Governor Stein Announces Boards and Commissions Appointments

Today Governor Josh Stein announced appointments to boards and commissions. 

Governor Stein has appointed the following new member to the Biotechnology Center Board of Directors: 

• Marlene Louise Sanders of Wake County as Someone Involved in Fields of Biotechnology or Life Sciences. Sanders is the Director of State Government and Policy at Merck & Company.  

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the Governor’s Teacher Advisory Council: 

• Rachel Maria Ogo Candaso of Martin County as an Active Classroom Teacher. Candaso is currently an AVID Elective Teacher and Site Coordinator at Wellcome Middle School in Greenville. She is the 2025 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year.  
• Dolores Amanda Aguayo of Alamance County as an Active Classroom Teacher. Aguayo is a Visual Arts Teacher at Gavelly Hill Middle School in Efland.  
• Tayler Duncan Bomar of Mitchell County as an Active Classroom Teacher. Bomar is a Second Grade Teacher at Greenlee Primary School in Spruce Pine. She is a 2025 Burroughs Wellcome Fund Northwest Regional Teacher of the Year. 
• Emily Morgan Burrus of Haywood County as an Active Classroom Teacher. Burrus is a French Teacher at Pisgah High School in Canton.  
• Bobbie Joe Cavnar of Gaston County as an Active Classroom Teacher. Cavnar is an English Teacher and Chair of the English Department at South Point High School in Belmont. In 2016, he was the North Carolina Teacher of the Year. 
• Summer Anne Espinosa of Union County as an Active Classroom Teacher. Espinosa is a Kindergarten Teacher at W.R. Odell Primary School. She is the 2025 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Beginning Teacher of the Year.  
• Tamika Jaquetta Farmer of Martin County as an Active Classroom Teacher. Farmer is a Fourth Grade Teacher at G.W. Carver Elementary School in Pinetops, where she also serves as a mentor to new elementary teachers. Farmer was also named 2025 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Central Region’s teacher of the year as well as the 2025 Edgecombe County Public Schools Teacher of the Year.  
• Emma Nicole Geist of Wake County as an Active Classroom Teacher. Geist is an Extended Content Standards Teacher at Davis Drive Middle School in Cary. 
• Taleah Chanel Jones of Guilford County as an Active Classroom Teacher. Jones is a Sixth Grade Social Studies Teacher at Broadview Middle School in Burlington. She is also the 2025 Burroughs Wellcome Fund Piedmont Triad Region Teacher of the Year. 
• Yaronda Ameris Kilgo of Union County as an Active Classroom Teacher. Kilgo is a Kindergarten Teacher at Wingate Elementary School in Monroe. She is the 2025 Burroughs Wellcome Fund Piedmont Southwest Region Teacher of the Year. 
• Christian Cortez Martin of Craven County as an Active Classroom Teacher. Martin is a Middle School English Language Arts Teacher at Craven County Schools as well as a Teacher Cadet Cadre Member at the North Carolina Foundation for Public School Children. He was named Craven County Schools Beginning Teacher of the Year in 2024. 
• Anthony Sean Martin of Columbus County as an Active Classroom Teacher. Martin is a Technology Engineering and Design Instructor at East Columbus Junior/Senior High School in Lake Waccamaw. He is also the 2025 Burroughs Wellcome Fund Sandhills Region Teacher of the Year and was a finalist for North Carolina State Teacher of the Year. 
• Elyse Cannon McRae of Pitt County as an Active Classroom Teacher. McRae teaches World History, Economics and Personal Finance, AP Psychology, and Civic Literacy at South Central High School in Winterville. 
• Marisha Darice Merchant of Onslow County as an Active Classroom Teacher. Merchant is an English and AVID Elective Teacher at White Oak High School in Jacksonville.  
• Hannah Parry Moon of New Hanover County as an Active Classroom Teacher. Moon is a High School English Teacher and Chair of the English Department at Laney High School in Wilmington. She is the 2025 Burroughs Wellcome Fund Southeast Region Teacher of the Year. 
• Lindsay Combs Phillips of Lincoln County as an Active Classroom Teacher. Phillips is a Kindergarten Teacher at Mountain Island Charter School in Mt. Holly. She is the 2025 Burroughs Wellcome Fund Charter School Teacher of the Year. 
• Lydia Roberts Carson Sale of Swain County as an Active Classroom Teacher. Sale is a First Grade Teacher at Swain County Schools. She also serves on Swain County Schools’ District Leadership Team. She is the 2025 Burroughs Wellcome Fund Western Region Teacher of the Year. 

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the Governor's Environmental Justice Advisory Council: 

• Dr. Valerie Ann Johnson of Granville County in an At-Large Seat. Johnson is currently the Co-Director of Infrastructure and Development at the North Carolina Environmental Justice Network. She is also an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources in the College of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University.  
• Dr. Jovita Lee of Wake County in an At-Large Seat. Lee is the Program and Policy Director at the NC Black Alliance and Advance Carolina, as well as a freelance Organizational Consultant. 

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the Justus-Warren Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force: 

• Dr. Sylvester Ejeh of Cumberland County as a Practicing Family Physician, Pediatrician, Or Internist. Dr. Ejeh is an Interventional Cardiologist with Cumberland Cardiology, P.A. He completed his internal medicine residency, cardiology fellowship, and interventional cardiology fellowship at both Howard University Hospital and University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital. 

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the Marine Fisheries Commission: 

• Johnathan Edward Mallette of Onslow County as a Commercial Dealer or Processor from the Coastal Region who derives more than 50 percent of income from dealing/processing. Mallette is a life-long commercial and recreational fisherman and the owner of Southern Breeze Seafood in Jacksonville, as well as a Chef Ambassador for NC Catch and Got to Be NC.  

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Acupuncture Licensing Board: 

• Dr. Crystal Noelle Cliff of Mecklenburg County as a Licensed Acupuncturist. Cliff is the Owner and President of Phoenix Moon Acupuncture and Apothecary in Charlotte.  

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Alarm Systems Licensing Board: 

• Kim Heffney of Chatham County as a Public Member. Heffney began his career as a Special Agent with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation specializing in Arson Investigation and was most recently an Internal Affairs Investigator with the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. He also serves as a member of the North Carolina Private Protective Services Board. 

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Board of Science, Technology and Innovation: 

• Dr. Jerome Lynch of Durham County as a Representative of Duke University Nominated by Duke President. Lynch is the Vinik Dean of Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He is also a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE) Engineering Mechanics Institute and led the University of Michigan’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering as department chair from 2017 to 2021. 

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Cemetery Commission: 

• David R. Buchanan of Gatson County as Someone Nominated by the North Carolina Cemetery Association. Buchanan is the owner of Westview Gardens in Bessemer City. He was a previous President of the North Carolina Cemetery Association.  

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Interagency Council for Coordinating Homeless Programs: 

• Lisa E. Phillips of Guilford County as a Superintendent of Public Instruction Representative. Phillips is currently the State Coordinator for Homeless Education at the Serve Center at UNC Greensboro. 

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Psychology Board: 

• Shiquita Hyman of Alamance County as a Psychological Associate Nominated by the North Carolina Psychological Association. Hyman is a Regional Director and LPA at Butterfly Effects, LLC in Raleigh.  

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Rural Electrification Authority: 

• Cynthia Wallace of Mecklenburg County in an At-Large Seat. Wallace is the Executive Director at the New Rural Project in Charlotte.  

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority: 

• Phillip Feagan of Polk County as a Representative of a Tier 1 or Tier 2 County. Feagan served as the attorney for Polk County Board of Education for 18 years until July 2025. His practice included representation of the Polk County Department of Social Services in Adult and Child Protective Services cases for nearly 40 years before his resignation at the end of March 2025.  
• Commissioner Ronald Dean Wesson of Bertie County as a Representative of a Tier 1 or Tier 2 County. Wesson retired after 12 years of service to his community as a Bertie County North Carolina Commissioner, and lives in Windsor, N.C. Ron served as Chairman of that board for many years. During that tenure, Ron also served on the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners’ Board of Directors, and in 2017-18 chaired the Tax and Finance Committee. He also previously served as Chairman of the association’s General Government Committee 
• Brady Cody of Graham County as a Representative of a Tier 1 or Tier 2 County. Cody currently serves as the Graham County Manager and was previously the founder of Cody Law Group in Robbinsville. 

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Sedimentation Control Commission: 

• Robin W. Smith of Orange County as an Environmental Management Commission Representative. Smith is a licensed attorney who provides legal and consulting services through Robin Smith Law Office PLLC. Smith previously served as Assistant Secretary for the Environment at the North Carolina Department. of Environment and Natural Resources from September 1999 to December 31, 2012.  
• Brian North of Wake County as a Mining Commission Representative. North is the Director of Environmental Services at Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. 
• Joshua Lee Heitman of County as a North Carolina State University Soil Science Department Representative. Heitman is a Professor of Soil Physics in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at NC State University. 

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners: 

• James T. Ahler of Wake County as a Public Member. Before retiring in 2016, Ahler served as CEO of the NC Association of CPAs for 28 years. He previously served as the Executive Director of the Kentucky State Board of Accountancy for 10 years. 

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina State Board of Podiatry Examiners: 

• Dr. Gary Liao of Durham County as a Podiatrist Nominated by Board. Liao currently serves as Clinical Faculty in the Podiatry Section of Duke Orthopedics.  

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina State Commission for Public Health: 

• Diamond Staton-Williams of Cabarrus County as a Registered Nurse. Staton-Williams is the Director of Outpatient and Community Care Management at Atrium Health. She is also a former member of the North Carolina House of Representatives from 2023-2025. 
• Dr. Emily Collins of Forsyth County as a Licensed Veterinarian. Collins is an Associate Veterinarian at Reynolda Veterinary Hospital in Winston-Salem. 
• Christopher Nathan Roberts of Gaston County as a Licensed Pharmacist. Roberts is a District Leader at CVS Health and has been in the pharmacy industry for more than a decade. 

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina State Licensing Board for General Contractors: 

• Kevin Anderson of Orange County as a Public Member. Anderson was most recently a Senior Counsel for Consumer Protection and Multistate Litigation at the North Carolina Department of Justice, where he served in various roles for more than 25 years.  

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Statewide Independent Living Council: 

• Alyssa Hampton of Alexander County as an Individual with a Disability. Hampton is a Life Insurance Agent at American Income Life.  
• Brittny Jean Zenere of Wake County as an Individual with a Disability. Zenere is the Director of Operations at the Alliance of Disability Associates.  

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Veterans Affairs Commission: 

• Michael J. Burns III of New Hanover County as a 7th Congressional District Representative. Burns is a former Navy SEAL Officer and current venture capital investor at Canapi Ventures. He also serves on the board of the Boulder Crest Foundation, an organization that supports veteran mental health and resilience. 

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the Social Services Commission: 

• Jill Austin of Yancey County as a 11th Congressional District Representative. Austin is a lifelong resident of Yancey County with a deep-rooted commitment to the people and families of her community. She has been a local business owner for more than 40 years and previously served on the Yancey County Board of Commissioners. 

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the Well Contractors Certification Commission: 

• David Walton Hutson of Durham County as a Public, At Large, Not Engaged in Well Contractor Activities, or Employed by Well Contractor or Government Agency. Hutson is a retired water well contractor, most recently employed by Acme Well Co. He is also a Member of the North Carolina Groundwater Association and its Board of Directors.