Governor Cooper announces appointments to state boards and commissions

RALEIGH: Today, Governor Roy Cooper announced new appointments to boards and commissions across North Carolina.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina 911 Board: 

• John L. Moore of Raleigh as a VoIP provider representative. Moore is the regional director of strategic sales for Spectrum Enterprise. Moore has worked for Time Warner Cable/Spectrum Enterprise since 2001.

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

• James B. Butler of Burlington as a member at-large. Butler is the Executive General Manager of Modern Automotive Network and Modern Toyota. Butler also serves on the Burlington City Council, the Piedmont Triad Regional Council Executive Board, and is a trustee for the Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual as chair of the Clean Water Management Trust Fund: 

• John B. Wilson of Chapel Hill as chair. Wilson is a former board member and president of the Conservation Trust for North Carolina, board member of the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation and the North Carolina Botanical Garden Foundation, and President’s Council member of the Southern Environmental Law Center. He has produced several documentaries for UNC-TV and edited the UNC Institute for the Environment video series, “Climate Stories NC.” Wilson has taught at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media, Department of Communication, and curriculum in environment & ecology.

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

• Traci Lorraine Farmer of Raleigh as a licensed cosmetologist. Farmer has been the Owner and Operator of Crazy Combs Salon since 2001. She is an Advisory Board Member for REACH (Resilience, Empowerment, Access for Children Experiencing Homelessness) of Passage Homes in Wake County. Farmer is also a celebrated mixed media artist. Her current paintings center around local buildings and obsolete structures.

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

• Tracey D. Ray of Burgaw as a member at-large. Ray is the Executive Director of Safe Haven of Pender & Duplin Counties, serving victims of domestic violence. She has served as program director and volunteer coordinator for Turning Away from Fear (TAFF, Inc.) and also served on the Sexual Violence Task Force (Coastal Horizons, Inc.).

• Karen Wallace-Meigs of Fairview as a member at-large. Wallace-Meigs is the Executive Director for Girls on the Run of Western North Carolina. Wallace-Meigs is also a fellow for the North Carolina Institute of Political Leadership. She is a former teacher and won Teacher of the Year for Durham Public Schools in 1992.

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

• Sandra K. Phelps of New Bern as a member at-large. Phelps is the executive director of the United Way of Coastal Carolina, which serves Carteret, Craven, Jones, and Pamlico counties. Before beginning her tenure with the United Way in 1997, Phelps worked as a public relations and marketing director.

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

• Peter B. Sandbeck of Hillsborough as a member at-large. Sandbeck is the Cultural Resources Coordinator in the Orange County Division of Natural and Cultural Resources. Sandbeck was previously head of the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies: 

• Ashley Lefler Wilson of Chapel Hill. Wilson is a retired Family Nurse Practitioner. She is a volunteer for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundation as a fundraiser for innovative programs and projects to support teachers and students. She also volunteers by teaching nutrition and cooking skills at UNC Horizons, a substance use disorder treatment program for pregnant and/or parenting women and their children.

• Sydney J. Batch of Raleigh. Batch was elected to serve in the North Carolina House of Representatives in 2018. Batch is a Partner at Batch, Poore & Williams, PC. She was recently appointed to serve on the Lillian’s List Board and on the Ethics Committee for the North Carolina State Bar.

• George B. Abercrombie of Chapel Hill. Abercrombie served as President and Chief Executive Officer at Hoffmann-La Roche Incorporated from 2001-2009 where he was responsible for leading the North American Pharmaceuticals Operations in Nutley, New Jersey, and the Canadian affiliate, Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. in Mississauga, Ontario. Abercrombie teaches second year MBA candidates in the Duke University Fuqua School of Business Health Sector Curriculum, where he serves as an Adjunct Professor.

• Tamika Walker Kelly of Raleigh. Kelly serves as the President of the North Carolina Association of Educators, the state's largest professional organization for public school employees. Prior to her current role, Tamika served as Vice President of the Cumberland County Association of Educators and taught at Morganton Road Elementary for 13 years as the K-5th Grade Music Specialist.

• Shelby L. Chaden of Winston-Salem. Chaden was a co-owner of Fete Accompli, an event planning group for corporate clients. Chaden was the co-founder of the Women's Council of Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center. She has also served on the Arts Council of Winston-Salem Forsyth County, the Board of Visitors for the UNC School of the Arts and the Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center Foundation.

• Larry W. McAdams of Rocky Mount. McAdams is the Majority Partner and Founder in Express Employment Professionals in Rocky Mount, a temporary and permanent personnel placement business. He is the Chairman and one of the founders of Springboard NC, serving entrepreneurs in the Twin-Counties. McAdams also serves on the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, Inc.

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

• Neil H. Robinette of Southern Pines as a parent of a disabled child under age six. Robinette is the Chief Executive Officer for C.F. Smith Property Group in Pinehurst, where he is responsible for strategic business direction and development.

• Dania M. Ermentrout of Greensboro as a parent of a disabled child under twelve. Dania is a NC Medicaid CAP/C pediatric case manager with Footprints Case Management in Guilford County. Dania serves as a parent co-instructor for a course at UNC Greensboro and she is a member of the Board of Directors for the Cerebral Palsy Association.

• Hannah L. Bridges of Weaverville as a parent of a disabled child under twelve. Bridges is the Western Outreach Parent Educator for the Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center and the Regional Chapter Coordinator for the Autism Society of North Carolina. Bridges also works at the Francine Delany New School for Children and with a parent support network.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Martin Luther King Jr. Commission: 

• Rodney E. Harris of Youngsville as a member at-large. Harris is an assistant professor at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Harris is also a continuing education provider for EmPOWERment Training, LLC and works part-time as a CARF Surveyor for CARF International.

• JaunKerra Sanders of Plymouth as a member at-large. Sanders is a student records specialist for Guilford County Schools. Sanders also interns at Eastern Middle School helping students with personal and academic concerns, leading small guidance lessons, and collaborating with school staff members.

• Rebecca Trammel of Wilmington as a member at-large. Trammel is the founder and president of Ruthie Trammel’s Champions for Compassion. Trammel is also lead advocate at Community Conversations, which she launched in 2019 to promote equity and excellence in education for black and brown students in New Hanover County.

• Dr. Allison Mathews of Winston-Salam as a member at-large. Mathews is the Associate Director of Integrating Special Populations (ISP) in the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity (MACHE) at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Sociology at Wake Forest University. Mathews is also the co-founder of HIV Cure Research Day, 2beathiv, and Digital LinCS.

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

• Bernadette Healy Goodnight of Raleigh as a member at-large. Goodnight has worked at Barefoot family law for the past ten years. Goodnight is also a volunteer yoga teacher at the Brentwood Boys and Girls Club.

• Lauren G. Cole of Whiteville as a member at-large. Cole has worked with the North Carolina Community College System for over forty years in roles from faculty to Vice-President of Academic Affairs. Cole volunteers with Smart Start activities, the Museum of Natural Sciences in Whiteville, and the local hospital foundation.

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

• Leslie Lillard Walden of Chapel Hill as a business representative of IT software. Walden is the Vice President of Regional Public Affairs for Fidelity Investments. Walden previously worked as a public affairs’ special assistant to the U.S. Transportation Secretary Federico Peña and as the press secretary for both Representative John W. Oliver and Senator John F. Kerry.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission: 

• Cheyenne N. Chambers of Charlotte as a member at-large. Chambers is a lawyer at Tim, Fulton, Walker, and Owen in Charlotte, North Carolina. Chambers has previously clerked in the U.S. Court of Appeals and has argued the landmark case Tully v. City of Wilmington.

• Terrence Dewberry of Raleigh as a member at-large. Dewberry is the President of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1328 and a bus operator for GoRaleigh Transit. Dewberry also enjoys producing, performing, and writing music.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Social Services Commission: 

• Dr. Sigmund I. Tannebaum of Greensboro as a 6th congressional district representative. Tannebaum is the attending physician within the Division of Urology at Durham Veteran’s Administration Medical Center. Tannebaum is also a member of the Tannenbaum-Sternberger Foundation Board.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Southern Regional Education Board: 

• Senator Gladys A. Robinson of Raleigh as a member at-large. Robinson was recently elected to her 6th term as a North Carolina State Senator. Robinson is a health professional and has fought for the right for women to make their own health decisions. She also served on the UNC Board of Governors for 10 years.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Youth Advisory Council:

• Dr. Todd J. Rosendahl of Graham as Chair. Rosendahl joined Bringing Theory to Practice, a national initiative dedicated to engaged, holistic higher education located at Elon University, as Program Coordinator in August 2020 after working in community-based advocacy non-profit organizations at the local, state, and national levels. Most recently he was the national director of programs for a non-profit working to end youth and young adult homelessness by partnering with local organizations and universities to create new housing programs that center the needs of the most marginalized students and young adults.

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

• Krista Ann Hunt of Burlington as a member at-large. Hunt is the majority owner of Bella’s House Consignment, a store that sells new and used furniture and home décor in Burlington. Hunt is a member of the North Carolina Zoo Society and is on the board of Pet Adoption Welfare Society (PAWS) of Alamance County.