Governor Cooper Announces Appointments to State Boards and Commissions

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

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Andrea Harris Task Force:

• Secretary Pamela B. Cashwell of Raleigh in the seat reserved for the Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Administration.
• Betty J. Marrow-Taylor of Durham in the seat reserved for the Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer of the North Carolina Department of Commerce.
• Annette R. Taylor of Rolesville in the seat reserved for the Director of the North Carolina Department of Information Technology Office of Digital Equity & Literacy.
• Stephanie McGarrah of Pittsboro in the seat reserved for the Executive Director of the North Carolina Pandemic Recovery Office.
• Debra C. Farrington of Raleigh in the seat reserved for the Chief Health Equity Officer of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
• Tunya M. Smith of Raleigh in the seat reserved for the Director of the North Carolina Department of Transportation Office of Civil Rights.
• Shannon D. Palmer of Durham in the seat reserved for the Director of the North Carolina Department of Transportation Office of Historically Black Colleges and Universities Outreach.
• Jordan A. Lopez of Charlotte as a member of the Office of Hometown Strong. Lopez is a Policy Assistant for Hometown Strong.
• Gregory A. Richardson of Raleigh as a representative of the North Carolina Commission on Indian Affairs, of which Richardson serves as the Executive Director.
• Yahel Humberto Flores of Winston-Salem as a member of Governor’s Advisory Council on Hispanic/Latino Affairs. Flores is the Carolinas State Director at the American Business Immigration Coalition.
• Adrienne Spinner of Whitsett as a member of the North Carolina Council for Women. Spinner is the Director of Organizing at the North Carolina Housing Coalition.
• Annette H. Stevenson of Cary as a member of the Historically Underutilized Business Advisory Council. Stevenson is the President of the Stevenson Consulting Group.
• R. Andrew Spainhour of Greensboro as a member of the North Carolina Commission on Inclusion. Spainhour is the Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Replacements, LTD.
• Dr. Shun Robertson of Durham as a representative from the North Carolina Community College System or UNC System Office. Robertson is the Vice President for Access and Success Strategy for the UNC System.
• Dr. Angela Alvarado Coleman of Cary as a representative from a Historically Black College or University or a Minority Serving Institution. Coleman is the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at North Carolina Central University.
• Juvencio Rocha-Peralta of Greenville as a representative from a community organization aligned with the mission of the Task Force. Rocha-Peralta is the Executive Director of AMEXCAN.
• Kevin J. Price of Durham as a representative from a community organization aligned with the mission of the Task Force. Price is the President and CEO of The Institute.
• Haihui Huang of Cary as a representative from a community organization aligned with the mission of the Task Force. Huang is the President of CAECA and the President/CEO iPearl Inc.
• Dr. DeWarren K. Langley of Durham as a representative from a community organization aligned with the mission of the Task Force. Langley is the Visionary & Executive Director at the Charles Hamilton Houston Foundation Inc.
• Dr. Lenora Richardson Campbell of Greensboro as a member at-large. Campbell recently retired after serving as the Dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
• Dr. Sonyia C. Richardson of Concord as a member at-large. Richardson is an Assistant Professor at the UNC Charlotte School of Social Work.
• Quinny Sanchez Lopez of Waxhaw as a member at-large. Lopez is a Community Engagement Manager at Unite Us.
• Yazmin Garcia Rico of Mebane as a member at-large. Rico is the Director of Hispanic/Latinx Policy and Strategy at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
• Albert R. "Trey" Rabon III of Wake Forest as a member at-large. Rabon is the President of AT&T North Carolina.
• Dr. Cedric M. Bright of Greenville as a member at-large. Bright is the Associate Dean for Admissions, a Professor of Internal Medicine, and the interim Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion at the East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine.
• Dr. James H. Johnson, Jr. of Chapel Hill as a member at-large. Johnson is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship and Director of the Urban Investment Strategies Center at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.
• Margaret Weller-Stargell of Wilmington as a member at-large. Weller-Stargell is the Chair of the North Carolina Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services Waiver Advisory Committee. She is also the President and CEO of the Coastal Horizons Center.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Code Officials Qualifications Board:

• Montrena W. Hadley of Mebane as an elected official of a city with a population over 5,000. Hadley is a member of the Mebane City Council. Prior to her retirement in 2020, Hadley was the Planning Director for the City of Mebane for 19 years.

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

• Dr. Herbert Kim Lyerly of Chapel Hill as a physician. Dr. Lyerly is the George Barth Geller Professor of Cancer Research, Professor of Surgery, Professor of Pathology and Professor of Immunology at Duke University. Lyerly was previously the Director of the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center. Lyerly started programs addressing the incidence of cancer associated with environmental factors, which developed to become the Environmental Scholars Program at Duke, which he currently directs.
• Elizabeth Jill Weese of Raleigh as a member with special training in freshwater, estuarine, marine biological or ecological science. Weese is a licensed attorney in North Carolina. She served in the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office for 20 years where she worked in the Civil, Administrative and Environmental Divisions.

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

• Carol W. Larsen of Waynesville as a member at-large. Larsen is retired after a career in higher education. Larsen spent 12 years as the Assistant Dean for the College of Music and Dramatic Arts at Louisiana State University.

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

• Katrina Brownlee of Wake Forest as a member at-large. Brownlee started the Young Ladies of Our Future 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to fulfill her calling as a mentor and life coach after a career in law enforcement.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Juvenile Justice Planning Committee:

• Erendira E. Ramirez of Apex as a member involved with programs that are alternatives to confinement, including organized recreation activities. Ramirez is the Latinx Community Liaison Manager for CORRAL Riding Academy.
• Matthew G. Hughes of Hillsborough as a member at-large. Hughes is the Mayor Pro-Tem for the Town of Hillsborough. Hughes is a finance manager for a statewide non-profit organization focused on voter registration and civic engagement.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Marine Fisheries Commission:

• Sarah M. Gardner of Nags Head as a member at-large. Gardner is an Owner of Outer Banks Fly Fishing. Gardner is a life-long angler and started her fly fishing career 30 years ago.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Commission for Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services:

• Melissa Hall of Rockingham as a Developmental Disabilities Professional. Hall is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for Behavioral Health for Monarch. Melissa has 30 years of experience in the health and human services field.

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

• Ryan Keith McGill of Charlotte as a North Carolina resident who is a current or retired member of the North Carolina National Guard. McGill has served for 20 years in the military as an enlisted Navy Diver, an Officer of Marines (Aviation), and currently as a Chief Warrant Officer 3 in the North Carolina Army National Guard (Aviation Safety Officer and Blackhawk pilot).
• Robert S. Cooley, Jr. of Wilmington as a North Carolina resident who is a current or retired member of a reserve component of the Air Force, Army, or Navy. Cooley retired this year from his role as a Brigadier General and senior staff officer for the United States Army Reserve.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina State Ports Authority Board of Directors:

• Emily Parks of Raleigh as a member at-large. Parks is a productivity consultant, author, public speaker, and the founder of Organize for Success. Emily has an extensive business focused background that speaks to her expertise on increasing productivity.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Council on Sickle Cell Syndrome:

• Colesha L. Hagans of Raleigh as a member at-large. Hagans is a council member, sickle cell advocate, and project manager for the UNC Patient and Family Advisory Council.
• Shemeka D. Stokes of Hampstead as a member at-large. Stokes is the mother of a child with Sickle Cell Disease and is an advocate for children with Sickle Cell Disease.
• Tara Alin of Chapel Hill as a member at-large. Alin is a Nurse Practitioner on the Clinical Faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she provides comprehensive care to adolescents and adults with Sickle Cell Disease.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Travel and Tourism Board:

• Shannon Finucane of Charlotte as a tourism representative. Finucane is a Vice President and Senior Associate Counsel for Hornets Sports and Entertainment, overseeing all Legal Business Affairs for the Charlotte Hornets, the Greensboro Swarm, Hornets Venom GT, as well as the operational entity tasked with managing Spectrum Center Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Governor's Western Residence Board of Directors:

• Beth Brody of Waynesville as a member at-large. Beth is an artistic producer and a retired educator.
• Ken Brody of Waynesville as a member at-large. Ken is retired after serving as the President of Radio Communications Company and KRW United.
• Dorian Palmer of Connelly Springs as a member at-large. Palmer is the Vice President of Philanthropy at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina.
• Ashley H. Smathers of Canton as a member at-large. A native of Canton, Smathers taught at Pisgah High School for ten years and served in numerous leadership roles. 

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