Governor Cooper Announces Appointments to State Boards and Commissions

Governor Roy Cooper announced appointments and nominations to North Carolina boards and commissions today.

Gov. Cooper has nominated the following individuals to the North Carolina Teachers` and State Employees` Retirement System Board of Trustees:

• Linda H. Gunter of Cary as a retired teacher. Gunter spent more than 30 years as a social studies teacher at Cary High School. Gunter was originally appointed to the board in 2018 and is being nominated for a second term.
• Jeffrey S. Winstead of Raleigh as a retired state employee. Winstead retired after 30 years with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol in 2002, and later went on to serve as a deputy in the Wake County Sheriff’s Department until 2015. Winstead was originally appointed to the board in 2017 and is being nominated for a second term.
• Brian C. Pierce of Cary as a national guard member. Pierce is the Director of Government and Legislative Affairs for the North Carolina National Guard. Pierce was a Battalion Commander and Brigade Commander for the North Carolina National Guard.
• Raquel Robinson of Greensboro as an active teacher. Robinson has 28 years of experience in education with Guilford County Schools, where she focuses on special education as an adapted curriculum teacher.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Board of Architecture and Registered Interior Designers:

• Ilesha Patel of Charlotte as a registered interior designer. Patel is a Senior Interior Project Manager for Perkins and Will in Charlotte, a global design and architecture firm. Patel has more than 10 years of design experience in the Charlotte area and was previously a Senior Designer with C Design Inc.
• Elizabeth Ann Pyle of Carrboro as a registered interior designer. Pyle is a Senior Interior Designer with Tina Barnard Designs in Morrisville, where she has worked on interior design projects throughout the state for the last 6 years.
• Emmy Knott Williams of Winston-Salem as a registered interior designer. Williams is a commercial interior designer at Interior Solutions, Inc., which she owns and manages. Williams’ design projects span from North Carolina to New York and internationally to Poland and China. Earlier this year, Williams was named a Medalist by the American Society of Interior Designers.

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

• Tevin S. Price of Winston-Salem as a Representative for business, industry, and labor.  Price is a Human Resources Representative and Recruiter Lead at IFB Solutions. He recruited well over 200 new hires with visual impairments, amongst other disabilities across the company.
• Frederick McEachern of Garner as a representative for the blind disability advocacy group. McEachern is a School Counselor at the Governor Morehead School and has served for the past 21 years.

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

• Cameron S. Belton of Durham as a member at-large. Belton is an Associate Attorney at the Law Offices of James D. Williams, Jr., where he practices in criminal defense, traffic matters, and athlete representation.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Advisory Committee on Cancer Coordination and Control:

• Ernestine Lucrecia Quick of High Point as an oncology nurse representing the Nurses Association. Quick is the Department Director of Inpatient Oncology at Cone Health Wesley Long Hospital. She has received many accolades for her work performance; two of which are the North Carolina Great 100 Nurse of 2005 and the Jones STAR Award of 2010. 

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners:

• Maria M. Lynch of Raleigh as a public member. Lynch is a partner at Lynch & Eatman, L.L.P., where she has worked since 1994. Lynch has over 40 years of law experience in North Carolina.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Governor`s Crime Commission:

• Monika Johnson Hostler of Raleigh as a representative from a domestic violence or sexual assault program. Hostler is the Executive Director of the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault. She serves as a District 2 Representative for the Wake County School Board and is the board President for the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence.
• Dontario Hardy of Kinston as the municipal government official. Hardy has served as Mayor for the City of Kinston since 2017. He also has worked at the local, county and federal levels of law enforcement for over 15 years. Hardy currently serves on the North Carolina Global Transpark Authority Board of Directors, North Carolina League of Municipalities Board of Directors, National League of Cities Board of Directors and as Chair of the NC Mayors Association. He is a proud veteran of the United States Navy.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing:

• Christina Lynne Armfield of Burlington as a local education agency representative. Armfield is the lead for the deaf, hard of hearing, and visually impaired at Sellars Gunn Educational Complex for the Alamance-Burlington School System. She previously worked as a speech-language pathologist at multiple schools in the school system.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors:

• Jeffrey J. Tracey, Jr. of Iron Station as a public member. Tracey serves as the Deputy Fire Marshal for Mecklenburg County. He also served as a Career Fire Officer for 14 years for the City of Concord and has been a Mecklenburg County Volunteer Firefighter for 21 years.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina State Board of Registration for Foresters:

• Elizabeth Snider of Raleigh as a registered forester. Snider manages North Carolina State University’s College of Natural Resources’ forestlands and is an instructor for the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources. She previously worked as a Natural Resources Police Officer for the West Virginia Division of Forestry, where she enforced the Logging Sediment Control Act in five counties.

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

• Sam Cook of Raleigh as a registered forester representing primary forest products industry. Cook is the Executive Director of Forest Assets and Vice President of the Natural Resources Foundation for the College of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University. He also serves as a board member for the World Forestry Center.

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

• Allen Serkin of Wilmington as a representative from lead regional organizations. Serkin is the Executive Director of the Cape Fear Council of Governments and has over 14 years of experience in local government, land use, transportation planning, and GIS mapping.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Halifax Community College Board of Trustees:

• Joyce Buffaloe of Margarettsville as a member at-large. Buffaloe is a Northampton County Commissioner. Previously, Buffaloe spent 16 years as the Coordinator of the Garysburg Family Resource Center for the Choanoke Area Development Association of North Carolina.
• Helen Powell Bush of Roanoke Rapids as a member at-large. Bush worked for Halifax County for almost 40 years before retiring from her role as Director of the Halifax County Board of Elections. After retirement, Bush also served as chair of the Halifax County Board of Elections.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Governor`s Advisory Council on Historically Underutilized Businesses:

• Danielle Marie Carman of Durham as the Executive Director of the North Carolina Council for Women. Carman is the Executive Director for Council for Women and Youth Involvement for the North Carolina Department of Administration.

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

• Joseph William Bartholomew of Asheville as a provider of early intervention services. Bartholomew is the Director of Autism Services at Access Family Services in Asheville. Bartholomew has worked in special education for almost 20 years.
• Cornelia Singletary of Rocky Mount as a division of social services foster care representative. Singletary is a Family Support Program Consultant with the North Carolina Division of Social Services. She also works closely with the division’s Child Welfare Family Advisory Council and has been in the early intervention field for over 25 years.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Internship Council:

• Bailey L. Recktenwald of Raleigh as a former intern. Recktenwald is the policy development analyst for the NC Department of Administration. She served as a former intern through the State of North Carolina Internship Program while completing her Bachelor’s degrees in Geography and Public Policy with a minor in Social And Economic Justice at UNC-Chapel Hill. Upon graduation and following her internship, she was hired as special assistant to the policy director in the Office of the Governor.

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

• Dr. Kimberly Grigsby-Sessoms of Rose Hill as a member at-large. Grigsby-Sessoms is an Internal Medical Doctor at her own practice, Sessoms Medical Practice and Associates. She has also taught at the UNC School of Medicine since 1997.

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

• Henry A. King of Edenton as a public member. King serves as the chief of police for the town of Edenton. He also serves as an executive board member for the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police.

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

• Ripley E. Rand of Raleigh as an individual who has five years’ experience in law enforcement. Rand is a partner at Womble Bond Dickinson, LLP. He served for six years as one of the President’s United States Attorneys in North Carolina, where he supervised hundreds of investigations and prosecutions and coordinated with multiple law enforcement agencies on national and international matters, including terrorism cases, white collar criminal investigations, federal criminal defense, and violent crime intervention.
• Joshua Malcolm of Pembroke as a member at-large. Malcolm is the President and Chief Executive Officer at Lumbee Tribe Holdings, Inc. He also serves as the Manager of Lumbee IT Solutions, LLC and the Lumbee 56 Construction, LLC. Malcolm also practices law at his own private practice.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Military Affairs Commission:

• Kathy K. Jensen of Fayetteville as a public member. Jensen is the Mayor Pro Tem of Fayetteville and was originally elected to the city council in 2013. Jensen opened her own business, An Affair to Remember Bridal and Formal Wear, in 2005.
• Frederick H. Black of Chapel Hill as a public member. Black is a retired independent management consultant who specialized in leadership and organizational evaluations and assessments in both private and public organizations. Prior to consulting, Black was an Associate Professor of Political Science at the United States Military Academy in West Point.
• Dr. Angelia J. Washington of Jacksonville as retired military residing near Cherry Point. Washington is a on the Jacksonville City Council and was originally elected in 2011. Washington has years of experience as a health and nursing educator for the military.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Museum of Art Board of Trustees:

• E. C. “Redge” Hanes of Winston-Salem as a 10th congressional district representative. Hanes worked seven years for Hanes Corporation in the knitwear division and then left to start Xpres Corporation, which later became The Russ Companies. Hanes later served as Chairman of The Russ Companies for three years and retired in 2011. He has served as Chair of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Vice Chair of the American Arts Alliance, member of the American Federation of the Arts, Vice Chair of the Governors Business Council of the Arts in North Carolina.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences Advisory Commission:

• Danielle M. Parry-Hill of Raleigh as a member at-large. Hill is the Director of Sales at TransUnion and former Senior Account Executive with SAS. She also volunteers with non-profit organizations in the greater Raleigh area.
• Dr. Anne S. York of Wrightsville Beach as a member at-large. York is now retired and has spent 25 years in academia serving on the faculty at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC-Chapel Hill, the University of Washington Foster School of Business, and Creighton University’s Heider College of Business. She also has multiple publications and is currently finishing her third book.
• Shyla M. Hairston of Greenville as a member at-large. Hairston has spent over 13 years working in the field of Higher Education. She volunteers with the Little Black Dress Scholarship Gala Committee and volunteers at various food banks and food giveaways.
• William Seth Palmer of Raleigh as a member at-large. Palmer is the Director of Strategic Communications at NP Strategy. He also serves on the Holt Brothers Foundation Board of Advisors, United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County Board of Directors, and New Leaders Council-North Carolina Chapter Board of Directors.

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

• Rodney L. Carson of Cary as a business and industry representative. Carson works as the Principal Engagement Manager at SAS. He also strategically restructured six economic development programs, including privatizing a public agency.
• Dr. Cheryl L. Richards of Charlotte as a business and industry representative. Richards is the current President of Johnson and Wales University at the Charlotte Campus. She also serves as Board member of the Charlotte Center City Partners, APPARO, American Heart Association, and Progressive AE.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Authority:

• Barnes J.A. Sutton of Wilmington as a member at-large. Sutton is the Director of Planning and Development for the Town of Navassa, where he has worked since 2017. Sutton is also on the board for Cape Fear Riverwatch and the Brunswick County Habitat for Humanity.

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

• Dr. Michael Kunz of Chapel Hill as a representative of the North Carolina Botanical Garden. He is the Conservation Ecologist for the North Carolina Botanical Garden, a role he has had since 2005.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina State Board of Examiners for Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors:

• William H. Sullivan III of Greensboro as an air conditioning contractor. Sullivan was the President and Treasurer of the Sullivan Mechanical Incorporation for over 20 years.
• Patricia K. Selby of Rolesville as a public member. Selby worked as a supervisor for on-the-job training for Vance Granville Community College. She also worked as a branch manager for the Employment Security Commission.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Structural Pest Control Committee:

• Shawn Dwight Lucas of Bailey as a public member. Lucas is a member of Greater Wilson and Nash Rocky Mount Rotary Club. He currently serves as the Planner for the Town of Nashville.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Tribal-State Compact Certification Commission:

• William C. McKinney of Greenville as chair. McKinney is a shareholder at Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd law firm. Prior to rejoining the firm, McKinney served as General Counsel to the Governor of North Carolina and Special Counsel to the Attorney General of North Carolina. He also worked in Washington, D.C. as a political officer with the United States Department of State before entering law school.
• Maria S. Thompson of Durham as a member at-large. Thompson currently works as a Cybersecurity Leader within the Private Sector. She served 20 years in the United States Marine Corps and retired as the cybersecurity chief and information assurance chief for the Marine Corps. She also joined the North Carolina Department of Information Technology in 2015 as the state’s first Chief Risk and Security Officer where she was instrumental in establishing the Whole of State Approach to Cyber. 

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

• Dr. Rubye Howard Braye of Wilmington as a member at-large. Braye is a Certified Coach and Strategic Consultant at The Wu Li Turtle Corporation where she assists in organization performance using customized assessments, strategic planning, coaching, and training.
• Donald E. Britt of Wilmington as chair. Britt is an attorney at his own firm, the Britt Law Firm, and has thirty-eight years of experience in real estate law.
• Veronica A. Carter of Leland as a member at-large. Carter is a former Civil Servant (International and US) and retired Army officer with over 40 years’ experience in managing complex logistics operations, often under austere conditions. She also successfully led diverse supply chain and logistics operations in military, government, and international organizations on four continents.
• Col. Ret. Marcia R. Morgan of Carolina Beach as a member at-large. Morgan has over 25 years’ experience in a variety of logistical assignments within the Army with Commands in domestic and international locations, with many assignments at the senior staff level, including tours on a select staff working for the Secretary of the Army. She also was one of two individuals hand-picked by the Superintendent of the Fort Worth Independent School District for placement in a black school prior to integration as part of a test to see how children responded to white teachers.
• Dr. Derrick R. Drakeford of Durham as a member at-large. Drakeford is the CEO of Drakeford Scott, & Associates. Drakeford has served on the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel-Hill, North Carolina Central University, and Shaw University in Raleigh, NC. He also has written eight books.

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

• Marjorie Benbow of Summerfield as a member at-large. Benbow is a Management Consultant and Attorney in Summerfield. Benbow was previously the Science and Technology Officer for north Carolina’s fourth largest hospital system and Executive Director for the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.
• Byinna A. Crowder of Raleigh as a member at-large. Crowder is the Director of Business Development for Examity. She also has nearly 20 years of experience in the educational and professional assessment industry of business development.
• Anna Jackson of Fuquay Varina as a member at-large. Jackson works as the Capital Campaign Director and Event Coordinator for SAFEchild North Carolina. She has also spent many years as an educator in the state.
• Sherry A. Kellett of Clyde as a member at-large. Kellett is retired after a career in business where she served as a controller and executive focused on accounting and financial management responsibilities. Kellett was originally appointed to the council in 2014.
• Mark Jerrell of Charlotte as a member at-large. Jerrell is serving his second term as a Mecklenburg County Commissioner. Jerrell runs a Speech Therapy company and worked for several fortune 500 companies as an operations manager. He also served in the United States Army Reserve and the North Carolina Army National Guard.
• Walker B. Moffitt of Asheboro as a member at-large. Moffitt works as a Project Manager in the Highway Construction Industry. He also has served on the North Carolina Zoological Park Council since 1997 and was appointed as the chair in February of 2020. 

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