FSU Foundation Board of Directors; member of the State Board of Community Colleges and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. She served on the N. C. Democratic Party Executive Committee and was a super-delegate to the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

Dr. Council attended Cumberland County Schools and graduated from E. E. Smith High School and Fayetteville State University. She received an M.S. degree from Indiana University, an Ed.S. degree from East Carolina University and an Ed.D. degree from South Carolina State University. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a fellow of the Duke University Institute of Politics.

Dr. Council’s professional career includes positions as an elementary school teacher, assistant principal, acting principal, elementary supervisor, curriculum coordinator and federal programs coordinator.

Dr. Council was married to the late Thomas Council, former president of Council Real Estate, Inc., and has a grown son, Melvin, and a grandson, Thomas Council, III.