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 Governor's Advisory Committee on Western North Carolina Recovery:

• Chris Sigmon of Yancey County as an at-large member. Sigmon grew up in Yancey County and recently returned home after a wide-ranging career in manufacturing and operations. Over the past two decades, Chris has led national and international teams in medical manufacturing, automotive, electronics, and private equity environments. He has served on five boards, including United Way, and has extensive experience reporting to and collaborating with board leadership.

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

• Dr. Peter J. Kuhns of Durham County as a representative for public agencies concerned with delinquency prevention. Kuhns is the director of facilities and programs with the North Carolina Division of Juvenile Justice. He has 23 years of state service, including 19 years as a psychologist for both juveniles and adults. He lives in Durham with his wife and two children.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the NCWorks Commission:

• Carnessa Ottelin of Wake County as a business representative in the chemical industry. Ottelin serves as the manager of strategic partnerships for education and workforce solutions at Siemens Healthineers. In this role, she partners with health care systems to create impact around workforce sustainability, inclusive environments, and strategic collaboration.
• James Arthur Goodnight of Wake County as a business and industry representative. Goodnight is a Raleigh native who graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in history and psychology. In the past, he has worked at SAS in various roles in finance and corporate real estate. Currently, he is a real estate developer with a focus on historical preservation and adaptive reuse.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors:

• Hope Morgan of Alamance County as a registered land surveyor. Morgan has more than 28 years of experience in remote sensing and GIS in the public and private sectors and has been a licensed North Carolina Professional Land Surveyor since 2014. Her expertise centers on lidar and imagery collection and products, as well as the application of these datasets in spatial analysis to support emergency response, resiliency planning, and hazard mitigation.
• Bellandra Benefield Foster of Guilford County as a registered engineer. Foster serves as the President of BBFoster Consulting, PC, in Greensboro. Foster is a growth-focused leader with expertise spanning civil, construction and transportation engineering, program management, contract administration, civil testing, state and local government consultation, and cross-functional team leadership.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners:

• Gloria Lewis of Granville County as a public member. Lewis is a mother of four, grandmother to eight, and great-grandmother to one. She enjoys cooking, baking, and gardening, and she is most passionate about community engagement.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Holocaust Council:

• Dr. Adam O. Goldstein of Orange County as an at-large member. Dr. Goldstein is an Elizabeth and Oscar Goodwin Distinguished Professor and Director of Departmental Advancement at the University of North Carolina Department of Family Medicine. He researches tobacco regulatory science, patient-centered tobacco cessation, disparities in tobacco use, health communication and behavior change, and gun violence prevention.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Interagency Coordinating Council for Children from Birth to Five with Disabilities:

• Lianne J. Diaz Navarro of Randolph County as a parent of a disabled child under age six. Navarro is an elementary school dual-language teacher in North Carolina and a graduate student in Applied Behavior Analysis in Education, graduating in June 2026. She is a parent of children on the autism spectrum and is committed to advocating for inclusive, family-centered services for young children with disabilities.
• Theresa A. Leyton of Cabarrus County as a provider of early intervention services. Leyton is the parent of a child with Down syndrome who went through the Early Intervention system in NC. Leyton works for the Exceptional Children's Assistance Center, where she facilitates training for professionals who serve families caring for children with intellectual disabilities or special health care needs.
• Gaile Osborne of Buncombe County as a parent of a disabled child under age 12. Osborne and her husband have adopted five children from foster care. They have fostered more than 40 children in the past 14 years. Gaile's passion is helping other families focus on resilience, creating changes through advocacy to systemic challenges, and coaching parents and school systems when supporting children with trauma.
• Sharon A. Bell of Iredell County as a member required by the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disability, Substance Abuse Services with Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Bell currently serves as Deputy Director for Whole Child Health at the Division of Child and Family Well-being. Her career includes decades of work in child care and early education, child behavioral health, and family services.
• Ryan Guthrie of Wake County as a parent of a disabled child under age 12. Guthrie is a native North Carolinian and has served as a state government employee for 17 years. Guthrie is the mother of a Wake County student who was diagnosed with I/DD at age two. She is passionate about walking alongside other parents as they search for the right supports for their children and families.
• Cornelia M. Singletary of Wake County as a member required by the Division of Social Services - Foster Care Representative/Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Singletary serves as the Family Support Program consultant for the North Carolina Division of Social Services. With over 25 years of working in the family strengthening field, Singletary is passionate about preventing child abuse and supporting families.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Partnership for Children:

• Dr. Lori Langdon of Harnett County as a member of a party other than the Governor's. Dr. Langdon is passionate about nearly everything pediatric, including the many public health gains due to safe and effective vaccines. She champions child safety measures, accurate science on social media, adolescent depression and anxiety management, judicious use of antibiotics, breastfeeding education, and community involvement.
• Karson N. Hallow of Chowan County as a member of a party other than the Governor's. Hallow is the director of strategic initiatives at East Carolina University, where she leads efforts to advance student success and regional transformation through advocacy and cross-sector collaboration. She is committed to advancing the capacity of educational organizations to foster innovation and drive positive systemic change.
• Kevin Austin of Yadkin County as a member of a party other than the Governor's. Austin is vice president and manufacturing manager of Austin Electrical Enclosures. He is active in many local, regional, and statewide boards and committees. He recently completed a cohort of the Hunt Institute State Policy Fellows and currently serves on the North Carolina Leadership Forum Steering Committee.
• Russell Altenburg of Mecklenburg County as a parent. Altenburg leads education grantmaking and related impact investment efforts at The Leon Levine Foundation. His portfolio emphasizes early childhood education, high-dosage tutoring, and college and career pathways - critical levers for driving self-sufficiency and economic development.

Governor Stein appointed the following to the North Carolina Soil and Water Conservation Commission:

• Stephen I. Harris of Pasquotank County as a first vice president of the Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Harris is president of Arrowhead Farms, Inc., and has more than 50 years of farming experience. He has been an elected Soil and Water Supervisor for more than 35 years, serving as a county chairman; district chairman and assistant treasurer; Area V treasurer, vice chairman, and chairman; and State Legislative Committee chairman.
• Matthew C. Reynolds of Macon County as a mountain regional representative, nominated by the Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Reynolds has more than two decades of experience in public safety, including the volunteer fire service, law enforcement, and EMS.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina State Health Coordinating Council:

• Dr. Jessie L. Tucker III of Wayne County as a representative of hospitals. Tucker is the president and CEO of UNC Health Wayne in Goldsboro. Tucker retired from active-duty army medicine in 2009, is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and holds graduate and undergraduate degrees in business and criminal justice.
• Daniel B. Murrey of Buncombe County as an at-large member. Murrey was a cofounder and CEO of OrthoCarolina in Charlotte, where he practiced orthopedic spine surgery. He has since held roles as chief medical officer at Surgical Care Affiliates, Optum Health, and Ivy Rehab. He is a former Mecklenburg County commissioner at large and has led or served on the boards of numerous nonprofit and civic organizations in Charlotte and Asheville.
• The Honorable Sarah Crawford of Wake County as a North Carolina House of Representatives Member. Representative Crawford represents the 66th district in Wake County and previously served in the North Carolina Senate. A lifelong public servant and nonprofit leader, she has dedicated her career to expanding access to health care, strengthening public education, supporting individuals with disabilities, and advancing economic justice for working families. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from North Carolina State University.
• The Honorable Frankie T. Jones, Jr. of Guilford County as a county government representative of an urban area. Jones is a Guilford County commissioner (District 7) and a vice president and managing director in the Investments Department at Lincoln Financial. A native of Alamance County, Jones earned his undergraduate degree from Davidson College and his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences Advisory Commission:

• Dr. Theresa McCoy of Durham County as an at-large member. McCoy is a biology instructor at Durham Technical Community College, where she teaches students as part of the Career and College Promise Program. Dr. McCoy received her undergraduate degree in chemistry from North Carolina Central University and her Doctor of Medicine degree from Duke University School of Medicine. She has served multiple terms on the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Advisory Commission.
• Elizabeth Shuford of Mecklenburg County as an at-large member. Shuford is deeply involved in the nonprofit community, serving on the Board of Trustees for The Mint Museum and as president of The Mint Auxiliary. She has also chaired the Charlotte Community Leadership Council for the Children's home Society of North Carolina and supported numerous arts and education organizations in Mecklenburg County.
• Lane Wallace of Rowan County as an at-large member. Wallace is an executive and investment manager with extensive experience in sustainable development and family office operations across the US. She is a seasoned real estate professional with more than a decade of experience in commercial and residential development, acquisition, and property management.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Symphony Society Board of Trustees:

• Florence Ko of Wake County as an at-large member. Ko is an active member of the Music Teachers National Association, the North Carolina Federation of Music Clubs, and the Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Durham/Apex Music Associations. Recently, she was named a Steinway & Sons Top Music Educator and was invited to judge at the United Nations Global Talent Awards Ceremony and at the Steinway Hall Competition.

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