Governor Roy Cooper announced new appointees to twenty-eight boards and commissions.
“I appreciate these experienced, knowledgeable appointees giving their time to serve our state on boards and commissions,” said Gov. Cooper.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Underground Damage Prevention Review Board:
• Carl Barclay of Cary as a representative from the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Barclay is an engineer and the state utilities manager for the NC Department of Transportation. He retired from the US Marine Corps Reserve in 2015 after more than 30 years of service.
• Louis Panzer of Jamestown as a representative from the Notification Center. Panzer is the executive director of North Carolina 811, a non-profit call center that notifies facility operators of proposed excavation. He has been a member of Common Ground Alliance that compiles best practices from underground facility stakeholders for 18 years.
• Rick Gould of Greensboro as a representative from the telecommunications industry. Gould is the manager of region operations for North West North Carolina Century Link. Additionally, he is the former chair for the North Carolina Common Ground Alliance Regional Partnership.
• Megan Plassman Riley of Charlotte as a representative from a natural gas utility. Riley is the manager of distribution construction at Piedmont Natural Gas for Duke Energy. Prior, she worked as a manager of gas field operations at Piedmont Natural Gas.
• Tom West of Randleman as a representative from a hazardous liquid transmission pipeline company. West is the right of way manager and project manager for Colonial Pipeline Company. West serves on the board of directors for North Carolina 811 and South Carolina 811 and has served as chair of the NC Utilities Coordinating Committee.
• Lisa Smith-Perri of Newport as a representative from a rural water system. Smith-Perri is the executive director and general manager for the West Carteret Water Corporation System. She served on the NCRWA’s Legislative and Regulatory Committee.
• Greg Puckett of Mount Airy as a representative from an electric membership corporation. Puckett serves on the Underground Damage Prevention Review and is the executive vice president and general manager of Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation.
• Jonathon Holt of Indian Trail as a representative from a cable company. Holt is senior director of regional construction for Charter Communications. Prior, he was the regional director of commercial construction for Time Warner Cable.
• Hope Morgan of Graham as a licensed surveyor. Morgan is an information technology and geographic information systems manager at North Carolina Emergency Management and manages the State Emergency Response Application and associated plans. Previously, she was a senior digital imagery analyst at Fugro Earth Data.
• Whit Wheeler of Raleigh as a representative of the League of Municipalities. Wheeler is the assistant public utilities director for the City of Raleigh. Previously, he was a department and project manager for ARCADIS building and design consulting. He has a master’s degree in civil and water resources engineering from NC State University.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Executive Mansion Fund Incorporated Board of Directors:
• Mary Jo Cresimore of Raleigh as a member at-large. Cresimore is a retired public school teacher. She received the Presidential appointment to the National Council on the Humanities and was inducted into the City of Raleigh Hall of Fame. Additionally, she serves on the North Carolina Museum of Art, North Carolina Symphony, and the North Carolina Museum of History Board of Directors.
• Sesha Debnam of Raleigh as a member at-large. Debnam is a commercial property manager. Additionally, she has served as the CEO of her own event planning committee and director of a national non-profit organization.
• The Hon. Patrice Hinnant of Greensboro as a member at-large. Hinnant is an attorney who serves as a State Bar Councilor. She is affiliated with the American Bar Association Judicial Division, National Bar Association Judicial Council, and past president of the Greensboro Bar Association.
• Tom Kenan of Chapel Hill as a member at-large. Kenan is the director of Flagler System, Inc. and serves on the UNC-Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler Business School Board of Visitors. He is trustee of the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust and Fund Director.
• Louise Winstanly of Chapel hill as a member at-large. Winstanly is an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Public Health Leadership Program at at UNC-Chapel Hill and associate faculty for the UNC Center for Bioethics. She is the chair of the UNC Non-Biomedical Institutional Review Board and a member of UNC Hospital Ethics Committee.
• Florence Peacock of Chapel Hill as a member at-large. Peacock is a singer and soloist for the Atlanta Symphony and Oberlin Baroque Institute. She has served as president of the University Women’s Club, the North Carolina Opera and the Preservation Society of Chapel Hill.
• Ellen Freeze of Greensboro as a member at-large. Freeze serves as board member for the High Point Museum, the Herb society of America and the NC Executive Mansion Fine Arts Committee. Additionally, she is a member of the NC Museum of History Associates and the Preservation Committee.
• Becky Hailey Ferrell of Hickory as a member at-large. Ferrell is retired from a career in non-profit management. She has led multiple non-profit boards of directors serving as board president of the Hickory Landmarks Society, Western Piedmont Symphony and The Harper School of Performing Arts.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Agricultural Finance Authority:
• Keith Beavers of Mount Olive as a member at-large. Beavers owns and operates Beavers’ Farms. Previously, he served on the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission and was the director of U.S. Tobacco Cooperative, Inc.
• Howard Williams of Greensboro as a member at-large. Williams is an attorney at Brooks Pierce. He serves on the Wake Forest University School of Law Board of Visitors and the Southeastern Regional Liaison Committee of the Internal Revenue Service. He has previously served on the executive board of the Community Foundation for Greater Greensboro.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Roanoke River Basin Bi-State Commission:
• Representative Michael Wray of Gaston as a member of the house. Wray is an eight-term member of the North Carolina House of Representatives. He is a chair of the Ethics Committee and vice chair of the Agriculture Committee.
• Representative Larry Yarborough of Raleigh as a member of the house. Yarborough is a three-term member of the North Carolina House of Representatives. He is chair of the Environment and Regulatory Reform Committees and vice chair of the Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources Appropriations and Wildlife Resources Committees.
• Senator Erica Smith of Henrico as a member of the senate. Smith is a three-term member of the North Carolina House of Representatives. She is co-chair of the NC Joint Legislative Women’s Caucus and of the Joint Democratic Women’s Caucus. She previously served on the Northampton County Board of Education.
• Senator Toby Fitch, Jr. of Wilson as a member of the senate. Fitch is a state senator who previously served nine terms in the North Carolina House of Representatives. He is a former senior resident superior court judge for the 7BC Judicial District of the First Division of the Superior Court.
• Linda Worth of Norlina as a resident of the North Carolina portion of the Basin. Worth is the deputy director of the North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings and previously served as county manager of Warren County.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Human Relations Commission:
• Alderman Jameesha Harris of New Bern as a representative of the 3rd congressional district. Prior to serving as an Alderman, Harris was a counselor at Maximus in the Child Support Services Office. She has over 15 years of customer service experience.
• Council Member Vernetta Alston of Durham as a member at-large. Alston has served on the Durham City Council since 2017. Previously, she was a staff attorney at Center for Death Penalty Litigation, Inc. Alston serves on the YMCA of Durham, the Durham PRIDE Organizing Committee and is vice chair of the Durham County Criminal Justice Advisory Committee.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the University of North Carolina Center for Public Television Board of Trustees:
• Don Woodard of Arden as a member at-large. Woodard is a residential realtor in western NC. He serves on the Development Council for Pisgah Legal Services, providing free legal aid to low-income individuals in the area. Woodard began his career as a television comedy writer and producer.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Governor’s Crime Commission:
• Sheriff Alan G. Cloninger of Dallas as a sheriff. Cloninger is the Sheriff of Gaston County. Cloninger is a licensed attorney and also serves on the Gaston County Community College Board of Trustees.
• Matthew C. Scott of Pembroke as a district attorney. Scott is the district attorney for Robeson County. He is a member of the Wisconsin and North Carolina State Bar and is a recipient of the Bronze Star and Iraq Campaign Medal.
• Ms. Leto Copeley of Durham as an advocate for victims of all crimes. Copeley is currently a shareholder in Copeley Johnson & Groninger PLLC. She is president of the National Crime Victim Bar Association and serves on the North Carolina Advocates for Justice and North Carolina Bar Association.
• Mary Williams-Stover of Raleigh as a representative from a domestic violence or sexual assault program. Williams-Stover is the executive director of the NC Council for Women and previously worked as the Wine Advisor for Wines for Humanity.
• James D. “Butch” Williams, Jr. of Durham as a defense attorney. Williams specializes in criminal and entertainment law. At the NC Central School of Law, Williams served as an adjunct professor for 25 years and is the previous chair of the Board of Visitors and a member of the Foundation Board.
• Judge Julius H. Corpening II of Wilmington as an individual with knowledge of juvenile delinquency and the public school system. Judge Corpening has served New Hanover and Pender Counties since 1991 and served as chief district court judge for over ten years. He serves on the N.C. Child Custody Mediation Advisory Committee and the New Hanover County Child Protection Team. In 2018, Corpening was awarded Judge of the Year by the National Court Appointed Special Advocates/Guardian ad Litem Association.
• Patricia Pleasants Lawler of Wilmington as a citizen at-large. Lawler is a freelance copy editor, researcher and writer. She serves as an American Red Cross disaster responder, volunteers at Snipes Academy of Arts & Design and is chair of The Carousel Center. Previously, she served as regional director of the North Carolina Community Foundation.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors:
• Andy Zoutewelle of Charlotte as a registered land surveyor. Zoutewelle is the president of A.G. Zoutewelle Surveyors and serves as chair of the NC Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors. He additionally serves on the National Council of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors and is chair of its Professional Surveyors Committee.
• Dennis Hoyle of Raleigh as a registered engineer. Hoyle is currently vice president of AECOM (legacy URS). He serves as a member of the Cary MacGregor Rotary Club and has been awarded a Certificate of Merit by the NC State Construction Office.
• Carol Salloum of Harrisburg as a public member. Salloum is the owner of Regen Tag Umbrella, a Real Estate Holding Company, and Salloum Ventures. She is a member of the Cabarrus County Master Gardeners and the Concord Rotary Club. Additionally, Salloum served as past secretary and member of the Historic Downtown Concord Merchant’s Association.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Board for Licensing Geologists:
• Dennis LaPoint of Chapel Hill as a mining industry representative. LaPoint is the president and owner of Exploration Project Management at Appalachian Resources, LLC. Additionally, he is vice president of exploration at Pancontential Gold and serves as an adjunct associate professor of Geology at UNC Chapel Hill.
• Rachel Kirkman of Greensboro as a consulting geologist. Kirkman is a certified professional geologist and senior consultant with Golder Associates NC, Inc. Additionally, she is a member of the Solid Waste Management Association, the NWRA Healthcare Waste Institute and Carolinas Chapter.
• Steve Stadelman of Youngsville as a salaried company geologist. Stadelman is a certified professional geologist and Soil Scientist. He is a manager and technical specialist at Novozymes and serves on the North Carolina Soil Science Licensing Board.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Historical Records Advisory Board:
• Dr. Jim Martin of Buies Creek as a member at-large. Martin is a Professor of History at Campbell University in the College of Arts and Sciences and chairs the History, Criminal Justice and Political Science Department.
• Lynn Gilliard of Edenton as a member at-large. Gilliard is the register of deeds for Chowan County and served as a member of the local Habitat for Humanity.
• Karen Feeney of Winston-Salem as a member at-large. Feeney is a library supervisor in the Forsyth County Public Library and is a certified archivist. Additionally, she is a member of the North Carolina Preservation Consortium and chairs the Development Committee of the Society of North Carolina Archivists.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners:
• Leslie Patrice Kesler of Wilmington as a physical therapist. Kesler is the administrator of Rehabilitation Services at the New Hanover Regional Medical Center. She is a recipient of the New Hanover Regional Medical Center’s first Leader of Excellence award.
• Crystal D. Morris of Carolina Shores as a physical therapy assistant. Morris works at EmergeOrtho and previously worked at Fayetteville Orthopedics.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina State Board of Podiatry Examiners:
• Dr. James Judge of Wake Forest as a podiatrist. He has been an active member of the North Carolina Foot and Ankle Society and served as president from 2010 until January 2012.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Wayne Community College Board of Trustees:
• Kay Cooke of Goldsboro as a member at-large. Cooke retired from a career as a history teacher. She has served as director of Arts and Humanities and board member of the Foundation of Wayne Community College.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina State Board of Registration for Foresters:
• Cierra Ward of Jacksonville as a registered forester. Ward is the White Oak district manager at Resource Management Service, LLC. She is a registered forester and Forestry Association prologger in North Carolina. She serves on the NC Forestry Advisory Council and is the communication chair of the NC Forestry Association SFI Implementation Committee.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Recreational Therapy Licensure Board:
• Dr. Judy Kinney of Jamestown as a therapeutic recreation specialist engaged in training. Dr. Kinney is an assistant professor of Community and Therapeutic Recreation at UNC Greensboro. She is a member of the American Therapeutic Recreation Association and Association of Child Life Professionals.
• Cari Sipe Owens of Cary as a practicing therapeutic recreation specialist. Owens is the life services manager at Carolina Meadows. Previously, she was the assistant director of life enrichment at Galloway Ridge and a corporate resource team member for LCS/CRSA.
• Dr. Russ Greenfield of Charlotte as a physician. Dr. Greenfield has over 25 years of experience in conventional and complementary medicine. He is board certified in emergency medicine and completed his fellowship in integrative medicine at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners:
• Wanda Taylor of Raleigh as a public member. Taylor is the director of litigation and counsel with Key Risk Insurance and is the former chief deputy commissioner of the North Carolina Industrial Commission. She is a fellow of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Historic Murfreesboro Commission:
• James Moore of Clarksville, TN as a member at-large. He is the director of the Robert F. Sink Memorial Library at Fort Campbell and is a member of the Chowan University Board of Visitors.
• Lillie White of Murfreesboro as a member at-large. White worked for Telamon Corporation as a case manager before her retirement. She has served on the Murfreesboro Planning Board, the Recreation Department Board for the town of Murfreesboro and the Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center Board of Directors.
• Amy Snipes of Ahoskie as a member at-large. Snipes has retired from a career as a registered nurse. She is also an amateur historian who presents in the community.
• Robert Richardson of Murfreesboro as a member at-large. Richardson is the pastor at First Baptist Church of Murfreesboro. He is a board member of the Choanoke Area Development Association, Chowan University Ministerial Board of Associates, the NAACP and Kappa Alpha Psi.
• Marjorie Way of Wrightsville Beach as a member at-large. Prior to her retirement, Way was a teacher, academically gifted specialist and assistant principal in New Hanover County Schools. She is a member of the Murfreesboro Historic Association, Lower Cape Fear Historical Society and the Brigade Boys and Girls Club of Wilmington.
• Betty Mann of Boykins, VA as a member at-large. Mann has served on the Deacon Board and the Children’s Center Board. She is the coordinator at a reading tutoring program and has taught Sunday school for 20 years.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Cherokee Preservation Foundation Board of Directors:
• April Smith Ross of Cherokee as a member at-large and a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokees. Ross is a nurse in Cherokee Central Schools and previously was the primary care clinical lead nurse at Cherokee Indian Hospital.
• Commissioner Ronald D. Beale of Franklin as a county commissioner from Haywood, Jackson, Swain, Macon, Graham, Clay, or Cherokee Counties. Beale was elected to the Macon County Board of Commissioners in 2006. He has served as chair of several boards including Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce, Macon County Social Services, Macon County Board of Equalization and Review and the North Carolina Community Foundation.
• David Reece Anderson of Cherokee as a member at-large. Anderson is an environmental horticulture specialist at EBCI. Previously, he was a Soil Conservationist with the US Department of Agriculture.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Governor’s Entrepreneurial Council:
• George Taylor of Wilmington as a member at-large. Taylor has cofounded 11 companies, including ventures in financial software, automotive services, and beer brewing. He is also chair of Untappd, the largest beer app in the world with over 9 million users and 18 thousand business customers on the platform.
• Kimberly C. Thigpen of Rocky Mount as a member at-large. Thigpen is the founder of The Bath Place, LLC., which creates and distributes natural bath and body products. Previously, she was a business performance analyst in the banking industry for 11 years.
• Gregory W. Brown of Chapel Hill as a member at-large. Brown is a Sarah Graham Kenan Distinguished Professor of Finance at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School and is the executive director of the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise. He is also the founder and research director of the Institute for Private Capital.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina State Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners:
• Erika L. Moore-Newkirk of Clarkton as a licensed cosmetologist. Moore-Newkirk graduated from Capri Institute of Cosmetology of New Jersey in 1993. She owns and operates Beautopia, specializing in personal styling, mentoring, and promoting beauty and self-care for women of all ages.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Craven Community College Board of Trustees:
• Bill Taylor of New Bern as a member at large. Taylor is a project manager for Trader Construction Company and is a veteran of the Vietnam War. He was president of the New Bern Breakfast Rotary and serves of the Salvation Army Advisory Board, Craven County Recreation Board and Promise Place Advisory Board.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Brain Injury Advisory Council:
• Dr. Josh Bloom of Apex as a brain injury service provider. Bloom is the medical director of Carolina Sports Concussion Clinic and a partner physician at Carolina Family Practice and Sports Medicine. He also serves as the medical director and head medical team physician for the Carolina Hurricanes.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Financial Literacy Council:
• Mary Buonfiglio of Chapel Hill as a representative from the Office of the State Treasurer. Buonfiglio is the deputy director of the North Carolina Supplemental Retirement Plans and North Carolina ABLE Program. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the NCWorks Commission:
• Jim Van Camp of Vass as a business representative. Van Camp is an attorney and is a member of the International Society of Barristers, the North Carolina Bar Association and North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers. He previously served as chair of the Governor’s Crime Commission.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service:
• Cheryl D. Parquet of Mebane as a representative of business. Parquet is the director of community and diversity engagement at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. She serves on the board for East Durham Children's Initiative (EDCI) and NC Early Childhood Foundation. She is a Goodmon Fellow, a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., Durham Alumnae Chapter and The Durham Rotary Club.
• Alexandria Cooley of Raleigh as a representative of Corporation for National and Community Service described in Sec 122(a) of PL 103-82. Cooley is the state director at Corporation for National and Community Service. She has a MS in Nonprofit Management from The New School.
• Angelo D. Williams of Durham as an expert in the delivery of human, educational, environment, homeland security or public safety services. Williams is a graphic design manager and social media specialist at Saint Augustine’s University. He is also the owner and art director of Freshdesignz, a freelance design firm.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Martin Community College Board of Trustees:
• Ron Wesson of Windsor as a member at-large. Wesson has served as a Bertie County Commissioner since 2012. He retired as the senior vice president and global leader of The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation after 32 years and serves the board of directors for the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Complete Count Commission:
• Glenn Hargett of Jacksonville as a member at-large. Hargett is the assistant city manager for the City of Jacksonville and serves as staff on the 2020 Jacksonville-Onslow Complete Count Committee. He helped found the Onslow Community Outreach, the Sturgeon City Institutes and led the effort to have the Jacksonville community designated as an All-America City.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Executive Mansion Fine Arts Committee:
• Shelli Stanback of Canton as a member at-large. Stanback is the founder and CEO of Oshun Mountain Sanctuary, Inc., a wellness center in Asheville. Previously, she was the president of BodyMindEnergetics, Inc.
• Joy Shavitz of Greensboro as a member at-large. Shavitz is a real estate investor and developer. She is a member of Operation Smile, the United Way Board, the Triad Stage Board and she is the past vice president of the Greensboro Jewish Federation.
• Julia Daniels of Raleigh as a member at-large. Daniels is the past board chair of the North Carolina Museum of Art. She has worked on numerous committees for the Museums of Art and History and served as president of the Museum of History Associates. Currently, she chairs the National Trust Council of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.