Today Governor Josh Stein announced appointments to boards and commissions.
Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Awards Committee:
- Joe Sam Queen of Haywood County as an at-large member. Queen previously served in both the North Carolina House and the North Carolina Senate where he represented various counties in western North Carolina. He has been a registered architect in North Carolina for more than forty years, is a small business owner, and currently serves as a member of the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority.
- Margaret Weller Stargell of New Hanover County as an at-large member. Stargell has been employed at Coastal Horizons Center since 1985, where she began her work in counseling. In 1995, she became the executive director of the agency and currently serves as the president and CEO. She is also the founder and president of the Willie Stargell Foundation, a private non-profit organization that raises money to assist those struggling with kidney disease.
- Wendy Brenner of Forsyth County as an at-large member. Brenner also currently serves on the Nature Conservancy of North Carolina.
Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina State Board of Registered Environmental Health Specialist Examiners:
- Stacie Saunders of Buncombe County as the Department of Health and Human Service Secretary's duly authorized representative. Saunders is the Deputy Director/Section Chief of Local & Community Support of the North Carolina Division of Public Health within the Department of Health and Human Services. She previously served as the Public Health Director for Buncombe County Health & Human Services.
Governor Stein has appointed the following to the Financial Literacy Council:
- Dr. Srinivasan Krishnamurthy of Wake County as a representative for programs related to financial education or services/Representative from the University of North Carolina. Krishnamurthy is currently an Associate Professor of Finance at the Poole College of Management at North Carolina State University.
Governor Stein has appointed the following to the Governor's Advisory Council on Student Safety and Well-Being:
- Robert (Bo) Trumbo of Wake County as another representative from local and state government, academic institutions, or research or advocacy groups. Trumbo currently serves as an Assistant Director at North Carolina Emergency Management. He served in the U.S. Secret Service from 1987-2019 and as a North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Director from 2019-2020.
Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Grievance Resolution Board:
- Adrina Bass of Wake County as Executive Director. Bass previously served as a Special Deputy Attorney General at the North Carolina Department of Justice, where she had roles in the Education Section and Criminal Bureau. She first joined NCDOJ in 2019.
Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Agricultural Hall of Fame Board of Directors:
- Dorathy Barker of Granville County as an at-large member. Barker is the Executive Director and co-founder of Operation Spring Plant Incorporated. OSP is a legal grassroots non-profit entity chartered under the General Statutes of North Carolina in 1987, assisting North Carolina’s only two remaining Black-owned dairy farms in maintaining their owner/operator status.
Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Board of Architecture and Registered Interior Designers:
- Eric J. Lindstrom of Cumberland County as an architect. Lindstrom is an owner and design director of SFLA Architects with more than 30 years of experience in K-12, municipal, and university projects across North Carolina. He also serves on the North Carolina Arts Council Board and has been active in numerous arts initiatives.
- Dia Holman of Durham County as a Registered Interior Designer. Holman is a Senior Lead Interior Designer at O’Brien Atkins Associates. She served as a Strategic Service Associate for Duke Raleigh Hospital and as a Staff Interior Designer for Duke University’s Health System.
Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Board of Transportation:
- Denver Ralph Huff of Cumberland County as a representative from the 6th Transportation Division. Huff is a Fayetteville-based real estate expert who has worked with several businesses and firms. He founded the Huff Family Office.
Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service:
- Dr. Elena Ashburn of Wake County as a designee from the Governor’s Office. Dr. Ashburn currently serves as Governor Stein's Senior Advisor for Education Policy and previously served as the Central Area Superintendent of the Wake County Public School System from 2022-2025.
Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing:
- Stephanie Bland of Carteret County as a parent of a deaf child in the eastern area. Bland is currently a House Manager, where she cares for her family members who are deaf/hard of hearing.
Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Geographic Information Coordinating Council:
- Larken Egleston of Mecklenburg County as the head of an at-large state agency not represented in subsection (d) of this section of North Carolina General statute 143B-1421. Egleston was most recently the District Director for then-Congressman Jeff Jackson and previously served on the Charlotte City Council from 2017-2022.
Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission:
- Simone Gilchrist of Durham County as Attorney General or designee. Gilchrist is a Project Advisor in the Public Protection Section at the North Carolina Department of Justice.
Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Interagency Coordinating Council for Children from Birth to Five with Disabilities:
- Lisa Griffin Dean of Burke County as a Head Start Representative. Dean has served as a Health and Disabilities Coordinator/Early Childhood Educator/Interpreter at Enola Group; Early Head Start since 2011.
- Dr. Margaret Porter of Davidson County as a Provider of Early Intervention Services. Porter is the owner of Porter Pediatric Therapy in High Point. She also is an Adjunct Instructor at the Medical University of South Carolina College of Health Professions.
- Marcia Fort of Wake County as a representative of the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). Fort is a Licensed pediatric audiologist with 33+ years of clinical experience, including 20+ years working in the North Carolina Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Program.
Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Interagency Council for Coordinating Homeless Programs:
- Stephanie G. McGarrah of Chatham County as Secretary of Commerce or designee. McGarrah serves as Deputy Secretary for the Division of Community Revitalization within the North Carolina Department of Commerce, leading the state’s efforts to support recovery and revitalization in western North Carolina following the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene.
Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Military Affairs Commission:
- Lieutenant Col. Walter David Ham of Wayne County as a retired member of the military living near Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. Colonel Ham is recognized for his leadership abilities. He was assigned as a Tactical Officer at the Academy and selected for flight training at the U.S. Army Primary Helicopter Center at Ft. Wolters, Texas. He earned his silver flight wings at Ft. Rucker, Alabama, in 1970.
Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina State Board of Examiners in Optometry:
- Susanne Kilgo of Henderson County as a member nominated by the NC Opticians Association. For more than 30 years, Dr. Kilgo has provided comprehensive eye care to patients in western North Carolina. She has served on the Henderson County Board of Health for nine years.
Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Veterans Affairs Commission:
- LTC Alexander Mendaloff III of Iredell County as a Representative of the 10th Congressional District. Mendaloff III is a retired Lieutenant Colonel with more than 31 years of military service. He is a former superior court judge for the 22A Judicial District of the Sixth Division of the Superior Court, serving Alexander and Iredell counties in North Carolina.
- Roger P. Farina of Harnett County as a representative of the 13th Congressional District. Farina is as an advocate for veterans who assesses their needs and manages grant packages that deliver millions in benefits, while navigating complex regulatory landscapes. His military background includes roles as a Manpower Program Analyst at the U.S. Army Military Academy, where he advised on programming policies and developed strategic plans, and as an Assistant Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, mentoring cadets and leading marketing campaigns for the military science department.
Governor Stein has appointed the following to the Statewide Independent Living Council:
- Leilani Morgan of Durham County as an individual with a disability. Morgan is a Senior Manager at Fidelity Investments.
- Margarita Connelly of Mecklenburg County as an individual with a disability. Connelly was most recently a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant at the Citadel of Morrisville.