A longtime Guilford County public figure is heading back to office.
Guilford County Democrats picked Melvin “Skip” Alston to fill a vacant seat on the county board of commissioners during a party meeting Wednesday.
Alston previously served five terms on the board, including four years as chairman, before leaving in 2012. He made an unsuccessful bid for the North Carolina Senate in 2014, losing to incumbent Gladys Robinson in the primary.
Alston has been a controversial figure in local politics. He was an outspoken member of the board during his previous tenure, often clashing with conservative members. More recently, he's been criticized by members of his own party for backing a bill sponsored by Republican State Senator Trudy Wade to reduce the number of Greensboro council members and change the city's political boundaries.
Alston is also a founder of the International Civil Rights Museum in downtown Greensboro.
Alston fills a seat left vacant by former Commissioner Ray Trapp, who recently resigned to take a job at North Carolina A&T University.