First Lady Anna Stein
First Lady Anna Stein
First Lady Anna Stein
About the First Lady
First Lady Anna Stein was born in Elkin, North Carolina, the Surry County town where both of her parents were raised. She is the daughter of David Harris and Patty and Ron Brown and the big sister of John Harris, Sara Brown Gardner, and the late Laura Brown.
She moved to Greenville as a baby while her parents attended East Carolina University, and later, at age seven, settled in Winston-Salem. Anna attended R.J. Reynolds High School and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, obtaining both a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Juris Doctor.
Anna met her husband Josh in 1993 while the two were summer legal interns for Attorney General Michael Easley. After graduating from law school, Anna clerked on the NC Court of Appeals for Judge Joe John and then joined Robin Hudson in private practice, later clerking for Hudson at the NC Court of Appeals as well.
After having her three children, Sam, Adam, and Leah, Anna returned to graduate school to obtain her master’s in public health from UNC-Chapel Hill. From 2011-2024, she worked as an agency legal specialist for the Chronic Disease and Injury Section at the NC Division of Public Health, specializing in policy surrounding legal substances such as tobacco and alcohol, and illicit substances.
Growing up in rural North Carolina and then working in public health and law grounded Anna’s goals as First Lady of North Carolina: ending the stigma around substance use disorder and mental health, supporting reentry programs and rehabilitation programs and correctional staff, and promoting rural tourism. Most recently, Anna was appointed to the Joint Reentry Council by Department of Adult Correction Secretary Leslie Cooley Dismukes, where she will participate in the council’s critical work to improve rehabilitation and reentry for incarcerated individuals in our state.
In her spare time, Anna likes to spend time with her husband Josh; her kids Sam, Adam, and Leah; and her dogs Lila and Harper.
Priorities
Mental health (MH) and substance use disorders (SUD) affect millions of Americans every year, including over a million in North Carolina. Too often, people experiencing mental health or substance use challenges and their loved ones feel like they must hide these challenges or else be judged in a negative light. These experiences of isolation and shame can make it hard for people to access care and improve their well-being. As First Lady, Anna Stein is working to reduce the stigma by holding open dialogues with state and local leaders and community members and promoting access to treatment and recovery services.
North Carolina’s most valuable resource is its people, including those reentering society after serving a jail or prison sentence. People leaving incarceration too often struggle to access employment, housing, and health care. First Lady Stein believes that bolstering programs available to currently and formerly incarcerated individuals can both reduce recidivism and build our North Carolina workforce and the stability of families. She also knows that ensuring improved rehabilitation outcomes necessitates supporting and strengthening our corrections workforce.
From its more than 300 miles of beaches to its beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, North Carolina welcomes tourists from all over the world. First Lady Stein has spent her entire life traveling throughout the state and soaking up its natural beauty and culture. She appreciates the importance of North Carolina’s tourism industry to its local economies—particularly its rural areas. She is promoting North Carolina’s rural tourism industry by showcasing the state’s unique natural, cultural, and culinary treasures and the people who make the state such a welcoming environment for visitors.