Governor Cooper Announces Appointments to State Boards and Commissions

Raleigh

Nov 4, 2019

Today, Governor Cooper announced new appointments to boards and commissions across the state.

“Having great talent on our boards and commissions is critical to North Carolina's economy, health and communities," Gov. Cooper said. "I appreciate these appointees for using their skills and expertise to help improve our state."

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Advanced Energy Board of Directors:

Hayes Jernigan Finley of Raleigh as a member at-large. Finley is an attorney with Fox Rothschild LLP specializing in environmental law. She is a former volunteer with the Peace Corps where she promoted education and infrastructure development in Senegal. Finley was recognized in 2018 as one of the “40 Under 40” by the Triangle Business Journal.
Dionne D. Delli-Gatti of Raleigh as a member at-large. Delli-Gatti is the director of southeast clean energy for the Environmental Defense Fund. She served as a communications computer information systems specialist for the US Airforce during the first Gulf War.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the African American Heritage Commission:

Juanita Moore of Wilson as a member at-large. Moore is the former president and CEO of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the largest African American museum in the United States, and now works as a cultural consultant.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Appraisal Board:

Claire M. Aufrance of Greensboro as a real estate appraiser. Aufrance is an appraiser at Aufrance Valuations, LLC. Aufrance serves on the Appraisal Institute Board of Directors as vice chair, representing region five. She is also a member of the Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) and the Greensboro Regional Realtors Association.
David E. Reitzel of Conover as an appraisal manager or banking industry representative. Reitzel is the president of Real Estate Advisory Services, Inc., president of Community Bank Real Estate Solutions, Inc., and senior vice-president of Peoples Bank. Additionally, he is a member of the Catawba Valley Realtor Association, the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association and the North Carolina Bankers Association.
Lynn Carmichael of Arden as a real estate appraiser. She has been an appraiser since 2004 and is a member of the Appraisal Institute. She is the former chair of the Appraisal Institute’s Western North Carolina Branch.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Boxing Commission:

William Dudley of Raleigh as chair. He is the owner and management trainer of Dudley Solutions LLC. Before starting his company, he was the deputy secretary of the North Carolina Department of Crime Control and Public Safety. Dudley also serves on the North Carolina A&T Board of Trustees.
William Adams of Durham as a member at-large. Adams is a senior taekwondo instructor at Taekwondo 2 XCell. He is a certified personal trainer and holds a black belt in taekwondo from Kukkimon, the World Taekwondo Federation.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Building Code Council:

Ralph Euchner of Gastonia as a licensed LP gas dealer or contractor involved in the design of natural and LP gas with expertise in the field. Euchner is an operations manager for PSNC in Charlotte. He has been on the council since 2008 and currently serves as the chair of the Energy Committee.
Mary “Kim” Humiston of Roxboro as a registered engineer practicing in electrical engineering. Humiston is the principal in charge of the North Carolina division of DeVita and Associates, a Southeast based engineering firm. She is an award-winning lighting designer with more than 35 years of experience in the field.
Deborah Shearin of Rocky Mount as a licensed plumbing and heating contractor. She is the office manager at Shearin Heating and Cooling, LLC, where she oversees accounting functions, secures permits, and prepares estimates. Shearin is also a volunteer for Meals on Wheels.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges:

Mary Ann Rice of Asheville as a member representing region 1. Rice is the regional senior vice-president of the State Employees Credit Union where she oversees 23 counties in Western North Carolina. She is the former chair of the Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Board of Trustees.
Dr. Catherine Edmonds of Elizabeth City as a member representing region 6. Edmonds is the superintendent for Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools. Previously, she served as the director of education leadership and development director of the NC Principal Fellows program for the state. She also serves on the North Carolina Public School Advisory Board.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Courts Commission:

Lisa A. Scales of Fayetteville as a clerk of a superior court. Scales serves as the Cumberland County’s Clerk of Court. In 2018, she launched eCourts Civil Domestic Violence System which provides confidential, electronic filing for protective orders. Scales also serves on the North Carolina DNA Workgroup and its’ subcommittee on handling evidence.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Credit Union Commission:

Jamie Applequist of Garner as a member with credit union management experience. Applequist is the chief administrative officer for State Employees Credit Union. He started working at State Employees Credit Union in 1999 as a loan officer. He served in the United States Air Force Reserves for 20 years before retiring in 2012.
John Herrera of Hillsborough as a member with credit union management experience. Herrera is the senior vice-president for Latino/Hispanic affairs with Self-Help Credit Union. He serves on the board of directors of the Latino Community Credit Union and is a member of the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions.
Catharine Biggs Arrowood of Raleigh as a public member. Arrowood is a partner at ParkerPoe Attorneys and Counselors at Law, and her clients have included insurance companies, accounting firms and banks. She has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America as Raleigh’s “Lawyer of the Year” 8 times and most recently in 2019 for Arbitration.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission:

David A. Wijewickrama of Waynesville as a citizen knowledgeable of mediation. Wijewickrama is an attorney specializing in civil litigation. Currently, his practice areas cover complex civil litigation involving class actions, civil rights, wrongful deaths, and other law enforcement/government related issues. Before receiving his juris doctorate, he served in the United States Navy.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Executive Mansion Fine Arts Committee:

Jean Keller of Wilmington as a member at-large. Keller is chair of the Cameron Art Museum Board of Trustees and is also on the board of directors of the Bruce Barclay Cameron Foundation. She has previously served on the Asheville School Board of Trustees and the Board of Directors of the Children’s Museum of Wilmington.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Governor’s Advisory Council on Film, Television, and Digital Streaming:

Secretary Susi H. Hamilton of Raleigh as chair. She currently works in the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources as Secretary under Governor Roy Cooper. As a state legislator, Secretary Hamilton served her constituents in Brunswick and New Hanover Counties from 2011 until January 2017. With a background in economic development, regional planning, historic preservation and the arts, she is passionate about stewardship in the state.
Dr. Amy P. Tiemann of Chapel Hill as a member at-large. She is the founder and president of Spark Productions and an owner of Manifold Recording, a production studio in Pittsboro, North Carolina. She was the executive producer for the documentaries American Prejudice and The Rape of Recy Taylor, both of which received a nomination for Best Documentary Film at the NAACP Image Awards.
Beth Petty of Charlotte as a member at-large. Petty is the director of the Charlotte Regional Film Commission. Projects Petty has recruited include American Animals, Paper Towns and The Hunger Games. She has served on the advisory board for Central Piedmont Community College’s film program and on the advisory board for the Art Institute of Charlotte.
Bill Vassar of Wilmington as a member at-large. Vassar has been the executive vice-president of EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington for more than 20 years. He began his visual media career in production management at NBC Entertainment New York. Prior to NBC, Bill worked at a number of Northeast radio stations in on-air, programming, marketing, sales, general management and ownership positions.
Mayor Bill Saffo of Wilmington as a member at-large. Saffo has served as the Mayor of Wilmington since 2007. He is a real estate broker with Coldwell Banker Seacoast Realty and serves as Chair of the Wilmington Regional Film Commission.
Chris Cooney of New York as a member at-large. Cooney is the Chief Operating Officer of EUE/Screen Gems, Ltd. and the co-owner of EUE/Screen Gems Studios. In 1996, Cooney led the EUE/Screen Gems acquisition of DeLaurentis Carolco Studios in Wilmington, North Carolina. The studio has been used for several blockbuster productions, including Marvel’s Iron Man III.
Dale Williams of Wilmington as a member at-large. Williams is a freelance producer and unit production manager. She has worked on numerous film and television projects, includingSwamp Thing and Dawson’s Creek.
Darla McGlamery of Wilmington as a member at-large. McGlamery is a business agent for the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. She is passionate about advocating for workers’ rights and livable wages.
David Burris of Raleigh as a member at-large. Burris is a television and film director, producer and writer based in Raleigh and Los Angeles. He worked for nearly a decade on the Emmy Award-winning CBS reality series “Survivor.” Burris currently has two feature film projects in development and is developing several television projects (both unscripted and scripted).
Chip Hackler of Wilmington as a member at-large. Hackler is an associate professor in the Film Department at the University of North Carolina Wilmington where he teaches screenwriting, directing, and film production. He has been in the film industry since 1984 and won several awards for his work, including the Jury Award for Best Short at the Charleston International Film Festival.
Eric Johnson of Raleigh as a member at-large. Johnson is the Senior Vice President of Sound and Engagement at Trailblazer Studios. Johnson is a recent past-President of the Society for Professional Audio Recording Services (SPARS), a national organization made up of recording studios and engineers, educational programs, and recording equipment manufacturers. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Southern Documentary Fund and the Triangle Advisory Board of the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival.
Herman A. Stone of Charlotte as a member at-large. Stone is the founder of Stone Theatres Management, LLC, which owns and operates 6 theatres in North Carolina and South Carolina. He previously served as the regional president of the National Association of Theatre Owners. In 2008, Gov. Mike Easley recognized Stone with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine for his service to North Carolina’s motion picture industry.
John P. Bankson III of Durham as a member at-large. Bankson is a property master who’s experience includes working on the television program Sleepy Hollow and several blockbuster films, including 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters and The Great Debaters.
Johnny Griffin of Wilmington as a member at-large. Griffin is the Director of the Wilmington Regional Film Commission, Inc. He worked as a location manager for films and television shows including Matlock and Renaissance Man. He is a Certified Film Commissioner with the Association of Film Commissioners International.
Judy Girard of Wilmington as a member at-large. Girard is a long-time television executive, having worked extensively overseeing programming, production, and operations at both TV stations and Cable networks. She is the former Food Network and HGTV President and most recently founded GLOW Academy, the Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington.
Lana Garland of Durham as a member at-large. Garland has worked as a Creative Director, Director, Writer/Producer and educator in television and film in the US, Europe, and Africa. She has created content for HBO, BET, and ESPN in America, and TV2 in Denmark. Garland is a film curator and festival director for the Hayti Heritage Film Festival and a producer and director for Insibah Media for which she was recognized in 2014 and 2018 with the Durham Art Council Emerging Artist award.
Lauren Vilchik of Winston-Salem as a member at-large. Vilchik is a film producer and production attorney, specializing in independent film finance as well as production. She is currently an Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies with the School of Filmmaking at UNC School of the Arts. Additionally, she has served as a juror, mentor, speaker and panelist at several film festivals, including Cannes, SXSW, the Los Angeles Film Festival and the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
Michael K. McGaha of Hampstead as a member at-large. McGaha is the president of Teamsters Local Union 391 and has served in a variety of roles at Teamsters since beginning of his career in 1984 as a Teamsters UPS feeder driver. He served as an Assistant Director of the UPS Parcel and Small Package division out of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Office in Washington, DC.
Rebecca Clark of Winston-Salem as a member at-large. Clark is the Executive Director of the Piedmont Triad Film Commission. She has also freelanced as a location scout for professional film production companies including HBO and taught Location Scouting and Managing at Piedmont Community College. She has recruited several films to the Piedmont region, including Nicholas Sparks’ The Longest Ride and the Academy Award winning short film Two Soldiers.
Robert Newton of Chapel Hill as a member at-large. His strength and focus for the last several years has been on emerging technologies (virtual reality, augmented reality, game development) and the ultimate fusion of those technologies with traditional television and film narrative. For the last 4 years, he has been a contract producer, writer, and editor for Thunder Mountain Media in Carrboro, North Carolina.
Timothy M. Bourne of Wilmington as a member at-large. Bourne is a film producer and executive producer. He began his career as a filmmaker working on projects like A League of Their Own and Working Girl. He has also served as a producer and executive producer for critically acclaimed films such as The Blind Side and Love, Simon.
Tod Thorne of Charlotte as a member at-large. Thorne works in Commercial Real Estate and is a former member of the Film Council where he served as the co-chair.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Forestry Advisory Council:

Allen Plaster of New Bern as a consulting forester. Plaster is a senior forester for Premier Forestry and Environmental Consulting with more than 45 years of experience in forestry. He has served on the North Carolina Forestry Advisory Council since 2002.
Bryan Land of Rockingham as a representative with experience in city and regional planning. Land was appointed in 2017 as Richmond County’s county manager. He began working for Richmond County government in 2010 as the public works director.
Michael Almond of Monroe as a representative of a banking institution that manages forestland. Almond is a regional manager for Carolina Farm Credit where he manages agriculture related loans. He has been with the company for over 22 years.
Dr. Tom Gower of Raleigh as a forest scientist. Gower is the department head and professor in North Carolina State University’s Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources with areas of expertise in whole-system analysis of forest ecosystems and education innovation.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Governor’s Advisory Council on Hispanic/Latino Affairs:

Ricardo Nazario Colón of Waynesville as chair. Colón has served on the council since 2017. He is currently the chief diversity officer at Western Carolina University. He has worked in higher education since 2002, specifically in the field of diversity and inclusion.
Natalie Marles of Concord as a member at-large. Marles is a paralegal advocate and healthcare navigator for low-income families at the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy. She is also the co-founder and secretary of the board of directors for El Puente Hispano and the vice-chair for the Enlace Charlotte Latin American Council of Charlotte.
Oscar Roberto of Sanford as a member at-large. Before his retirement in 2012, Roberto worked as an international business manager for Henkle Corp., a German chemical company. He is the chair of the El Refugio Board of Directors.
Vivian Pérez-Chandler of Winston-Salem as a member at-large. Pérez-Chandler is the Latino Achievers program director for the YMCA of Northwest North Carolina. She serves on the Hispanic League Board of Directors and was the recipient of the 2018 North Carolina Education Latino Diamante Award.
Maria Del Pilar Salvat of Raeford as a member at-large. She is the founder and CEO of Bilingual Therapy Services, LLC and OM Yoga Studio, LLC. She also serves as a board member for Latinos United for Progress.
Adriana Chavela of Arden as a member at-large. Chavela is the executive director of Hola Community Arts in Hendersonville, where she promotes programs and outreach to connect cultures in her community.
Rocío Anderson of Apex as a member at-large. Anderson is the state coordinator for the March of Dimes Preconceptions Health campaign which promotes perinatal healthcare. Anderson also provides consulting services to agencies, such as University of North Carolina’s Institute of Public Health, to ensure the development of culturally and linguistically appropriate programs for health services.

Gov. Cooper has reappointed the following individual to the Historic Bath Commission:

Peggy Daw of Greenville as a member at-large. Daw has been a longtime community servant in Bath serving on multiple boards. She has served on this commission since 2004 and in that time has led many projects. She has previously served as chair and is currently the commission’s treasurer.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency Board of Directors:

Adam Abram of Chapel Hill as a member with expertise in public housing policy and chair. Abram is the founder, chairman and CEO of James River Group, LTD, which owns a group of insurance companies. He is the chairman emeritus of the board of visitors of Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Humanities Council:

Christopher Lam of Charlotte as a member at-large. Lam is a partner at Bradley Law Firm and is the managing partner of the Charlotte office. He is the vice-president of the Mecklenburg County Bar and co-chairs the North Carolina Bar Association’s Administration of Justice Committee.
Tasse Little of Charlotte as a member at-large. Little is the programming chair for the Appalachian State University College of Arts and Sciences Advancement Council and is on the arts subcommittee of the Appalachian State University Foundation Board.
Cecilia Thompson of Greensboro as a member at-large. Thompson is the executive director of Action Greensboro. She previously worked as a communications officer for the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro.
Diane Robertson of Carrboro as a member at-large. Robertson is a community engagement and strategic planning consultant. She has previously served as the executive director of the Southern Documentary Fund, and as director of development for the American Dance Festival.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Interagency Coordinating Council for Children from Birth to Five with Disabilities:

Matthew C. Hoskins of Wake Forest as a representative of a state education agency. Hoskins is the associate director for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s Exceptional Children Division. He also serves on the North Carolina Child Well-Being Transformation Council.
Bethany B. Mayo of Rocky Mount as a representative of a state agency providing early intervention services. She is the lead program administrator of the North Carolina Early Learning Sensory Support Program for the Visually Impaired where she supervises staff across North Carolina providing services to children with visual impairments. She is a former special needs preschool teacher for the Nash-Rocky Mount school system.
Dr. Sharita Williams-Crossen of Greensboro as a provider of early intervention services. Williams-Crossen is the owner of Be Blessed Therapy Services, PLLC, where she provides speech language pathology services to children and their families. She is also an adjunct instructor at North Carolina A&T University.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy:

Ella Price of Raleigh as a public member. Price is a compliance officer with Capital Law Group and a part-time tax preparer with Jackson-Hewitt. Before joining the Capital Law Group, Price served as the quality assurance team lead for Javelin HR Solutions.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Medical Board:

Dr. Dev Sangvai of Durham as a licensed physician nominated by the Review Panel. Sangvai is an associate professor of family medicine, pediatrics and psychiatry at Duke University School of Medicine. He previously served on the North Carolina Medical Care Commission.
Dr. Howard Hall of Morganton as a licensed physician nominated by the Review Panel. Hall is an OB/GYN with Blue Ridge Women’s Care. He is a volunteer physician with the Good Samaritan Clinic in Morganton.
Dr. Damian McHugh of Cary as a licensed physician nominated by the Review Panel. McHugh is a partner with Raleigh Emergency Medicine Associations at UNC-Rex Hospital and a team emergency physician for the NHL Carolina Hurricanes.
Joshua Malcolm of Pembroke as a public member. Malcolm previously served as the chief legal officer, general counsel, and assistant secretary of the Board of Trustees at UNC Pembroke. He holds more than 15 years of legal experience and is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Military Affairs Commission:

General Rodney Anderson of Fayetteville as a public member. He is the president and CEO of LDR Consulting LLC. Anderson served 33 years in the United States Army as a field artilleryman and general officer. He served as the Deputy Commander of Support for the 82ndAirborne Division and as the Director of Army Force Management at the Pentagon.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Morehead City Navigation and Pilotage Commission:

Warren Davis of Beaufort as a Carteret County resident. Davis is a retired attorney. He has served on the Morehead City Navigation and Pilotage Commission since 1986. He served as general counsel for the board of directors of the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Permanency Innovation Initiative Oversight Committee:

Jennie Kristiansen of Pittsboro as a representative from a County Department of Social Services. She is the director for the Chatham County Department of Social Services. Kristiansen also serves as chair of the Chatham County Community Child Protection Team.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Plant Conservation Board:

James Slye of Goldsboro as the representative from the Division of Forest Services. Slye currently serves as a forest health specialist for the North Carolina Forest Service.
Dr. Gary Walker of Vilas as a representative of the botanical scientific community. Walker is a professor in the biology department at Appalachian State University. He is also a principal investigator for management-related grant projects for the National Park Service.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Psychology Board:

Katrina Brent of High Point as a public member. Brent is a Medicare Stars Analyst at HealthTeam Advantage. She previously served as a Board Administrator in Contract Management Services for the National Board for Certified Counselors.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Real Estate Commission:

T. Anthony Lindsey as a real estate broker. Lindsey founded and served as CEO of GLOBECROSSING, LLC, a multidisciplinary real estate brokerage firm and mortgage company until he joined Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in February 2018. He has developed a reputation for his work in affordable housing and his advocacy of homeownership for low and moderate income households.
Mel Black as a real estate broker. Black works as an attorney in the general private practice of law with a focus on administrative law and occupational licensing matters, often representing real estate appraisers, real estate agents, and other professionals throughout North Carolina and other states. He was named by the North Carolina Real Estate Educators Association as Educator of the Year in January of 2016.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Southwestern Community College Board of Trustees:

Cory McCall of Franklin as a member at-large. McCall is the owner of Outdoor 76, an outdoor equipment and apparel store with multiple locations, one that includes a taproom. He sold real estate before founding his business in 2010.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Task Force for Safer Schools:

William L. Lassiter of Raleigh as Chair. Lassiter is the Deputy Secretary of Juvenile Justice with the Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. He has been the recipient of the National Service Award from the Hamilton Fish Institute on School and Community Violence, for his exemplary service to children, youth and communities. Lassiter has co-authored Preventing Violence and Crime in America’s Schools:From Put-Downs to Lock-Downs, which takes an in-depth look at the causes and solutions of youth violence.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Tobacco Trust Fund Commission:

Margaret “Maggie” Hamm of Conover as a member in or displaced from tobacco related employment. Hamm is the chief marketing officer for Carolina Farm Credit in Statesville, North Carolina and has been working for Carolina Farm Credit for almost 30 years.
Dr. Frankie Jones, Sr. of Burlington as a member at-large. Jones is the president and CEO of Phoenix One Enterprise, Inc. He has provided management consulting services to a variety of companies including the Central Intelligence Agency and Wake Forest University’s School of Medicine.
Matthew Drake of Pinetops as a member at-large. Drake is co-owner of Drake Farms, LLC, a family owned farm that produces tobacco and has supplied dune grass to beaches in the southeastern region of the United States.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Tryon Palace Commission:

Mary M. Gornto of Wilmington as a member at-large. Gornto is the former Vice Chancellor for University Advancement at UNC Wilmington. She serves on the board of the George Washington Foundation, which manages two historic properties in Virginia.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Veterans Affairs Commission:

Charles Smith of Raleigh as a representative of the 4th Congressional district. Smith retired in 2011 from the North Carolina Division of Veterans Affairs, where he served for nearly 22 years as the director. He is the recipient of numerous military awards, including the Bronze Star Medal, and was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in 2011.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Water Treatment Facility Operators Certification Board:

Ann Wall of Greenville as a manager of a North Carolina municipality using a surface water supply. Wall is the city manager of Greenville, North Carolina. She has served as the assistant city manager for Rocky Mount, N.C. and Charlotte, N.C. She is also a member of the International City & County Management Association.
Sarah E.A. Long of Durham as a member at-large. Long is the co-founder of AguaClara LLC which is now the non-profit AguaClara Reach. She previously worked as a hydraulic design specialist and project engineer for Agua Para el Pueblo in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

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