Governor Stein Announces Boards and Commissions Appointments

Raleigh

Jan 21, 2026

Today Governor Josh Stein announced appointments to boards and commissions.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the Domestic Violence Commission:

• Dr. Arjun Chatterjee as a member of the medical community. Dr. Chatterjee specializes in pulmonary disease, critical care, sleep, and military medicine, along with clinical informatics. He joined the US Navy Reserve in 2003, has had three deployments overseas, and currently holds the rank of Captain.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the Financial Literacy Council:

• Kent Woodson as a representative from the Department of Labor and responsible for programs related to financial education or services. Woodson is the Deputy Chief Financial Officer for the North Carolina Department of Labor. He holds an M.A in Public Policy and has spent his 28-year career working in state government serving the citizens of the state. His roles within state government have included general accounting, budgeting, financial forecasting, and fiscal reporting. Kent had dedicated his career to financial transparency and sharing knowledge and looks forward to continuing his service to the citizens of North Carolina as a member of the NC Financial Literacy Council.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the Governor's Advisory Committee on Western North Carolina Recovery:

• David Jackson as an at-large member. Jackson has served as the president and CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce since 2016. Under his leadership, the chamber has earned recognition as the 2025 Carolinas Outstanding Chamber of the Year and launched the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation, which has distributed more than $1.5 million in grants supporting small businesses and child care centers, including recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene.
• Melissa Patton as an at-large member. Patton serves as the executive director of Carolina Land and Lakes RC&D, a regional nonprofit that facilitates locally initiated natural resource conservation and community development projects in North Carolina.
• Todd McNeill as an at-large member. McNeill serves as Executive Director of the North Carolina Association of Regional Councils of Government, where he works to strengthen collaboration among regional councils and support communities across the state. Todd also serves as Chair of the Ashe County Board of Commissioners and as First Vice President of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners.
• Rose Vaughn Williams as an at-large member. Williams is the executive director of the NC League of Municipalities, an association that represents the cities of North Carolina. She earned undergraduate and law degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Before joining the League of Municipalities, she served as legislative counsel to two North Carolina Commissioners of Insurance, and she was an elected district court judge for Wayne, Lenoir and Greene counties, and an attorney in private practice in Goldsboro.
• Silvia Martin del Campo Vargas as an at-large member. Martin del Campo serves as the Hispanic-Latino liaison at McDowell Technical Community College, where she leads strategic initiatives that connect individuals and families with higher education, workforce training, and essential community resources. Her work is centered on expanding access and developing career pathways that foster long-term educational and economic growth across the region.

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

• Sarah K. Bourland as a representative of the NC Department of Health and Human Services. Bourland is a Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of the Secretary at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. She has previously served as a Senior Advisor at the US Department of Health and Human Services in the Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs. With over a decade of experience in public health, Bourland's work focuses on policies relating to health care affordability, price transparency, and prescription drug costs.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the Metropolitan Public Transit Authority:

• Bishop Dwayne A. Walker as an at-large member. Walker is a faith leader and the presiding prelate of the Alabama-Florida Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. He has served on multiple Charlotte boards and commissions, including the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission, where he fostered collaboration between faith, government, and community to advance equitable and inclusive solutions.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the NCWorks Commission:

• Shawn R. Brown as a local elected official. Brown is a Claremont native and is serving his fourth term as Mayor of the City of Claremont. He also brings more than 35 years of transportation industry experience in his role as Vice President of Safety for Cargo Transporters Inc., a privately owned asset-based freight carrier also based in Claremont.
• Sharene J. Pierce as a business representative with a focus on energy. Pierce is a Duke Energy executive with 25 years of industry experience spanning engineering, operations, and enterprise leadership. She has led major transformation initiatives and now serves as vice president overseeing talent acquisition and company-wide people strategy.
• William Brian Floyd as a business representative with a focus on health care. Floyd is a seasoned health care executive with more than 30 years of experience. He currently serves as president of a large academic medical center and Chief Operating Officer of ECU Health System. He also serves on the boards of Pitt Community College and North Carolina's State Health Coordinating Council, and he is the current chair of the North Carolina Healthcare Association.
• Pamela B. Townsend as a business representative with a focus on engineering. The North Carolina State University College of Engineering Distinguished Alumna holds bachelor's and master's degrees in civil engineering. She retired from a multi-decade executive career with global engineering firms and has since focused her work on workforce development, leadership, and talent pipelines through service on statewide commissions, including the NCWorks Commission, and STEM education initiatives. She is principal of Townsend Catalyst Coaching and currently serves on the Centennial Authority responsible for the Lenovo Center.
• Dr. Agnes Hope Williams as a workforce representative. Dr. Williams is the president of North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU), the statewide office of the 36 private, nonprofit, liberal arts, comprehensive, and research colleges and universities across the state. In addition to representing independent higher education on state and federal public policy issues, she leads NCICU's work with the public K-12 and two- and four-year higher education sectors, the fundraising for scholarships and grants to support students, the administration of cost-saving collaborative programs, and the staff development opportunities for faculty and administrative campus leaders. She serves on the Governor's Education Cabinet.
• Suzanne H. Johnson as a business representative with a focus on pharmaceuticals. Johnson serves as the Senior Director of Human Resources for Biopharma North America at Grifols, and she has more than 25 years of leadership experience in human resources within the life sciences industry. She holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in human resources and a bachelor's degree in business education.
• Aharon Y. Segal as a workforce labor representative. Segal is a journeyman inside wireman with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 553. An industrial electrician by trade, he serves as a construction organizer and legislative affairs representative for Local 553 in Durham.
• Jeffrey Frederick as a workforce community-based organizer. Frederick is a senior HR business partner at Inmar, where he partners with business leaders to advance talent strategy, workforce planning, and organizational effectiveness. He is an active leader in workforce development, contributing his expertise through national and state organizations. His work focuses on strengthening employer engagement and building inclusive, sustainable talent pipelines.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis:

• Chief David Hess as Chief of Police representative. Hess began his law enforcement career in 2004, becoming a Chief of Police in 2013 with service in a variety of statewide and national leadership roles. He is a past president of the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police. Chief Hess is a graduate of the 264th Session of the FBI National Academy. Chief Hess holds a Master's Degree in Executive Leadership and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Liberty University.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service:

• Jill Patton as Representative from Local Governments in the State. Patton is a long-serving Hickory City Council member known for her commitment to community service, collaborative leadership, and strategic planning. She has championed major investments in infrastructure, housing, and economic development while actively serving on several civic and nonprofit boards. Patton brings more than two decades of public-service experience to the NC Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Criminal Justice Information Network Governing Board:

• Caroline Capehart Valand as an employee of public safety. Valand has been at the Department of Public Safety for 8 years and is currently serving as the Chief Deputy Secretary. In this role, she oversees the department's fiscal operations, leads the policy team, and supervises several boards and commissions, including the Governor's Crime Commission (GCC), the Office of Violence Prevention (OVP), and Victims Compensation Services (VCS). Caroline also helps execute the Department's overall grant strategy and enhancing external partnerships.
• Tonya D. Horton as Representative of Division of Motor Vehicles. Horton is an experienced legal and government affairs professional with a career spanning legislative strategy, regulatory policy, and public-sector leadership. She has advised state agencies, executive leadership, and elected officials on complex policy issues while overseeing programs in EEO compliance, ethics, and organizational planning. With a foundation in intellectual property law and extensive experience across North Carolina government, she is known for her strategic insight and ability to navigate multifaceted political and regulatory environments.
• Loris M. Sutton as an employee of state correction agency. Sutton is the Senior Deputy Secretary for Internal Affairs, Special Operations & Intelligence Unit and Emergency Preparedness. She is a 33-year career veteran with the Department of Adult Correction. She began her career in 1993 as a Correctional Officer at North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women. She has served in a vast number of positions throughout her career including Correctional Sergeant, Transfer Coordinator, Probation Parole Officer, Program Director, Security Specialist, Chief of Security, Interim Warden, Assistant Director of Security Accountability and Director of Operations. Sutton also served as the Central Region Director and Interim Assistant Commissioner of Prisons.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission:

• The Honorable Reuben F. Young as a citizen knowledgeable of mediation. Young has been a member of the North Carolina Judicial system for over 20 years. He most recently served as the Civil Bureau Chief at the North Carolina Department of Justice, where he oversaw the work of five divisions and 200 attorneys and staff. Young has previously been a Judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Energy Policy Task Force:

• Dana Magliola as a non-governmental and non-profit organizations representative. Magliola is the Senior Director of Infrastructure Competitiveness at the NC Chamber Foundation. He previously served in the North Carolina Department of Transportation and brings a wealth of logistics experience to the task force.
• Chris Carmody as a non-governmental and non-profit organizations representative. Carmody is the Executive Director for Carolinas Clean Energy Business Association, a position he has held since 2016. In this role, Chris manages the CCEBA advocacy and legal teams and all policy and regulatory work in North and South Carolina. Chris previously worked for the Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy and at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and approaches energy issues with an eye toward market competition.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Institute of Medicine:

• Dr. L. Allen Dobson, Jr. as an at-large member. Dr. Dobson is the current editor in chief of Medical Economics and is the retired president and CEO of Community Care of NC Inc. in Raleigh. He was an early leader and developer of the nationally recognized Community Care of North Carolina program. This program received the 2007 Annie E. Casey Award for Innovations in Government, presented by Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. He is formerly the assistant secretary of health for the NC Department of Health and Human Services and the state Medicaid director.

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

• Shannon Joseph as a public member. Joseph is a partner with Morningstar Law Group in Raleigh, where her practice focuses on commercial and employment disputes. She previously served as a Superior Court Judge and as a North Carolina Administrative Law Judge. She has been active in professional regulation and believes in the role that regulatory boards play in protecting the public and guiding professionals. She served two terms on the North Carolina State Bar Disciplinary Hearing Commission, including serving as Vice-Chair. She currently is Independent Counsel to the North Carolina Medical Board.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Public Librarian Certification Commission:

• Elzena Michelle Anderson as nominated by the NC Library Association. A resident of Forsyth County, Anderson serves as the Deputy Director of the Forsyth County Public Library. She has worked more than 20 years in various library roles. She is deeply engaged in her community, supports learning, promotes civic involvement, and connects people with the resources they need to thrive.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina State Board of Registration for Foresters:

• Albert Joseph Lang as a registered forester. Lang is the Water Resources Program Head at the Water Resources Branch in the North Carolina Forest Service. He is the author of several peer-reviewed, published papers and has been at the North Carolina Forest Service for a decade.
• Patrick Horton, Jr. as a public member. Horton is the owner of Horton & Powell Family Farm in Bertie County, NC. His farm specializes in forestry and has been recognized by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, the American Tree Farm System and the N.C. Tree Farm Program, and the Black Century Land Ownership Recognizing Program. He also serves as Family Navigator at Easterseals UCP North Carolina & Virginia.

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

• Jose Chavez as an at-large member. Chavez currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association for Interpretation and has more than 25 years of experience in the field of heritage interpretation. He also works as the Nature Center Manager for Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation.
• Dr. Thomas R. Easley as an at-large member. Dr. Easley served as the inaugural Dean of Community and Inclusion at the Yale School of the Environment, where he advanced equity-centered institutional change. He now leads Mind Heart for Diversity, LLC while continuing his art and forest stewardship through Easley Branch, LLC.
• Brenda Hill Pollard as an at-large member. Pollard served on the North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences Advisory Commission under former Governors Jim Hunt, Mike Easley, Bev Perdue, Pat McCrory, and Roy Cooper and now serves under Governor Josh Stein.
• Dr. Anne S. York as an at-large member. Dr. York is a retired professor of business strategy and entrepreneurship who now resides in Wrightsville Beach. She earned her doctorate in business administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has published several books and numerous research articles on topics such as mergers and acquisitions, technological innovation, and sustainability.
• Danielle M. Parry-Hill as an at-large member. Parry-Hill has served enthusiastically on the Advisory Commission for the past four years and looks forward to continuing her tenure. She has spent her career in financial services and is the vice president of card and banking for TransUnion.
• Dr. Phillip R. Westmoreland as an at-large member. Dr. Westmoreland has been a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at North Carolina State University since 2009. Originally from Asheboro and Statesville, he taught for 23 years at the University of Massachusetts Amherst after earning his doctorate at MIT. He served as a program officer at the National Science Foundation from 2006 to 2009 and was the 2013 president of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.
• Ada C. Lopez as an at-large member. Lopez is a former public school science teacher with professional experience at SAS and Cisco and now serves as the senior manager of the Inclusive Product Design Office at Lenovo.
• Rhonda H. Beatty as an at-large member. Beatty is the director of the UNC Visitors Center and is dedicated to serving the community through leadership with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Advisory Commission, Collegiate Information and Visitor Services Association, Executive Mansion Fine Arts Commission, UNC Library Board, Junior League of Raleigh, and several Wake County Public Schools committees and parent teacher associations.
• Dr. Hollins Clark as an at-large member. Dr. Clark serves as a professor of radiology with the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill. Throughout his professional career, his clinical practice, research efforts, and educational commitments have focused on the imaging and treatment of pulmonary and cardiac diseases.
• Zeel Patel as an at-large member. Patel is the co-founder of In-Clinic Rx, a dedicated community advocate and PTSA volunteer with strong involvement in local nonprofits. As a Brimley Society supporter and Friends Board member of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, she is committed to advancing the museum's mission through advocacy, volunteerism, and event engagement.
• Jessica M. Conlon as an at-large member. Conlon is the director of financial operations for Affordable Communities Group, LLC, the 35th largest owner/operator of manufactured home communities in the U.S. She is a native of Long Beach, Calif., but has resided in Cary, NC, for more than 10 years with husband Mike and son Elijah.

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

• Brig. Gen. (ret) Twanda E. Young as the 14th Congressional District representative. Young is an executive leader and talent strategist with extensive experience in human resources, conflict management, and leading complex organizations. She is the CEO of LT3 Leadership Solutions™, where she helps organizations achieve peak performance through innovative leadership development and conflict resolution strategies. Young previously served in senior Army leadership roles, overseeing large-scale HR modernization efforts and multibillion-dollar budgets.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Zoological Park Council:

• Jacqueta E. Rascoe as an at-large member. Rascoe is the Director of Boards and Commissions in the Governor's Office. She served with dedication under the Cooper administration and now leads the appointments process under the Stein administration. Rascoe is committed to supporting North Carolina constituents in achieving their goals in public service.
• Ruth Hammer as an at-large member. Hammer is the Principal Business Operations Specialist in Go To Market Operations. Her career blends legal expertise, operational strategy, and cross-functional leadership, with a strong track record of building scalable processes, improving data accuracy, and driving compensation and reporting frameworks across Alliances and Channels.
• Garry Bruce Whitaker as an at-large member. Garry Whitaker is the owner of Garry Whitaker Law in Winston-Salem with a focus on personal injury, workers compensation and mass tort law. He has served and continues to serve his community and state in various non-profit leadership capacities including service as an active member of Senior Services of Winston-Salem, active Trustee of Chowan University, Murfreesboro, former Chair of the Board of the North Carolina Eye Bank, and former Vice President of the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the Roanoke River Basin Bi-State Commission:

• The Honorable Kyle E. Hall as a member of the House. Representative Hall has represented North Carolina's 91st District, covering Stokes County and part of Forsyth County, since 2015. Outside of his work at the North Carolina General Assembly, Hall is a licensed real estate broker and Realtor and is a member of the Carolina Alumni Board of Directors at UNC Chapel Hill.
• The Honorable Rodney D. Pierce as a member of the House. Pierce is the State Representative for House District 27. Prior to his election as a legislator, Pierce was an award-winning educator in the public schools of eastern North Carolina, where he taught middle school social studies for nine years. He served on former Governor Cooper's Teacher Advisory Committee from 2021 to 2024.
• The Honorable Robert O. Hanig as a member of the Senate. Hanig represents North Carolina's 1st District and is an Army veteran with a lifetime of experience as a small business owner. He also served as a chairman of the Currituck County Board of Commissioners and had two terms in the North Carolina House from 2019 to 2022, where he was Deputy Majority Whip in 2021 and 2022. He is now serving his second term in the North Carolina Senate.

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

• Corey McKittrick as director of a center for independent living. McKittrick is the Executive Director of the Alliance of Disability Advocates. Starting with the organization in 2017, Corey has over 16 years of experience working with individuals who experience disabilities. He spearheaded and helped develop the first Transition to Community Living (TCL) program at a Center for Independent Living in North Carolina, setting a benchmark for innovative, community-focused support. An adaptive sports advocate, Corey serves as the coach and manager of the Carolina Sled Hockey Team, bringing the first adaptive sports program to the Alliance of Disability Advocates. Corey holds certifications in Non-Profit Management and as a Benefits Practitioner. In 2019, he joined the NC Functional Assessment Support Team, providing critical support during natural disasters.

Governor Stein has appointed the following to the North Carolina Capital Facilities Finance Agency Board of Directors:

• Betty L. Parker as a public member. Parker is an accomplished public-sector executive and attorney with more than 30 years of experience in real estate, law, operations management, and strategic public planning. She recently retired as Senior Director of Real Estate Services for the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), the 14th largest school district in the United States, where for two decades she led complex land acquisition, property management, intergovernmental negotiation, and long-range facility planning initiatives.

Related Topics:

[email protected]