Last Updated on May 18, 2022 3:44 pm
Governor Roy Cooper has appointed local resident Yolanda Adams to the Task Force to Develop a Representative and Inclusive Vision for Education.
In the announcement from the Governor's Office: Yolanda Adams of Boone as an educator, principal, superintendent, or other school or school district administration staff. Adams is a Family Resource Coordinator for Watauga County Schools and Co-Founder of Q’Pasa Appalachia. She was awarded the 2020 Baker/Jones Woman of the Year Award presented by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce.
Other appointees to that task force are:
Dr. Valerie Bridges of Tarboro as an educator, principal, superintendent, or other school or school district administration staff. Bridges is the Superintendent of Edgecombe County Public Schools and has served in this role for the past four years. She was previously an Associate and Assistant Superintendent in both Edgecombe and Washington County Schools.
Dr. Monique Perry-Graves of Charlotte as a nonprofit education advocacy organization representative. Perry-Graves is the Executive Director of Teach for America North Carolina. Dr. Perry-Graves is also a leadership coach, speaker, and author.
Dr. Carlos Ramirez of Hillsborough as a member at-large. Ramirez is the Principal at Cedar Ridge High School and is a former superintendent.
Leah Sutton of Mt. Olive as nonprofit education advocacy organization representative. Sutton is Vice President of Policy & Engagement at BEST NC. She was previously a policy analyst at The Hunt Institute.
Governor Roy Cooper announced other appointments to North Carolina boards and commissions today.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Agricultural Hall of Fame Board of Directors:
- James L. Lamb of Clinton as a member at-large. Lamb is an environmental specialist at Prestage Farms, Inc. He has also been a supervisor in Sampson County for over a decade and was named North Carolina Outstanding Pork Producer in 2016.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina State Barber Examiners:
- The Honorable Kristina Elizabeth Proctor of Canton as a public member. Proctor is a communications professional and ADHD parenting coach. She has also served on the Town of Canton Board of Alderman since 2017.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities:
- Carol Ann Conway of Chapel Hill as an immediate relative or guardian of an institutionalized developmentally disabled person. Conway is the former research director for the Southern Growth Policies Board. She is the founder of Parent Advocates for Adult Children with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities (PACID).
- Jonathan R. D'Angelo of Beaufort as a person with a developmental disability. D’Angelo is a Market Specialist at OneDigital, Inc. He was formerly an IT Consultant at Summit Software Inc.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Executive Mansion Fund Incorporated Board of Directors:
- Laura Babb Grace of Charlotte as a member at-large. Babb has spent most of her life as a community volunteer giving back to her community. Babb is on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Board of Visitors and on the Collections Board at the Mint Museum in Charlotte.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina State Licensing Board for General Contractors:
- Eric Reichard of Charlotte as a general contractor focused on building construction. Reichard is the Chief Operating Officer at Rodgers Builders, Inc. He has been working in construction for over thirty years with many large-scale projects on the UNC Charlotte campus and across the Charlotte area.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Historic Murfreesboro Commission:
- Mary Harrell of Murfreesboro as a member at-large. Harrell is a retired educator who served as both an elementary school teacher and a principal. She has also served over 20 years as the Executive Director of the C.S. Brown Regional Cultural Arts Center and Museum located in Winton, North Carolina.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Interagency Council for Coordinating Homeless Programs:
- Samuel G. Gunter of Durham as a member from the North Carolina Housing Coalition. Gunter is the Executive Director of the North Carolina Housing Coalition. He has served on many boards regarding housing and homelessness including the Housing Recovery Support Function, the Council of Independent State Housing Associations, and the Raleigh-Wake Partnership to End and Prevent Homelessness.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Internship Council:
- Avery L. Staley of Mooresville as a representative of a college or university with less than 5,000 students. Staley is the Vice President for the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the Office of Human Resources, and the Office of Multi-Cultural Affairs at Lenoir Rhyne University.
- Dr. Britt J. Davis of Raleigh as a private college or university representative. Davis is the Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Senior Advisor to the President at Campbell University. He is also a member of the Triangle Literacy Council Board of Directors.
- Cheryl J. Hicks of Pfafftown as a private college or university representative. Hicks is the Associate Director, Career Coach, and Diversity & Inclusion Programs Manager for the Office of Personal & Career Development at Wake Forest University.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the NCWorks Commission:
- Hugh W. Allen of Charlotte as a business representative. Allen is the Regional President for the Mid-South Metro TD Bank. In addition to his thirty years in banking, he is also an active member of his community through organizations such as the Hydrocephalus Association, the Research Triangle Foundation, and BP Basketball.
- Daniel L. Briggs of Lexington as a business representative. Briggs is the President of Davidson Funeral Home. He has been actively involved in the growth and betterment of Lexington through numerous boards for over twenty years.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Post-Release Supervision & Parole Commission:
- Haley E. Phillips of Durham as a full-time commissioner. Phillips was a supervising attorney and staff attorney with the post-conviction team for the North Carolina Prisoner Legal Services, Inc., where she managed and evaluated claims for post-conviction relief of North Carolina inmates. She also worked as a paralegal in the public integrity section for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Utilities Commission:
- Karen M. Kemerait of Raleigh as a commissioner. Kemerait was a partner at Fox Rothschild LLP, where she practiced in the areas of utilities, zoning and land use, and administrative law. She is the past chair of the Board of Adjustment for the City of Raleigh, the past treasurer of the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters and the past chair of WakeUP Wake County.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service:
- Kathleen W. Evans of Charlotte as a representative of the volunteer sector. Evans is the Regional Director of External Affairs for AT&T North Carolina, representing the Charlotte area.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Wake Technical Community College Board of Trustees:
- Louis A. Martin-Vega of Raleigh as a member at-large. Martin-Vega is a Professor and Dean of Engineering at North Carolina State University. He has served at multiple educational institutions such as University of South Florida, Lehigh University, Florida Technical Institute, and the University of Puerto Rico where he earned acclaim for his innovative and dedicated approach to education.
- John Boswell of Raleigh as a member at-large. Boswell is the current Chief Operating Officer for Zoe Empowers, which empowers at risk children to overcome life threatening poverty.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Water Treatment Facility Operators Certification Board:
- Dr. Rebecca B. Sadosky of Raleigh as the Department of Environmental Quality representative. Sadosky is Operations Branch Head of the department’s Public Water Supply Section.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Western North Carolina Public Lands Council:
- Luke D. Hyde of Bryson City as a Swain County resident. Hyde is the Owner and Manager of the Historic Calhoun House Hotel. He also practices law in Raleigh and Western North Carolina.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Zoological Park Council:
- Sarah Cole Jordan of Raleigh as a member at-large. Jordan is a Grants Manager for the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management. She also serves as Chair of the Young Ambassadors for SAFEchild and is a volunteer coach for the North Carolina Lacrosse Academy.