Today, Governor Roy Cooper announced 49 appointments to various state boards and commissions for North Carolina.
“I’m grateful for the dedication each appointee brings to North Carolina,” said Governor Cooper. “Their knowledge and devotion will rightfully serve these various boards and commissions.”
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Commission for Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services:
• Ann Akland of Knightdale as a mental health family member. Akland is co-owner of Akland Residential Properties, a real estate investment business. She was a member of the NAMI Wake County Board of Directors.
• Pearl Finch of Bailey as a mental health family member. For over four decades, Finch has advocated on local, regional, and state boards for the mentally handicapped, developmentally disabled and substance abuse users. She chaired the Nash/Edgecombe Mental Health Board from 1979 to 2010.
• Jerry Wease of Mooreboro as a substance abuse service professional. Wease is a clinical supervisor for RHA Health Services, Inc. He has presented at regional and state conferences regarding disorders treatment and recovery.
• Troy Manns of Chapel Hill as a substance abuse services family member. Manns worked as co-director of Paths to Recovery Community Center. He has also worked in outreach and advocacy for Oxford House and as a coordinator of healthcare at Freedom House.
• Kristin Deas of Cary as a mental health consumer. Deas is a corporate trainer with Charter Communications. She has overseen LMS migrations, designed curriculum, and managed LMS programs.
• Linda McDonough of Chapel Hill as a developmental disabilities family member. McDonough is the founder and director of Hope Creek Academy and the founder of the Augustine Literacy Project. She serves on the board of Josh’s Hope, Inc.
• Erica Pettigrew of Chapel Hill as a physician. Pettigrew is a primary care physician double boarded in family medicine and preventive medicine. Additionally, she serves as the Orange County Health Department Medical Director. Pettigrew works as a hospitalist at Chatham Hospital in Siler City.
• Tom Cottingham of Charlotte as an attorney. Cottingham worked as an office managing partner of the Charlotte Office of Winston & Strawn Litigation Practice Group and as a partner of Burr & Forman. He also served as a faculty member of the International Association of Defense Counsel Trial Academy.
• Desiree Peterson of Raleigh as a developmental disabilities consumer. Peterson is a blind student studying social work at Meredith College. She was appointed to Partners in Policymaking by Governor Mike Easley and was appointed to the Council on Development Disabilities by Governor Bev Perdue.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Council on Sickle Cell Syndrome:
• Representative MaryAnn Black of Durham as a state or local official. Rep. Black was appointed by Governor Roy Cooper to the N.C. House of Representatives, where she represents District 29. Prior, Rep. Black served as a Durham County Commissioner from 1990-2002 and was the chair for six years. In addition, Rep. Black worked as a clinical social worker for more than three decades and was Social Worker of the Year.
• Wanda Martin of Summerfield as a member at-large. Martin works as a faith Community Nurse for Cone Health System in Greensboro. In addition, she worked part-time as a clinical instructor for North Carolina A&T State University. She was ranked among the Great 100 Nurses of North Carolina and has received special recognition at the Cone Health Congregational Nurse Program.
• Brenda Norman of Chesapeake, VA as a member at-large. Norman serves as chairperson and professor for the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences for Elizabeth City State University. She has dealt extensively with sickle cell, working as a clinical social worker for the Sickle Cell Disease Association in Virginia, providing extensive services to patients in various hospitals across the state.
• Robert Mackey of Lake Wylie, SC as a member at-large. Mackey is the founder and president of the Lydia Smith Sickle Cell Foundation, managing the day-to-day operations and long-term strategic activities for the foundation. He is also a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Council for Women:
• Mindy Oakley of Greensboro as a member at-large. Oakley works as the executive director for the Edward M. Armfield, Sr. Foundation, Inc. Oakley is a co-founder for the Onward! Coalition of Women to Advocate for Social Justice. She also serves as chair of the Board of Directors for Say Yes Guilford.
• Catherine A. McDowell of Hampstead as a member at-large. McDowell is the executive director for the nonprofit, Roots of Recovery, a massage and bodywork therapist, holistic health practitioner and a yoga alliance teacher. She worked as a director of occupational therapy for the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau and at the Board of Cooperative Education in New York.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Board of Licensed Professional Counselors:
• Katherine H. Glenn of Greensboro as a private sector licensed professional counselor. Glenn is Partner and Counselor for Triad Counseling and Clinical Services, LLC. She currently serves as an Advisory Board member for the Counseling and Educational Development Advisory Board for UNC Greensboro.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
• Jerry Mannen of Wilmington as a member at-large. Mannen is partner at Yow, Fox & Mannen, L.L.P. He is a former member of the North Carolina Real Estate Commission and the New Hanover County Museum Board of Trustees.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Global Transpark Authority:
• Mary Beth Fennell of Havelock as a representative of the banking and finance industry. Fennell served as the director of Corporate Operations for the Fleet Readiness Center East in Cherry Point. Fennell worked for the Department of the Navy for 33 years.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the University of North Carolina Center for Public Television Board of Trustees:
• Eric Barstow of Raleigh as a member at-large. Barstow is a multimedia director for the Franklin Humanities Institute at Duke University. He is also a documentarian and narrative film director and his films have been shown at the San Francisco Black Film Festival, the Capital City Black Film Festival, the World Music & Independent Film Festival and the Hayti Heritage Film Festival.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy:
• Danielle Ward of Raleigh as a public member. Ward is a Budget Analyst for the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management. She volunteers as a Guardian ad Litem for the 10th Judicial District.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to NCWorks:
• Himanshu Karvir of Asheville as a business representative. Karvir is the president and CEO of Virtelle Hospitality. He was a board member for the United Way of Asheville & Buncombe County and current chair of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, Inc.:
• Larry McAdams of Rocky Mount as a member with expertise in information technology. McAdams is the chair and founder of Springboard NC and co-founder of Inception Micro Angel Fund Coastal Plain. He is a past chair of the Nash County Economic Development Board of Directors.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Permanency Innovation Initiative Oversight Committee:
• Dr. Mark Testa of Carrboro as a representative from UNC-Chapel Hill. Testa is a professor at the School of Social Work at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a member of the Expert Panel for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division.
• Annie Smith of West End as a representative from Youth Villages. Smith is the state director for Youth Villages in North Carolina. She previously worked as a mental health counselor for the US Army Hospital in Heidelberg, Germany.
• Ben Sanders of Raleigh as a member at-large. Sanders is the Vice President of Program Services for the Methodist Home for Children. Sanders has over 24 years of experience in the design, implementation, and management departments of community-based child and family services.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Cherokee Preservation Foundation Board of Directors:
• Catcuce Tiger of Whittier was nominated by the Principal Chief as a member of Eastern Band of Cherokees. Tiger works as a Cherokee Language Instructor and is a senior class mentor for Cherokee High School. Tiger previously worked as a business assistant for Cherokee Fitness Complex.
• Melissa Smith of Cherokee was nominated by the Principal Chief as a member of Eastern Band of Cherokees. Smith works as a finance officer for the Cherokee Tribal Gaming Commission. Smith serves as chair of the Tribal Employee Benefits Committee.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Advanced Energy Board of Directors:
• Jo Anne Sanford of Raleigh as a member at-large. Sanford works as an attorney and government affairs consultant. She served as chair of the Utilities Commission for 10 years.
• Adam Foodman of Cornelius as a member at-large. Foodman is the co-owner and chief operating officer of O2 EMC, LLC. He serves as the vice president of the North Carolina Clean Energy Business Association and is a member of the Solar Energy Industry Association. He is a past president of Real Estate Lawyers Association of North Carolina.
• Carl L. Wilkins of Raleigh as a member at-large. Wilkins is the vice president of Distribution and Asset Operations for Quanta Technology, LLC. He previously served on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Energy Policy Council.
• Katharine W. Kollins of Chapel Hill as a member at-large. Kollins has been the president of the Southeastern Wind Coalition since 2015. She manages SEWC’s programming across 11 states working with a wide variety of stakeholders to promote land-based, offshore, and imported wind power.
• Peter H. Ledford of Raleigh as a member at-large. Ledford is general counsel for the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association. He previously worked as an attorney for the Wake Forest University Low Bono Program and as a staff attorney and legislative analyst for the North Carolina General Assembly Research Division.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Energy Policy Council:
• Rachael Estes of Raleigh as a member knowledgeable of alternative and renewable sources of energy. Estes is the government and regulatory affairs manager for Apex Clean Energy. She previously served as a climate & energy policy manager for the North Carolina Conservation Network.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Landscape Contractors’ Licensing Board:
• Bill Davis of Winston-Salem as a public member. Davis worked as a corporate lawyer for Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice for over 35 years before pursuing a master’s in landscape architecture. He previously chaired the NC Film Commission.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Auctioneers Commission:
• Allison H. Pant of Raleigh as a public member. Pant is a broker at Keller Williams Preferred Reality in the Triangle. Pant worked as a Senior Contracts Specialist at Red Hat and as an Associate at Vandeventer Black LLP.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Interagency Coordinating Council for Children from Birth to Five with Disabilities and their Families:
• Jim Burns of New Bern as a provider of early intervention services. Burns is a clinical social worker and team leader for the DHHS Early Intervention Children Developmental Services Agency. He is a member of the Blackbeard Sailing Club, the National Eagle Scout Association, and the National Association of Social Workers.
• Dr. Harriette Bailey of Statesville as a provider of early intervention services. Bailey is a consultant at the Early Childhood TA Center at UNC- Chapel Hill. Also, she is the birth-kindergarten program coordinator and assistant professor at UNC Greensboro.
• Dr. Kristi Snuggs of Wendell as a state child care regulatory agency representative. Snuggs is the deputy director for the Division of Child Development and Early Education at DHHS. She is a member of the Birth-Kindergarten Advisory Board at ECU and the North Carolina Head Start Association.
• Heather Lister of Elizabeth City as a provider of early intervention services. Lister is a teacher for the visually impaired at the Early Learning Sensory Support Program. She previously worked as a special preschool coordinator for the Elizabeth City-Pasquotank County School System.
• Zoë Hanes of Charlotte as a parent of a disabled child under age 12. Hanes is the chief executive officer and president of Pine Gate Renewables, LLC. She was the general counsel and vice-president of FLS Energy, Inc. in Asheville.
• Sarah Stevens of Raleigh as a provider of early intervention services. Stevens is the head administrator at SecurePath at the Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood. She sits on the advisory committee at the Contemporary Art Museum in downtown Raleigh.
• Lisa Phillips of Jamestown as an office of the coordination of education of homeless children & youth representative. Phillips has been the state coordinator for the NC homeless education program for over 10 years. She received a leadership award from the National Association of Federal Education Program Administrators.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Blue Ridge Community College Board of Trustees
• Richard “Duke” Woodhull, Jr. of Brevard as a member at large. Woodhull had thirty-two years of international business development experience with the Boeing Company and two North Carolina firms. Previously, he had a successful thirty-year Air Force flying career.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Edgecombe Community College Board of Trustees:
• Josie B. Davis of Rocky Mount as a member at-large. Davis formerly worked as an assistant principal at Southern Nash High School and as an administrative mentor for C.B. Martin Middle School. Davis has served on the Rocky Mount Chamber of Commerce Education Committee and on the Edgecombe County Planning Board.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Fayetteville Technical Community College Board of Trustees:
• Chandan Y. Shankar of Fayetteville as a member at-large. Shankar is an attorney at The Richardson Firm. He is a former assistance district attorney. Shankar is also a volunteer judge on the Cumberland County Teen Court and was awarded The National Trial Lawyers, Top 40 under 40 in both 2014 and 2015.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Guilford Technical Community College Board of Trustees:
• Brent Moore of Greensboro as a member at-large. Moore is the chief executive officer and general counsel of ABM Capital Management. Moore sits on the Board of Trustees for the Greensboro Sports Council and the Charlotte-based Interpreters Unlimited.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Lenoir Community College Board of Trustees:
• June S. Cummings of Kinston as a member at-large. Cummings has been a director at Lenoir/Greene United Way for over 15 years. Cummings is the recipient of the 53rd Citizen of the Year award by the Kinston-Lenoir County Chamber of Commerce.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Nash Community College Board of Trustees:
• Damian L. Tucker of Rocky Mount as a member at-large. Tucker currently works as a lawyer at the firm Hester & Tucker, PLLC where he is a partner and practices criminal law. Previously, he was an assistant district attorney for Nash, Edgecombe, and Wilson counties. Tucker is also a board member of the Nash-Edgecombe Boys & Girls Club.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Sandhills Community College Board of Trustees:
• Gene B. Horne, Jr. of Pinehurst as a member at large. Horne co-owned and operated convenience and gasoline stores. He previously worked in various positions for The Pantry, Inc., including serving as President. Horne has served on the North Carolina Association of Convenience Stores, Keep Moore County Beautiful, and the Economic Development Corporation of Moore County.