Background

Born in Rochester, New York, Renée was raised in a family and environment that valued education, the arts, equality, civil rights, and justice. Her mother was a talented beautician, and her father was the first African American police officer in the city. She and her sister attended both public and private schools. As her father said, “Knowledge is one thing they can’t take away from you.”

Renée earned her Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Tufts University with a major in urban affairs and a Master's of Regional Planning degree from Cornell University with concentrations in city development planning as well as environmental planning and design. She also studied at Colgate-Rochester Divinity School in the Master of Arts program.

Throughout her career, whether in New York, North Carolina, or Alabama, Renée has focused on urban and rural life as well as resource preservation and conservation. Her positions have included housing director for an inner-city neighborhood, assistant project manager for an office of environmental impact, grant writer for a pro bono law firm on Black land loss, coordinator for a conservation council, director of a forestry program for historically underserved landowners, and manager of government relations for a mentoring program.

Prior to her election to the NC House, Renée served on the Orange County Board of County Commissioners from 2012 through 2022, holding the position of vice chair from 2018 to 2020 and chair from 2020 to 2022. Her focus was on supporting community members in their endeavors, and she joined them in closing a landfill, paving a neighborhood access road, building affordable housing, improving school facilities, and preserving family farms, promoting small businesses, and advancing the arts. Renée also advocated for issues such as climate change mitigation and broadband expansion. In addition, in her role as commissioner, she served on various local, statewide, and national committees and boards.
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In her leisure time, Renée enjoys listening to music, especially jazz, as well as taking nature walks and gardening. She is an enthusiast of the arts, culture, and preservation and cofounded Spirit FREEDOM, a nonprofit organization that uses the arts to reveal and relate the history of Orange County through the lens of African Americans and people of color.

Renée and Michael reside at the edge of Hillsborough along the banks of the Eno River.