Governor Cooper Announces State Boards and Commissions Appointments

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

Gov. Cooper has reappointed the following individual to serve as chair of the North Carolina Utilities Commission:

• Charlotte Mitchell of Raleigh as chair. Commissioner Mitchell has served on the Utilities Commission since 2018 and as chair since 2019. Prior to joining the Commission, Mitchell engaged in the private practice of law, focusing on energy, environmental and land use regulatory matters. She is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association and she is a former member of both the NC Mining and Energy Commission and NC Sedimentation and Control Commission. She recently served on the Board of Directors of the Women’s Center of Wake County and as a Wake County Guardian ad Litem.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to serve as the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks on an interim basis, pending confirmation by the General Assembly:

• Katherine M. R. Bosken of Cary as Commissioner of Banks. Bosken has been the Deputy Commissioner of Banks for Legal Affairs in the North Carolina Office of the Commissioner of Banks since 2013. Prior to joining the Office of the Commissioner of Banks, she was an Associate at Gebhardt & Smith, LLP in Baltimore, Maryland.

Gov. Cooper has nominated the following individual for the North Carolina Employment Security Board of Review:

• Eric A. Montgomery of Charlotte as a representative of employees. Montgomery was appointed by Governor Cooper in 2017 to serve as a Commissioner on the North Carolina Post-Relief Supervision and Parole Commission. Previously, Montgomery was an Assistant General Counsel for Bank of America, as well as SCANA Services, Inc., and Flagstar Corporation.

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

• Wanda Blanche Taylor of Raleigh as a Commissioner representing employees. Taylor previously worked as the Director of Litigation and Counsel for Key Risk Insurance. She is the former chief deputy commissioner of the North Carolina Industrial Commission where she served as an adjudicator for over twenty years.

• Adrian A. Phillips of Mebane as a commissioner representing employees. Phillips was a Deputy Commissioner for the North Carolina Industrial Commission. She previously worked as an Assistant Attorney General for North Carolina Department of Justice.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Awards Committee:

• Nina S. Szlosberg-Landis of Raleigh as chair. Szlosberg-Landis retired from a profession in communications with more than 25 years of experience in broadcasting, media production, community relations and social advocacy. She founded Circle Squared Media, a strategic communications consulting firm in Raleigh. Szlosberg-Landis currently serves on the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters and previously served four terms under three Governors as an at-large member of the NC Board of Transportation.

• Patricia J. Mauldin of Rocky Mount as a member at-large. Mauldin serves on the North Carolina Public Television Foundation Harrison Family YMCA. She has served on the Tar River United Way, Habitat for Humanity and Meals on Wheels.

• Joy Cohen Shavitz of Greensboro as a member at-large. Shavitz currently works as a Real Estate Investor and Developer. Shavitz has served on the National Young Leadership Cabinet, the United Way and was the Past Vice President of the Greensboro Jewish Federation. She is also a recipient of the United Way of Greater Greensboro Legacy Award for her service in poverty reduction.

• Ashley Lefler Wilson of Chapel Hill as a member at-large. Wilson is a retired Nurse Practitioner. She volunteers with the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundations and UNC Horizon, a substance use disorder treatment program for pregnant and/or parenting women and their children.

• James E. Ferguson II of Charlotte as a member at-large. Ferguson is a founding partner of the firm Ferguson, Stein, Chambers, Gresham and Sumter, P.A. and has served as President of the firm since 1984. He served for more than 15 years as General Counsel and member of the National Executive Committee of the American Civil Liberties Union.

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

• Janet LaBar of Charlotte as a member at-large. LaBar is the President and CEO of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance. LaBar co-led Charlotte Mayor Lyles' Public-Private Partnership on Racial Equity.

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

• Ann D. Maready of Sneads Ferry as a member at-large. Maready is an attorney specializing in domestic and family law in Jacksonville. Maready is also serves as the president of the board of directors for Sponsors for Academic Talent, Inc.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges:

• Sam Searcy of Holly Springs as a member at-large. Searcy is the Chairman and CEO of CliniStart, a tech-enabled clinical life sciences company specializing in solving the rate-limiting aspects of study start-up in global clinical trials. He was elected to the NC General Assembly in 2018 and served as a State Senator representing NC-17 until 2021.

• Dr. Shirley A. Carraway of Winterville as a representative of region 6. Dr. Carraway was the North Carolina Liaison for the Southeast Comprehensive Center. Carraway served as a Superintendent for Orange County Schools and as an Associate Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction for Pitt County Schools. She recently served on the Pitt Community College and currently serves on the NC Public School Forum.

• Raymond Trapp of Durham as a member at-large. Trapp is the Vice President of Strategic Engagement for the Research Triangle Foundation of NC. Trapp previously served as the Director of External Affairs at NC Agricultural and Technical State University. He served as County Commissioner of NC District 8 from 2012 to 2017.

• J. Anthony “Andy” Penry of Raleigh as a member at-large. Penry is a Partner at Penny Riemann. He serves on the Uniform Laws Commission. Penry has also served three terms on the Wake Technical Community College Board of Trustees.

• Sarah West of Chapel Hill as a representative of region 3. West is Principal of Sarah West & Associates, a consulting practice for higher education, healthcare and entrepreneurial clients. She previously served as Associate Vice President for Strategic Planning and the Campaign at Duke University.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities:

• The Honorable Sydney J. Batch of Raleigh as a Senate member. Batch is the NC Senator representing District 17. She is one of the founding members of Batch, Poore & Williams, PC. Her primary practice areas are family law and child protective services where she is certified as a Child Welfare Law Specialist.

• Brendon W. Hildreth of New Bern as a person with a developmental disability. Hildreth works with Accessible Icon Project of North Carolina. Accessible Icon Project works to change the current symbol of access to a more active and engaging symbol to represent people with disabilities.

• Dr. Charlrean Batten Mapson of Wilmington as a parent or guardian of a child with a developmental disability. Dr. Mapson is a Pastor at Price Cathedral A.M.E. Zion Church. She is the mother of a 15 year-old with Autism and wrote her doctoral thesis on the inclusion of the Autistic Population.

• Dr. Rebecca T. Putnam of Candler as an immediate relative or guardian of an adult with a developmental disability. Dr. Putnam is the Acute Care Clinic Medical Director and Ethics Curriculum Director at Mountain Area Health Education Center.

• Dale W. Stephenson of Apex as a parent or guardian of a child with a developmental disability. Stephenson is an Associate Attorney at Ward Family Law Group, PC in Apex.

• Tony Clifford Hall of Raleigh as a parent or guardian of a child with a developmental disability or immediate relative or guardian of an adult with a developmental disability. Hall is a Direct Support Professional with The Arc of the Triangle, working to support individuals with developmental disabilities finding employment.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the State Education Assistance Authority:

• Dr. Willa Rita Jerman of Holly Springs as an expert in secondary and higher education. Dr. Jerman is the Strategic Business Advisor at Ellucian. She formerly worked for 30 years at Wake Technical Community College, most recently as Senior Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Executive Mansion Fine Arts Committee:

• Charles C. Lucas III of Charlotte as a member at-large. Lucas is General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of Elevation LLC, VP Research Inc., and VP Asset Management Inc. He previously served as Chair of the Board of Trustees for the UNC-Chapel Hill School of the Arts.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Interpreter and Transliterator Licensing Board:

• Mark Lineberger of Greensboro as an Interpreter and a member of the NC Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. (NCRID). Lineberger serves as an interpreter for Purple Video Relay Service and the State of NC. He has also served as the Lead Interpreter for the President of Guilford College and has been interpreting professionally since 1996.

• Dianne Lynne Shearer of Raleigh as an employee of Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Shearer is the Assistant Director of Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of hearing. She formally served as an interpreter and communication access training specialist.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina State Council for Interstate Juvenile Supervision:

• Stephen D. Horton of Oxford as commissioner. Horton is the Deputy Compact Administrator for the Interstate Compact for Juveniles at the North Carolina Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Corrections and Juvenile Justice.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors:

• Dr. Yasmin Evette Gay of Kernersville as a licensed clinical mental health counselor from the private sector. Gay is an Assistant Professor at the Wake Forest School of Medicine. Gay is also the Founder, Executive Director and Clinical Director of Essential Paths Counseling and Consultants in Kernersville.

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

• Rebecca Ann Edwards of Williamston as a member at-large. Edwards is the Human Resources Director for Martin General Hospital, where she has worked since 2011. Edwards serves as chair of the Martin County Economic Development Board and is a member of the Williamston Women’s Club and the Martin Enterprises Board of Directors.

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

• Sgt. Maj. Joseph L. Houle of Jacksonville as retired military residing near Camp Lejeune. Houle is the Director of Operations at the Carolina Museum of the Marine and Civic Institute, where he has worked since he retired from the Marine Corps in 2000 after 36 years of service. Houle’s personal decorations include the Legion of Merit with Gold Star and the Purple Heart.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina State Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators:

• Truman A. Vereen of Clayton as a licensed nursing home administrator. Vereen is a Nursing Home Administrator for Sava Senior Car, LLC at Brian Center Health & Retirement. He also serves as a standards and ethics committee member on the North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina State Board of Examiners in Optometry:

• Harry L. Southerland of Raeford as a public member. Southerland is the Agency Director for Elite Group Services, Inc. He has served on the Hoke County Board of Commissioners since 2014.

• Emily B. Nicholson of Hertford as a public member. Nicholson is the Assistant Director for Northwestern Workforce Development Board. She is also a Career and Technical Advisory Board Member for Gates, Chowan, Washington and Pasquotank Counties.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Governor's Advisory Committee on Performance Management:

• Jessica M. Englert of Raleigh as Governor's Policy Staff. Englert is the Policy Director in the Office of Governor Roy Cooper. Additionally, she has held several leadership positions in the Cooper Administration and most recently served as the Assistant Secretary for the North Carolina Department of Commerce Division of Workforce Solutions.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to Permanency Innovation Initiative Oversight Committee:

• Dr. David Ansong of Chapel Hill as a Representative from UNC-Chapel Hill. Dr. Ansong serves as an Assistant Professor for the School of Social Work at UNC-Chapel Hill. He has over a decade of experience teaching statistical analysis at the collegiate level and has released many publications relating to the subject.

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

• Delores P. Ali of Timberlake as a member at-large. Ali is the Career and Technical Education Program Director for Curriculum for the state of North Carolina. She has served as a high school teacher, community college instructor and tutor.

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

• Steve M. Lassiter of Greenville as a member at-large. Lassiter is the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction for Pitt County Schools. He is also an Adjunct Professor at East Carolina University and James Madison University. Lassiter previously served Pitt County as a teacher, assistant principal and principal.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Roanoke-Chowan Community College Board of Trustees:

• Dr. Otis L. Smallwood of Windsor as a member at-large. Smallwood is the Superintendent of Bertie County Public Schools. He has over 28 years of teaching and administrative experience in the public school system. Smallwood is also a member of the North Carolina Association of School Administrators.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Rural Electrification Authority:

• Paul G. Spruill of Washington as a member at-large. Spruill is the GM and CEO of the Tideland Electric Membership Corporation, where he has worked since 2011. He has previously served as Assistant County Manager of Chatham County and County Manager of Beaufort County.