On the Record with Emily McAllister

In this episode of my 2026 passion project, I’m sitting down with local leaders to unpack what growth in Greenville and Pitt County really looks like—not just “more houses,” but the behind-the-scenes decisions that shape our quality of life for the next 10–20+ years.

Today’s guests are Pitt County Commissioners Chris Nunnally (District 3) and Rochelle Brown (Super District B). We talk about what county commissioners actually do, what they don’t control (yes, including a lot of roads), and where the real influence lives—budget priorities, long-term planning, education funding, and advocating for the projects the community needs.

We cover:

1. How Pitt County and Greenville can collaborate better as one growing region

2. What “quality of life” means beyond just shopping and restaurants

3. The strategic planning process and why it matters right now

4. Roads and the STIP process (MPO/RPO, project prioritization, and why things move slowly)

5. School growth and capacity, capital funding, and how long-term planning affects taxes and costs

6. Economic development and what it actually takes to attract major employers and retail If you’ve ever wondered who to contact when you want change, why certain projects take forever, or what the county’s role is in growth, this conversation will help connect a lot of dots.

Drop your questions in the comments—and if there’s a local leader you want me to interview next, tell me who!

 

00:00 Intro: Emily explains the 2026 local-leaders passion project in Pitt County

00:35 Meet today’s guests: Chris Nunley and Rochelle Brown

01:10 Chris: district overview + how long he’s served

02:05 Chris “day jobs”: attorney (dental transitions) + teaching + cello studio

03:10 Rochelle: super district explanation (B / 3 & 6) + general boundaries

04:15 Rochelle “day job”: hospitality company background + recent transition

05:30 Why they ran for office: collaboration, growth, and community priorities

06:15 Chris: city/county collaboration + economic development focus

07:40 Rochelle: mom perspective + schools/public safety/quality of life + fiscal responsibility 09:40 What county commissioners control vs. what they don’t

10:20 Quality of life: cost of living + strategic planning + investing for long-term impact

12:10 Strategic plan: “front porch” readiness + benchmarking for Eastern NC

13:45 Roads & infrastructure: who handles what (county vs. state vs. MPO/RPO)

14:40 What is the MPO and RPO?

16:20 How projects get prioritized and submitted (STIP process)

17:50 Why state road projects move slowly + examples of major corridors/projects

20:10 “Lobbying” / advocacy: what’s realistic and who to contact at the state level

22:05 Bike lanes / municipal roads example in Winterville and how to push projects forward

24:10 Schools & growth: capacity pressures and what’s next

25:10 DH Conley High School capacity + potential future campus discussion

26:40 What the county funds: capital (buildings) vs operational support (supplements, staffing) 28:10 Big-picture needs: long-term capital planning (multi-year funding scale)

30:10 Accountability + how funding flows between commissioners and the Board of Education 32:10 Revenue conversation: taxes vs. fees vs. “value for increases” (parks/rec example)

34:30 Unfunded mandates + class size standards impact at the county level

36:15 Economic development & “big names”: what commissioners can influence (and what they can’t)

37:10 Attracting major retail (Costco / Trader Joe’s) + what metrics matter

38:40 Regional branding + key community players like MrBeast and economic impact

41:10 Quick explanation: what a county commissioner does + why local government matters 43:00 Closing thoughts + appreciation + wrap-up

Follow me on other platforms or contact me:   / realtoremilymcallister   [email protected]

https://www.rochellebrown.net/

https://chrisnunnally.com/

Welcome to our 2026 Passion Project. I’m Emily McAllister, local real estate agent here in Greenville, NC, and once a month this year I’m sitting down with local leaders to talk about what’s happening in Greenville — the real behind-the-scenes stuff: growth, infrastructure, development, long-range planning, and how decisions get made.

For our first episode, I’m joined by Phil Dixon, attorney for Greenville Utilities Commission (GUC). We talk about why GUC is structured differently than most utilities in North Carolina, how that impacts growth, why infrastructure planning is so expensive (and so critical), and what big opportunities could be coming next for Pitt County. If you’ve ever looked at your utility bill and thought, “What am I even paying for?”… this one’s for you.

👇 Drop your questions for future guests in the comments. Chapters / Timestamps

0:00 – Intro: Emily’s 2026 Greenville “Passion Project”

1:05 – Meet Phil Dixon + his role at Greenville Utilities Commission (GUC)

3:00 – Why Greenville created a utilities commission in the first place (taking politics out of utilities)

6:10 – What it means that GUC is separately chartered (and why only Fayetteville is similar)

8:25 – Why utilities can’t be run like “extra money” for city budgets

10:30 – Reserves, borrowing, and why infrastructure planning has to be long-range

12:10 – How GUC supports the city financially (return on investment + utility discounts)

13:40 – Natural gas + “buy low, store it” strategy (yes… freezing natural gas)

15:55 – Water: aquifers vs. river water + why eastern NC is changing how it sources water

18:10 – “Greenville gets water twice” (river dynamics near the coast)

20:00 – Why water/sewer is often the real limiter for development (not electricity)

21:30 – County water corporations (Bell Arthur, Eastern Pines, etc.) and how territories work

24:10 – Ironwood case study: capacity, fire flow, and why it went to court

26:20 – Regional utilities: why small towns struggle and why consolidation keeps coming up

28:40 – Taking over Bethel’s system: refinancing debt, lowering rates, upgrading reliability

31:30 – Aging infrastructure statewide (replacement costs + what’s coming next)

33:05 – “Monopoly” concerns: why competition doesn’t work the same with utilities

35:00 – The most misunderstood things about GUC (and what’s actually on the homeowner’s side)

37:00 – Budget billing explained (and why it helps stabilize monthly costs)

38:20 – Beat the Peak: peak demand, load management, and saving serious money

40:30 – Planning for growth: capacity, megasite potential, and what major industry would need

42:45 – Why Greenville is positioned for growth (hospital, ECU, location, quality of life)

45:10 – Final thoughts + GUC’s new operations center and strategic positioning

 

Helpful Links / Notes Learn more about Greenville Utilities Commission (GUC): https://www.guc.com/about-us

 

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Local decisions shape our lives every day — from growth and housing to schools, infrastructure, and public resources.

But most of the time, it’s hard to know who makes those decisions, how they’re made, or why they matter.

On the Record is a monthly conversation with the people shaping our communities, focused on clarity, context, and real answers — without the jargon.

On the Record with Emily McAllister, releasing January 27th, 2026.