Governor Cooper Announces New Appointments to State Boards and Commissions

RALEIGH: Governor Roy Cooper today announced 53 new appointments to various state boards and commissions, including the NC Works Commission, the Juvenile Jurisdiction Advisory Committee, and the Global Transpark Authority.

“I’m grateful that this talented group North Carolinians will serve our people and our state in these new appointments,” Gov. Cooper said.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the NCWorks Commission:

• Kevin Trapani of Chapel Hill as a business representative and Chair. Trapani has been the CEO of The Redwoods Group since 1997. Before joining The Redwoods Group, he served as Executive Vice President of the Burlington Insurance Group. Trapani graduated from Duke University in 1979, and he is a regular speaker at Duke’s Hart Center for Ethical Leadership. 
• Stan Sherrill of Charlotte as a business representative. Sherill is Vice President of Workforce Development and Employee and Labor Relations at Duke Energy. He previously served as Deputy General Counsel at Duke Energy, and practiced as an attorney at Littler Mendelson for almost a decade. 
• Pamela B. Townsend of Raleigh as a business representative. Townsend is currently Senior Vice President of the engineering consulting firm WSP USA. She was previously the Senior Vice President at Dewberry Engineers, Inc. Townsend has also served on the Governor’s Education Transformation Commission and on the NC State University Engineering Foundation Board. 
• Kimberly Toler of Alliance as a business representative. Toler is the Training Manager at Potash Corp-Aurora. In addition to her service on NCWorks, Toler also is a member of the Region Q Workforce Development Board and the North Carolina Apprenticeship Council. 
• Sergi Roura of Durham as a business representative. Roura is the North American Facilities President at the multinational pharmaceutical company Grifols. He also serves on the NC Biotech Center Board. 
• Susan Jackson of Durham as a business representative. Jackson is the Chief Compliance Officer at C³HealthcareRx. She previously was the Vice President of Health Delivery Redesign at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC). Jackson also served as the Executive Director of Network Development for WakeMed Health and Hospitals. 
• Jeffrey Frederick of Greensboro as a workforce representative. Frederick is Vice President of Human Resources at the Aerospace Filtration Division of Parker Hannifin Corporation. He is also the Chairman of the Guilford County Workforce Development Board and the President of the North Carolina Association of Workforce Development Boards. 
• Pastor Nathaniel Davis, Jr. of Durham as a workforce representative. Davis is the Senior Associate Pastor at World Overcomers Church in Durham where he oversees the day-to day ministerial operations of the church. He previously spent ten years as a teacher in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School System. 
• MaryBe McMillan of Cary as a workforce representative. McMillan is President of the North Carolina State AFL-CIO, where she represents over 120,000 union workers in the state of North Carolina. She previously worked as the Regional Coordinator of the AFL-CIO’s Union Community Trust Fund in Washington, D.C. 
• Dr. Hope Williams of Raleigh as a workforce representative. Williams is the President of North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, a position she has held since 1992. She has been a vocal advocate on various state and federal policies pertaining to education. Williams also served on the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center Board of Directors. 
• Mayor Shawn Brown of Claremont as a local elected official. Brown is the Mayor of the City of Claremont, North Carolina. He is also the Vice President of Safety and Driver Recruiting at Cargo Transporters, Inc. in Claremont. Brown previously served on the Claremont Parks and Recreation Committee and the Claremont Youth Council. 

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina: 

• Gene McLaurin of Rockingham as a member with expertise in manufacturing. McLaurin is the President of Swink-Quality Oil Company. He previously served as a member of the North Carolina Senate representing the 25th District. Additionally, from 1997-2012, McLaurin was Mayor of the City of Rockingham. 

Gov. Cooper appointed the following individual to the Golden L.E.A.F. Inc. Board of Directors:

• Thomas F. Taft, Sr. of Greenville as an at-large member. He is an attorney at Taft, Taft & Haigler and Owner and Developer at Consolidated Management of Greenville, Inc. Taft served three terms in the North Carolina State Senate, was a member of the UNC Board of Governors, the Southern Growth Policies Board, and the North Carolina Museum of Art Board of Trustees. 

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Parole Commission:

• Eric Montgomery of Charlotte. Montgomery is the President of the Montgomery Law Firm. He previously served as Assistant General Counsel for Bank of America and Flagstar Corporation. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for the African American Community Foundation. 

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Historical Commission:

• David Ruffin of Raleigh as Chair. Ruffin is the Director of Credit Risk Management at Dixon Hughes Goodman. He is also the co-founder of the consulting firm Credit Risk Management, LLC. Ruffin served as Treasurer for the Triangle Land Conservancy and as a board member for the Institute for Environment at the University of North Carolina. 

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Partnership for Children Board of Directors:

• Dr. Becky Simpkin of Chapel Hill as a pediatrician. Simpkin is a pediatrician at Sandhills Pediatrics in Southern Pines. She previously served as a Resident Physician in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Hospitals. 

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Juvenile Jurisdiction Advisory Committee:

• Krista Hiatt of Statesville as a rural county chief court counselor. Hiatt is the chief court counselor for District 22 at the Department of Public Safety’s Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice. She previously was the Court Counselor Supervisor at the Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. 
• Carol Cecus McManus of Gastonia as an urban county chief court counselor.Carol McManus is the chief court counselor for District 27A/B at the Department of Public Safety’s Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice. She previously worked as a clinical program manager at Samarkand Manor Youth Development Center in Eagle Springs. 

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

• Christopher Boney of Wilmington as Chair. Boney is an architect at LS3P Associates. He is also the Chairman of the Wilmington Planning Commission, and he serves on the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and the Cape Fear Future Executive Team. 
• Spence Broadhurst of Wilmington as Vice-Chair. Broadhurst is the President of the Eastern North Carolina Region of First National Bank. He previously served as Mayor of Wilmington from 2003-2006. Broadhurst is also a former member of the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce Board and the Wake County Board of Health. 
• Keith Mason of Washington as an at-large member. Mason is a partner at Mason & Jones, PA., Attorneys at Law. Mason also has served as an Assistant District Attorney for the Second Judicial District, where he prosecuted felony and misdemeanor cases. 
• Michael Bradshaw of Denver as an at-large member. Bradshaw previously worked for Caymus Consulting in Mooresville, N.C. He is a founding member of Pinnacle Enterprise Fund, LLC, and served as Chairman of the Western Carolina University Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Advisory Board. 
• Leslie Noble of Lumberton as an at-large member. Noble is the owner and manager of both Noble Self Storage and Noble Investment and Development. Mr. Noble previously served on the Select Bank and Trust Advisory Board, as well as the Comtech Business Park Board of Directors. 
• Nina Hill of Wilmington as an at-large member. Hill is an active member of her community and has volunteered with many different organizations, including the Salvation Army and the Boys and Girls Club. She is also the Fundraiser Coordinator for Arendell Parrott Academy in Kinston. 
• Charles Carpenter of Durham as an at-large member. He is a partner in the Durham law firm, Crabtree, Carpenter & Connolly, PLLC. Carpenter is a former member of the Board of Directors for the Durham County Bar Association and Board of Trustees of the Eastern Conference of the United Methodist Church. 
• Donald Britt of Wilmington as an at-large member. Britt practices business and real estate law at Britt Law Firm. He currently serves on the Historic Wilmington Foundation and is a past president. Britt previously served as president of the North Carolina Azalea Festival. 
• Wilma Daniels of Wilmington as an at-large member. Daniels is the owner of William Hooper Apartments in Wilmington. Daniels is the Chair of the Board of Trustees for UNC-Wilmington, and a member of the BB&T Advisory Board. She is also a member of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee. 
• Laura Padgett of Wilmington as an at-large member. Padgett is the Chair of the Mayor of Wilmington’s Task Force on Rail Realignment. She previously served five terms on Wilmington’s City Council. Padgett is also a former Board Member for the National League of Cities and the N.C. League of Municipalities. 
• Margaret Dickson of Fayetteville as an at-large member. Dickson was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 2002, and was appointed to the North Carolina Senate in 2010. Before becoming a legislator, she worked as a broadcasting executive. She also served on the boards of the Women’s Forum of North Carolina and the North Carolina State Bar. 
• Alexander Wilson of Raleigh as an at-large member. Mr. Wilson is an attorney at Wyrick, Robbins, Yates & Ponton, where he is a member of the firm’s recruiting committee. He is also the Founding President of the Cary Academy Alumni Board and a member of the Wake Forest Young Alumni Development Board. 
• Norwood Bryan of Fayetteville as an at-large member. Bryan is a former member of the North Carolina House of Representatives. He is the President of Bryan Pontiac Cadillac in Fayetteville. He also served as the President of the North Carolina Auto Dealers Association. 
• Deirdre McGlone-Webb of Wilmington as an at-large member. McGlone-Webb is currently a Branch Manager for South State Bank. She previously worked for SunTrust Bank for over 25 years. Ms. McGlone-Webb serves as the Treasurer for both the USS North Carolina Battleship Commission and for the North Carolina Azalea Festival Board. 
• Judge Sandra Ray of Wilmington as an at-large member. Ray has served as a District Court Judge in the 5th district since 2004. Ray served as the Chairman of the USS Battleship Commission from 2015-2016. Ray is also the Vice President of the Airlie Board and serves on the Cape Fear Museum Board. 
• Jack Wilson of Wrightsville Beach as an at-large member. Wilson worked as a consultant for Siemens Corporation. He also served as Director of Traffic at the North Carolina State Ports Authority. He is a retired Master Chief Petty Officer in the United States Coast Guard. 

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

• Craven Rand of Washington, D.C. as an at-large member. Rand is the Chief Operating Officer at Friends of the National Zoo, the nonprofit partner of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. He was previously the Executive Vice President at the National 4-H Council in Chevy Chase, Maryland. He has also served as Assistant Director of the Washington Center of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Kenan Institute of Enterprise. 
• Deborah Ponder of Hot Springs as an at-large member. Ponder served as Mayor of the City of Hot Springs. She also served as Chair of the Madison County Board of Commissioners. Additionally, Ponder has been a member of the Madison County Board of Health and the Hot Springs Clinic Board of Directors. 
• Emma Allen of Winston-Salem as an at-large member. Allen served as a Senior Vice President at Wells Fargo. She was also a Senior Vice President at Bank of America. Additionally, Allen has been a member of the Board of Directors for March of Dimes, and was the Vice Chairperson of the Afro American Cultural Center. 
• Deborah Noel of Raleigh as an at-large member. Noel is a senior producer at the UNC-TV network. She is also the host of the travel and leisure program North Carolina Weekend, as well as the public affairs series Black Issues Forum. 

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Geographic Information Coordinating Council:

• Steven Averett of Elon as an employee of municipal government, nominated by the League of Municipalities. Averett is currently the Geographic Information Systems and Special Projects Manager for the City of Greensboro. He previously served as GIS Coordinator for the City of Sanford. 
• Kathryn Clifton of Lexington as an employee of a county government, nominated by the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners. Clifton is a Geographic Information Systems Analyst for Davidson County. 
• Scott Lokken of Raleigh as an employee of the federal government who is stationed in North Carolina. Lokken is the National Geodetic Survey’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Advisor. He has worked for the National Geodetic Survey for twenty-nine years. 
• Alex Rankin of Concord as a representative to enhance the efforts of geographic information coordination. Rankin is the President at Concord Engineering and Surveying, Inc. He previously served as Chair of the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce. 
• Paul Badr of Charlotte as a representative to enhance the efforts of geographic information coordination. Badr is the President of Geospatial Division of Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. Badr has over thirty years of professional geospatial experience. 
• Jason Hedley of Raleigh as a representative to enhance the efforts of geographic information coordination. Hedley is a land surveyor at the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Raleigh Field Office of the Location and Surveys Unit. He previously worked at the Federal Highway Administration in Washington, D.C. 
• Lee Worsley of Apex as a representative from Lead Regional Organizations. Worsley is the Executive Director for the Triangle J Council of Governments. He was the Deputy County Manager for Durham County. 
• Debbie Joyner of Rocky Mount as member of the general public. Joyner served as Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Operations at Hardee’s Food Systems, Inc. She is also very active in her community, helping with fundraising operations at her daughter’s schools. 

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Bald Head Island Transportation Authority:

• Susan Rabon of Holly Springs as an at-large member. Rabon is the Vice President of the Commonwealth Group in Danville, VA. She previously served as Commissioner of the North Carolina Utilities Commission and as the Deputy Attorney General for Administration in the North Carolina Department of Justice. 

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Global Transpark Authority:

• David Howard of Raleigh as a representative of the economic development industry. Howard is the Chief Deputy Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Transportation. He previously was the Associate Administrator of Policy and Governmental Affairs for the Federal Highway Administration. Howard has also served on the Charlotte City Council. 
• Jack Best of Goldsboro as a representative of the commercial real estate industry. Best is the co-founder of the Highway 70 Commission, and the owner of the real estate investment firm M. Best and Sons. Best was a former Wayne County Commissioner. 
• Wanda Proffitt of Burnsville as a representative of the commercial real estate industry. Proffitt is the President of Carolina Mountain Realty and serves as Executive Director of Yancey County Economic Development Commission. Proffitt also served as a board member for the North Carolina Department of Transportation. 
• Norris Tolson of Rocky Mount as a representative of the banking and finance industry. Tolson is the CEO and President of the Carolinas Gateway Partnership. He was the President and CEO of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. Tolson served as both Secretary of Transportation and Secretary of Commerce for the State of North Carolina. He also served in the North Carolina House of Representatives. 
• Anuj Mittal of Raleigh as a representative of the banking and finance industry. Mittal is the co-founder and CEO of the MJM Group in Raleigh. He previously held senior level positions at the Bank of Montreal and the HSBC Group. 
• Tom Hendrickson of Zebulon as a representative of environmental interests. Hendrickson is the co-founder and former chairman of Triangle Environmental, Inc. He also is the Founding Chairman of North State Bank. Hendrickson is a member of the Urban Land Institute and the International Council of Shopping Centers. 

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Governor’s Commission on Access to Sound Basic Education:

• Nick Sojka of Laurinburg as an At-Large member. Sojka is a Partner with Williamson, Dean, Williamson & Sojka, LLP, in Laurinburg, where he serves as General Counsel to the Hoke County Schools, Scotland County Schools, and Clinton City Schools.  He is the 2017 recipient of the Marvin R. Pittman Champions for Education Award, presented by the NC Department of Public Instruction.