Gov. Cooper Appoints New Members to Boards and Commissions

Governor Roy Cooper today announced 32 additional appointments to North Carolina boards and commissions, including the North Carolina Veterans Affairs Commission, the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities, and the North Carolina Historical Commission. 

“These talented, dedicated individuals hail from across the state, and I appreciate their willingness to serve on behalf of all North Carolinians,” Gov. Cooper said.

To the North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission, Gov. Cooper has appointed: 

• Ms. Susan Katzenelson of Raleigh. Katzenelson brings decades of criminal justice and sentencing expertise to the Commission and formerly served nearly 20 years as the Commission’s executive director. She is currently a visiting professor at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. 
• Dr. Harvey L. McMurray of Durham. A former Washington, D.C. police officer, Dr. McMurray has served as an associate professor of criminal justice at North Carolina Central University since 1987. His research areas include community policing, homeland security concerns, comparative criminal justice, and community change. 

To the North Carolina Veterans Affairs Commission, Gov. Cooper has appointed: 

• Larry Townsend of Pembroke. A member of the Lumbee Tribe, Townsend also served in the United States Army, earning a Bronze Star for his service in the Vietnam War. He has since served as a tribal veterans’ service officer to the Lumbee Tribe.

To the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities, Gov. Cooper has appointed: 

• Alexandra McArthur of Raleigh as a Person with a Developmental Disability and Chair. McArthur currently serves as the national director of young adult and community engagement for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. A seasoned advocate for individuals with disabilities, McArthur was named as one of ten White House Champions of Change for Disability in 2014. 
• William Miller of Lexington as a Person with a Developmental Disability. A licensed attorney, Miller served as the executive director of the North Carolina Statewide Independent Living Council from April 2013 to May 2015 before resuming his legal practice.
• Aldea LaParr of Princeton as a Person with a Developmental Disability. Now a small business owner, LaParr has previously served organizations dedicated to people living with disabilities, including the Northern Regional Center for Independent Living and the New York State Developmental Planning Council. 
• Katherine Boeck of Tarboro as a Person with a Developmental Disability. Boeck brings experience serving as a member of the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) Advisory Council for Disability Rights of North Carolina to her new appointment.
• Brendon Hildreth of New Bern as a Person with a Developmental Disability. An advocate for creating a more inclusive environment for individuals living with disabilities, Hildreth serves as co-director for the Accessible Icon Project. 
• Daniel F. E. Smith of Greensboro as a Parent of a Person with a Developmental Disability.  A former science teacher and current attorney, Smith has advised and represented clients on issues including special needs education and disabilities, bullying, and education-related provisions of the North Carolina Constitution and United States Constitution.
• James B. Stephenson II of Cary as a Parent of a Person with a Developmental Disability. An attorney with over 30 years of experience in civil and administrative law, Stephenson has defended clients in insurance matters, Medicare and Medicaid certification, Occupational Health and Safety Regulations and federally protected discrimination allegations. He has also served on several charitable boards including a therapeutic riding foundation in Wake County. 
• NaKima Clark of Raleigh as a Parent of a Person with a Developmental Disability. A Raleigh native, Clark has also worked as a Teacher Assistant with Special Programs with the Wake County Public School System.
• Dr. Amanda Bergen of Charlotte as a Parent of a Person with a Developmental Disability. Bergen has served on the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities in various capacities since 2013. She holds a Ph.D. in Human Services. 
• Dr. Wing Ng of Raleigh as a Parent of a Person with a Developmental Disability. Dr. Ng serves as the medical director of the Brain Injury Program at WakeMed Rehabilitation Hospital and is a partner at Carolina Rehabilitation and Surgical Associates in Cary. He holds a medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine. 
• Kathleen Holler of Greenville as a Parent of a Person with a Developmental Disability. A parent of four children on the autism spectrum, Holler also works as an autism resource specialist at the Autism Society of North Carolina. 
• Kerri Eaker of Asheville as a Parent of an Institutionalized Person with a Developmental Disability. Eaker has served in various positions at Family Services Network of Western North Carolina since 2010. She has also worked with Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center, the Mental Health Association in Cleveland County, the Cleveland County  Department of Social Services, and Buncombe County Department of Social Services. 
• Vicki Smith of Raleigh as a Representative of the State Protection and Advocacy System. An experienced leader in disability rights, Smith has served as executive director of Disability Rights North Carolina since 2007. 
• Peggy Terhune of Asheboro as a Representative of a Local Agency. Terhune has served as chief executive officer of Monarch and the Arc of Stanly County since 1995. She has also worked as a rehabilitation director and occupational therapist and holds a doctorate in curriculum and teaching from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
• Christina Dupuch of Asheville as a Representative of Nongovernmental Agency or Nonprofit Group Concerned with Services to People with Developmental Disabilities. Since 2010, Dupuch has served as chief operating officer of Vaya Health. She previously served as executive officer and implementation director for the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services in the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. 
• The Honorable Valerie Foushee of Hillsborough as a North Carolina Senate Member. A lifelong resident of Orange County and graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Senator Foushee began serving in the North Carolina General Assembly in 2012. She also served at the Chapel Hill Police Department for 21 years.

To the North Carolina State Commission for Public Health, Gov. Cooper has appointed:  

• Dr. Ritesh Patel of Raleigh as an At-Large Member. Dr. Patel brings more than 17 years of experience as a pharmacist to this new appointment. He currently serves as the pharmacy director at Eastern Carolina Medical Center in Benson.

To the North Carolina Human Resources Commission, Gov. Cooper has appointed:

• Judith M. Estevez of Cary as Chair in the At-Large Position. Estevez brings more than 10 years of legal experience to this new appointment. She has served as an assistant attorney general in the North Carolina Department of Justice since 2014. 

To the North Carolina Lottery Commission, Gov. Cooper has appointed:  

• Hon. Anthony E. Rand of Fayetteville as an At-Large Member. Senator Rand represented District 19, including Bladen and Cumberland Counties, in the North Carolina General Assembly from 1981 to 2009. He served as Senate Majority Leader from 2001 to 2009. He has served as president of Rand and Gregory, Practicing Attorneys since 1993.

To the North Carolina Energy Policy Council, Gov. Cooper has appointed:  

• Carl Wilkins of Raleigh. Wilkins holds over 37 years of experience in the electric power industry. He currently serves as vice president of distribution and asset operations at Quanta Technology. Carl has worked with utilities on Smart Grid, hybrid electric vehicles, policies that address climate change, and environmental sustainability. 
• Gus Simmons of Hampstead. Simmons brings extensive knowledge and experience in natural gas and associated hydrocarbon exploration, development, and production to this new appointment. He serves as director of bioenergy at Cavanaugh Solutions.

To the North Carolina Historical Commission, Gov. Cooper has appointed: 

• W. Noah Reynolds of Winston-Salem as an At-Large Member. Since 2007, Reynolds has managed business operations and philanthropy to charitable and cultural organizations for the Reynolds Family Office in Winston-Salem. He has served on the boards of various nonprofit organizations, including the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation and the Reynolda House Museum of American Art.
• David H. Ruffin of Raleigh as an At-Large Member. Ruffin brings more than 42 years in of experience in the banking industry to this appointment. He serves as director of credit risk management at DHG. 
• Barbara Blythe Snowden of Currituck as an At-Large Member. Snowden has served as a Currituck County Historian since 1984 and brings 30 years of experience as a high school history teacher to this appointment. She currently serves as a university supervisor at East Carolina University. 
• Mary Lynn M. Bryan of Fayetteville as a Professor of History. After 30 years of service, Bryan retired from the history department at Duke University in 2013. During her career, she also served as editor of the Jane Addams Papers and curated the Jane Addams Hull House.