Governor Stein Announces Boards and Commissions Appointments

Today Governor Josh Stein announced appointments to boards and commissions.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the Juvenile Justice Planning Committee:

• Philip A. Cooper of Buncombe County as a member of a private nonprofit agency concerned with reentry and criminal justice reform. Cooper is the executive director and chief change agent of Operation Gateway in Asheville, where he leads reentry and recovery efforts and works with individuals facing substance use disorder and mental health challenges. He has more than 15 years of experience in reentry, peer support, behavioral health, and workforce development.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the License to Give Trust Fund Commission:

• Dr. Kyle Zoll of Wake County as a member who has demonstrated an interest in promoting advance care planning education. Dr. Zoll is a certified nephrologist, specializing in comprehensive kidney care to patients all over the state of North Carolina. He has had numerous teaching roles at A.T. Still University's Missouri School of Dentistry, showing a passion for education and teaching.

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

• Dr. Wynne Brown of Forsyth County as a physician who has completed 200 hours of acupuncture training. Brown is an acupuncturist and integrative physician with NC Integrative Women's Health in Winston-Salem, with more than 40 years of medical practice experience and more than 25 years of experience practicing acupuncture. She has served North Carolina communities in leadership roles focused on integrative medicine, student health, underserved communities and wellness.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Addictions Specialist Professional Practice Board:

• Caitlin Hettich of Buncombe County as a licensed addiction specialist professional. Hettich is a mental health and substance use counselor with Project CARA at MAHEC Ob/Gyn and the founder of a small private practice that serves adults across North Carolina. She is passionate about supporting individuals through life transitions, with a particular interest in maternal mental health and human-centered, humane approaches to substance use treatment and recovery.
• Marcus Boyd of Mecklenburg County as a licensed addiction specialist professional. Boyd is a licensed clinical mental health counselor and addiction specialist with more than 20 years of experience. He specializes in areas of psychiatric care, substance use treatment, forensic evaluation, and public sector relationships. He currently directs Mecklenburg County's $75 million opioid settlement investment, advancing evidence-based, trauma-informed approaches across treatment and recovery systems. He is registered as a DOT Substance Abuse Professional, NRC Substance Abuse Expert, and North Carolina Local Certified Forensic Evaluator.
• Andrea Vasquez of Forsyth County as a public member. Vasquez is a public health professional with experience in behavioral health, substance use services, community health, and health equity. She currently serves as substance use services coordinator for Forsyth County Behavioral Health Services, where she leads initiatives focused on substance use, overdose prevention, community partnerships, and opioid settlement implementation.
• John Verdejo of Wake County as a public member. Verdejo received a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a Master of Public Administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a contract management professional with more than 10 years of experience in financial services.

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

• Donald Horton, Sr. of Iredell County as an auctioneer, nominated by the Auctioneers Association. With more than 50 years of experience in the auction business, Horton has successfully conducted thousands of sales all over the United States. He was recently recognized by the North Carolina Auctioneers Licensing Board and has also worked as an expert witness in Superior Court and the Federal Bankruptcy Court.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Board of Transportation:

• James Warlick of Buncombe County as a member of the 13th Transportation Division. Warlick is a longtime businessman and entrepreneur with more than five decades of experience in business and community service. He is the founder of the Workers' Legacy Foundation and has worked with public officials, civic organizations, and nonprofit groups on community development initiatives throughout western North Carolina.
• Mitch Colvin of Cumberland County as a member of the 6th Transportation Division. Colvin is serving his fifth term as the mayor of Fayetteville and previously served as a city council member and mayor pro tem. He has represented Fayetteville on the Fayetteville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and has prioritized investments in roads, sidewalks, stormwater systems, and economic development.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Council for Women:

• Elizabeth Star of Mecklenburg County as a member at-large. Star currently works as the leader of the HopeStar Foundation, building capacity and aligning systems to ensure families with children are healthy, educated, and empowered. She is a dedicated community advocate for health, education, and social justice issues and has previous experience as a lactation consultant and childbirth educator for Novant Medical Center.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Medical Care Commission:

• Mary Wills Bode of New Hanover County as a member at-large. Bode is a former North Carolina state senator and current attorney who oversaw legislative policy and worked with municipal and county governments to address issues affecting her district. She is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and earned her Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina School of Law.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Oil and Gas Commission:

• Darryl Moss of Granville County as an elected official of a municipal government in a region of North Carolina that has oil and gas potential. Moss has previous experience as an appointed representative in municipal government on the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission and as chairman of the Water Allocations Committee and the Air Remission Committee. He has also worked with the city of Creedmoor to upgrade the water and wastewater system and represented the city in the Capitol Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Upper Neuse River Basin Association.
• Allison Stephens of Person County as an expert relating to matters in public health. Stephens is currently a health care policy and implementation strategist, a position for which she has partnered with Tufts University School of Medicine, Color Lens Family Organization, Periwinkle Group, and Nevada PEP to develop programs and grant-funded projects that promote health and equity outcomes. She has served on the EPA Cumulative Health Impact Peer Review Panel, the Children's Justice Act Task Force, and Medicare Advisory Committee.
• Micah R. Simonsen of Chowan County as a licensed attorney and expert in legal matters associated with oil and gas exploration. Simonsen is a North Carolina native and practicing environmental attorney at Simonsen Law Firm, where he serves as legal counsel to the North Carolina Petroleum and Convenience Marketers Association. His practice is focused on serving petroleum marketers around the state.

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

• Stephen Hill of Lenior County as a representative of a Tier 1 or 2 county. Hill has more than three decades of experience in business and community redevelopment, including work with the Downtown Kinston Main Street Program, Hill Realty, and the Lenoir County Tourism Development Authority. He has also served in leadership roles with Kinston businesses, including Hillco, Ltd. and Discovery Insurance Company.

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

• Jeffrey Allen of Wake County as a representative of the Association of General Contractors. Allen is a construction and transportation executive with more than 25 years of experience in his field, currently working as the eastern division vice president of the Fred Smith Company. He has previous experience with the North Carolina Department of Transportation as a division freeway manager and resident engineer. He studied civil engineering at North Carolina A&T State University.
• Callie Moore of Clay County as a non-government conservationist. Moore is a graduate of Western Carolina University's Environmental Health Program and is currently the southwestern regional director for the nonprofit environmental organization MountainTrue. She has previously served as the North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources river basin planner.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board:

• Sabrina Clark of Mecklenburg County as a certified master social worker in the public sector. Clark is a social work leader with nearly 25 years of experience in child and family services, including leading child welfare policy and professional training for the Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services. She currently serves as Children and Families Specialty Plan (CFSP) Statewide System of Care director at Elevance Health and as an adjunct professor at UNC Charlotte's School of Social Work.
• Dr. Veronica Hardy of Robeson County as a licensed clinical social worker in the private sector. Hardy is a licensed clinical social worker and educator who previously served as vice chair of the North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board. She currently serves as a professor of social work at Wingate University and has experience in clinical practice, social work education, professional training, and publication.

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

• Dr. Elizabeth Bass Daughtry of Sampson County as a podiatrist. Dr. Daughtery has 20 years of experience as a physician, receiving her bachelor's degree at Meredith College and podiatric licensure at Temple University. She has professional experience throughout North Carolina, with extensive training in foot and ankle surgery, diabetic limb salvage, and elective forefoot and rearfoot reconstruction.

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

• Dr. Anand Tewari of Pitt County as a member at-large. Dr. Tewari is an experienced practicing medical doctor of anesthesiology with a repeated history of leadership in his field. Among his numerous accomplishments, Dr. Tewari has served as chairman of anesthesiology at St. Francis Medical Center in Pittsburgh and as chief of staff at ECU Health. He is currently chairman of the board of directors at ECU Health in Greenville, where he resides.
• Donna Marie Woodson of Mecklenburg County as a member at-large. Woodson is a graduate of the University of Michigan with a degree in communications. She has previously volunteered with the American Cancer Society and as a health care speaker, advocating for the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion in North Carolina.
• Rev. Odell Cleveland of Guilford County as a member at-large. Cleveland is founder and president of Cal Tee Solutions, LLC and a community development strategist with more than 30 years of leadership experience across health care and community institutions. His work focuses on building partnerships between health care systems and community organizations.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina State Library Commission:

• Mary Bartlett of Wayne County as a member at-large. Barrtlett has been an advocate for libraries and library foundations for the past 20 years. She most recently served as chairwoman of the State Library Commission and led two strategic planning cycles. She was recognized with an Advocate of the Year award by the North Carolina Library Directors Association in 2025.
• William Holmes of Wake County as a member at- large. Holmes has served North Carolina in rural development through his work with the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and the North Carolina Rural Center. In these roles, he has worked to emphasize access and investments in local libraries through frequent discussions with librarians to directly target needs.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the State Board of Refrigeration Contractors:

• Ryan Mattox of New Hanover County as a licensed refrigeration contractor. Mattox is the founder and CEO of ThermalTran Mechanical, Inc., a mechanical contracting firm specializing in commercial refrigeration, and he has nearly two decades of hands-on technical and business leadership experience. He is actively involved in workforce development through the Cape Fear Community College Apprenticeship Program and his work to develop a technical training curriculum for refrigeration and mechanical technicians.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the Board of Directors of the Golden L.E.A.F. Inc:

• Joe Sam Queen of Haywood County as a chair of the Rural Infrastructure Authority. Queen has previously served in the North Carolina House and in the North Carolina Senate to represent various counties in western North Carolina. He currently serves as a member of the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority and has been a registered architect in North Carolina for more than 40 years.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the Governor's Council on Workforce and Apprenticeships:

• Dr. Monty Sullivan of Wake County as a North Carolina Community College representative. Dr. Sullivan serves as acting president and CEO of the North Carolina Community College System, leading a statewide network of 58 community colleges serving more than 600,000 students each year. A nationally recognized higher education and workforce development leader with more than 30 years of experience, Dr. Sullivan previously served for 12 years as president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Board for Licensing of Geologists:

• Rachel Pressley Kirkman of Guilford County as a salaried company geologist. Kirkman is a licensed professional geologist with nearly 29 years of experience and currently serves as senior director of environmental compliance at GFL Environmental. She previously served two terms on the North Carolina Board for Licensing of Geologists and has served as a subject matter expert with the National Association of State Boards of Geology.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors:

• Hannah Harrill Morecraft of Wake County as a public member. Morecraft is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Media and Journalism and is working for the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials as the Deputy Managing Director.
• Dr. Dominique Hammonds of Caldwell County as a licensed clinical mental health counselor and counselor of education. Dr. Hammonds is a professor of clinical professional counseling, a licensed clinical mental health counselor supervisor, and a nationally certified counselor. She has previous experience as president of the North Carolina Counseling Association and as an executive committee member of the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision.
• Ellen D. Begley of Buncombe County as a licensed clinical mental health counselor. Begley is a licensed mental health counselor supervisor for a private practice specializing in clinical supervision and consultation. She has more than 40 years of experience in the public health sector, with previous employment as a registered nurse. Begley recently retired from her role as a counselor and executive director of a nonprofit she cofounded, Black Mountain Counseling Center.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission:

• John R. McAdams of Orange County as a person with experience in engineering in a coastal or marine related science. McAdams is the founder of the John R. McAdams Company, a civil engineering, land planning, landscaping architecture, transportation design, and geomatics firm. He was previously appointed to the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission.
• Katherine Skinner of Durham County as a person who is actively connected with or has experience with coastal forestry. Skinner served as the executive director of the North Carolina Chapter of the Nature Conservancy for 39 years. She has previous experience as a staff member on the U.S. House of Representatives' Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Home Inspector Licensure Board:

• Cody Byrd of Caldwell County as a licensed general contractor recommended by the Homebuilders Association. As a third-generation construction professional and former president of the North Carolina Home Builders Association, Byrd has more than 20 years of experience in residential construction. He is an owner of Alair Homes Hickory through Hickory Design Build Inc.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges:

• Mark W. Merritt of Mecklenburg County as a member at-large. An attorney with extensive experience in higher education law, Merritt previously served as vice chancellor and general counsel at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has spent much of his legal career at Robinson Bradshaw, where his practice has included higher education law.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Task Force on Child Care and Early Education:

• Bailey Bruce of Franklin County as a representative of the North Carolina Department of Human Resources with a bachelor's degree from East Carolina University. Bruce has served with the North Carolina Office of State Human Resources for more than 10 years and currently works as a state human resources consultant. She has extensive knowledge of human resources management principles and practices.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the Supplemental Retirement Board of Trustees:

• Dayatra Tishaun Matthews of Wake County as a person with experience in finance and investments. Mattews has served as a legal executive, representing clients for nearly 30 years. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Duke University School of Law, and she has previously worked as a member on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for the Credit Union Advisory Council.
• David D. Daggett of Forsyth County as a person with experience in finance and investments. Dagget is a recipient of the Wall Street Journal Award for top economics and marketing students while attending Indiana State University. He is a graduate of Wake Forest University School of Law and has served as a member of the Board of Governors of the North Carolina Bar Association, as president of the Forsyth County Bar, and as president of the 21st Judicial District Bar Association.
• John Matthew Leatherman of Wake County as a person with experience in finance and investments. Leatherman has previous experience with the North Carolina Department of the State Treasurer, where he served as a policy director. He is currently working as a member of the board of directors on the Raleigh Area Land Trust and was chairman of the board of directors of John Rex Endowment.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the Teachers Advisory Committee:

• Wesley Gant of Sampson County as an active classroom teacher. Gant is a secondary English language arts teacher at South Stokes High School with a broad background in education and environmental programming. He has extensive experience as an educational park ranger and has taught English and science abroad.
• Amy Harrison of Macon County as an active classroom teacher. The North Carolina native and Elon University graduate is a special education teacher at Guilford County Schools. She has served as the regional director of the North Carolina Association of Educators and vice president, secretary, and treasurer of the Guilford County Association of Educators.
• Nishelle Henson of Watauga County as an active classroom teacher. Henson is a middle school mathematics teacher with more than 15 years of experience in public education and currently teaches at Macon Middle School, where she has also served as a lead teacher and beginning teacher mentor. She was named the 2026 Western Region Teacher of the Year and holds a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction from North Carolina State University.
• Gina Holste of Harnett County as an active classroom teacher. Holste is a graduate of Appalachian State University, where she received a bachelor's degree in elementary education and a master's in reading education. She currently serves as a reading intervention specialist and was previously a kindergarten teacher. In 2026, she was recognized as the North Carolina Northwest Region Teacher of the Year.
• Alexis Robinson of Cumberland County as an active classroom teacher. Robinson is a middle school teacher at South View Middle School, where she teaches eighth grade English language arts. Robinson served as a youth development specialist at the Tarheel Challenge Academy, where she mentored and supervised cadets in a structured residential environment. She is a graduate of North Carolina Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Arts in theatre and criminal justice and a Master of Arts in criminal justice.
• Menzell Spencer of Hoke County as an active classroom teacher. Spencer is a middle grades educator with more than 15 years of experience in education for Cumberland County Schools. He was recognized as a Cumberland County Schools Teacher of the Year and a Sandhills Regional Teacher of the Year finalist for 2026.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the Underground Damage Prevention Review Board:

• Edward Sullivan Gibbs of Johnston County as a surveyor licensed under Chapter 89C of the General Statues. Gibbs is a licensed North Carolina surveyor with 23 years of experience, including work for NCDOT, Duke Energy, local municipalities, and private entities. He has served as secretary of the Johnston County Chapter of the North Carolina Society of Surveyors since 2013 and previously served on Wake Technical Community College's advisory board for surveying technology and civil engineering programs.