Governor Cooper Announces State Boards and Commissions Appointments

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

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Agricultural Finance Authority:

• Dr. Amalendu Chatterjee of Durham as a member at-large. Chatterjee is the Co-Founder and Vice President of Technology for Eximsoft International. He has more than 30 years of experience in the technology industry.

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

• Shalimar R. Vega-Mavroff of Pineville as a member who is, or is employed by a person that is, licensed under Article 19B of Chapter 53 of the General Statutes. Vega-Mavroff works as Senior Manager at Better Mortgage in Charlotte. She has over 20 years of experience in the mortgage lending industry.

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

• Alison N. Kiser of Hillsborough as a member at-large. Kiser is the senior director of external affairs for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and the executive director of Planned Parenthood Votes South Atlantic. During her tenure with Planned Parenthood, she served as President of North Carolina Women United, an all-volunteer organization working to achieve full economic, social and political equality for women.
• Beth S. Posner of Chapel Hill as a member at-large. Posner is a clinical associate professor of law at the University of North Carolina School of Law, whose area of practice and teaching has focused primarily on domestic violence, sexual assault and related family law and immigration issues. She was the recipient of the North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys Gwyneth B. Davis Award in 2016.
• Liz Doherty of Raleigh as a member at-large. Doherty is pursuing her Master’s in Public Policy at the Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy. She was a senior press secretary for the Sierra Club. She also served as the communications director for Roy Cooper for North Carolina campaign.
• Elizabeth Ann Outten of Cary as a member at-large. Outten is the senior director of external affairs for Novant Health and previously served as their government relations manager. She has also served as a regional liaison for a U.S. Senator and volunteered as a Funny Tummy Feelings leader for SAFEchild.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Criminal Justice Information Network Governing Board:

• Ivy Joy McMillan of Durham as an Employee of Public Safety. McMillan is a Special Agent in Charge in the Criminal Information and Identification Section at the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. She also serves as the NC Criminal Justice Information Systems Officer, the National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact Officer for NC and as the NC gubernatorial appointee for the National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics Membership Group.

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

• Jesse B. Caldwell III of Gastonia as a member at-large. Caldwell served as a Resident Superior Court Judge in Gaston County for over 20 years. As president of the Little Theatre of Gastonia, he initiated partnership for 1982 production of "Grease" to be performed in Myers Auditorium at Gaston College. Caldwell has also served on the Habitat of Humanity of Gastonia, Gaston-Lincoln Mental Health Authority and Gaston Community Action Board.

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

• Hope S. Morgan of Graham as chair. Morgan works at AECOM as a Project Manager and GIS Specialist Master. Before joining AECOM, Morgan spent 13 years with North Carolina Emergency Management as a GIS Manager and IT Applications Manager.
• Linda Ann Thurman of Charlotte as a representative to enhance the efforts of geographic information coordination. Thurman is the Director for Student Professional Development and Employer Relations for the William States Lee College of Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Thurman is also on the Harrisburg Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.

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

• Carlton B. Joyner of Raleigh as a member knowledgeable about corrections. Joyner works as a compliance inspector at The Nakamoto Group, Inc and as a Correctional Administrator. He also worked as a Warden at Central Prison and Deputy Director of Auxiliary Services, where he assisted in managing the state’s prison system.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Historic Hillsborough Commission:

• William Craft Abbotts of Hillsborough as a member at-large. Abbotts worked at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for thirty-nine years. He and his family have lived in the Triangle area since 1970.
• Richard Lawrence Hill of Chapel Hill as a member at-large. Hill is the owner and designer for HillStudio. He has received numerous PICA Awards throughout his 25-year career.
• Cathleen D. Turner of Hillsborough as a member at-large. Turner is the Director of Preservation North Carolina Piedmont Regional Office. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough for the past seven years.
• Phyllis Mack Horton of Hillsborough as a member at-large. Horton is the senior business analyst for Pearson. She is also the co-founder of Beyond Expectations, 501(c)3.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Historical Records Advisory Board:

• Dr. Trey Adcock of Asheville as a member at-large. Adcock is an Associate Professor and the Interim Chair of Interdisciplinary and International Studies at the University of North Carolina Asheville. He is also the Director of the American Indian & Indigenous Studies Minor.

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

• Christy Brooks of Durham as a member at-large. Brooks is the magnet coordinator, teacher, MTSS facilitator, and test coordinator at Lakewood Montessori Middle School. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Durham-Chapel Hill Jewish Federation. She has also received a scholarship for the Appalachian State University Holocaust Symposium.
• Alina Gerlovin Spaulding of Greensboro as a member at-large. Spaulding is the motivational speaker and fundraiser for the Jewish Federations North America.

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

• Andrea T. Allard of Youngsville as a nonexempt state employee. Allard works as an Executive Assistant for the NC Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. She has also served in the U.S. Army for three years.
• Tracy T. Webb of Zebulon as a nonexempt state employee. Webb works as the staff development specialist II and regional trainer for the NC FAST Division for the Department of Health and Human Services. She works as a county precinct official for the NC State Board of Elections.

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

• Lawrence G. Baxter of Durham as a public member. Baxter is the David T. Zhang Professor of the Practice of Law at the Duke University School of Law. Baxter has been with Duke University since 1986. He is also an entrepreneurial and professional consultant with Strategic Catalytics LLC.
• Vijay Srinivasan of Charlotte as a public member. Srinivasan is a Senior Vice President for CGI, where he leads their US South Business Unit and US Manufacturing Industry. Srinivasan has more than 27 years of experience in IT and professional services.

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

• Bradley Hamilton Merritt of Pinehurst as a UNC system representative. Merritt works as the Director of Career Services at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

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

• John D. Burns of Raleigh as a current or former county commissioner. Burns is the General Counsel for the Carolinas Clean Energy Business Association and has more than 20 years of experience practicing law. Burns was a Wake County Commissioner from 2014 to 2018.
• Vida C. Harvey of Charlotte as a public member. Harvey is the Vice President and Assistant General Counsel of Mergers, Acquisitions, and Strategic Partnerships at Novant Health, Inc. Harvey has previously served on the Women’s Impact Fund Board of Directors and is currently on the Levine Museum of the New South Board of Directors.
• Nancy J. Hoffman of Greensboro as a current or former municipal mayor or board member. Hoffman has served on the Greensboro City Council since 2011. Hoffman joined national recruiting practice Reffett Associates in 1998 as Managing Director after a 22-year career in corporate executive management.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice:

• Eddie M. Buffaloe, Jr. of Elizabeth City as a North Carolina Department of Public Safety representative. Buffaloe was recently sworn in as the new Secretary for the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. Prior to his appointment, he worked a dual role as Elizabeth City’s interim city manager and director of the Elizabeth City Department of Public Safety. Buffaloe also served as president of the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina State Health Coordinating Council:

• Sandra B. Greene of Chapel Hill as chair. Greene is the Professor of the Practice at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill within the Department of Health Policy and Management, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. She also works as the co-director for their Health Care Economics and Finance Program.
• Pamela Alston Oliver of Lewisville as vice chair. Oliver works in the Physician, Obstetrics, and Gynecology section at Novant Health Woman Care. She is also the Executive Vice President of the Physician Network at Novant Health.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service:

• Natalia M. Botella of Cary as a designee from the Governor’s Office. Botella is a Policy Advisor for the Governor’s Office focusing on public safety issues. She previously worked as an attorney for the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy.

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

• Tara M. Sanchez of Charlotte as chair. Sanchez worked as a background investigator/recruiter for the City of Charlottesville Police Department. She served on the Presidential 21st Century Policing Task Force as the COPS representative.
• Rebecca Kern of Charlotte as an adult member. Kern is the Director of Education Policy at Equality North Carolina. Kern is also a recipient the Charlotte LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce Impact Award in 2020.
• Shakira Clarke of Charlotte as an adult member. Clarke is a youth housing specialist for Time Out Youth Center. She worked as a youth housing specialist for Roof Above for three years.
• Sharnee’ White of Clinton as an adult member. White teaches fourth grade at Sunset Avenue School. She volunteered at CHS Lady Darkhouse Summer and Christmas Jamboree for four years.
• KC Buchanan of Durham as an adult member. Buchanan is the Co-director of Project FAM and Director of Housing and Therapeutic services at the LGBTQ Center of Durham, Inc. Buchanan also volunteered as the youth programs director for High Country LGBTQ Youth Alliance.
• James Rice III of Charlotte as an adult member. Rice works as the Associate Director of Communications and Partnerships for Time Out Youth Center. He was the 2021 recipient of Charlotte Black Pride’s Heart of the Community Award for Outstanding Achievement in Community Leadership.
• Adrian S. Parra of Asheville as an adult member. Parra works as the Executive Director at Youth OUTright. Parra received the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr 2020 Service Award.

###