Today, Governor Roy Cooper announced appointments for boards and commissions throughout North Carolina.

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

• The Honorable Carolyn J. Thompson of Oxford as representative of employers. Thompson has been a private practice attorney with the Law Offices of Carolyn J. Thompson, P.C. since 2019 after previously serving as Resident Superior Court Judge for 9th Judicial District of North Carolina. She is a member of the North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys, Families Living Violence Free, the Franklin County Domestic Violence Task Force and as a Volunteer Judge for the Grandville County Teen Court Program. 

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Acupuncture Licensing Board:

• Jane W. Pippinger of Asheville as a public member. Pippinger is retired after previously serving as both a Doula and Hypnobirthing educator. She now volunteers as a hospice companion.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to North Carolina Board of Architecture:

• Cora Cole-McFadden of Durham as a public member. Cole-McFadden was a member of the Durham City Council from 2001-2017 and held public service positions for 32 years in the state retirement system. She was the first African American woman department head in Durham and the first African American woman to be named Mayor Pro Tempore in Durham.
• Roula H. Qubain as an architect. Qubain has more than 28 years of experience in the architectural industry and is a member of the American Institute of Architecture. She is also a founder of the Urban Design Assistance for Communities Under Stress. 

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Board of Athletic Trainer Examiners:

• KaRonne’ Jones of Durham as a public member. Jones wrestled for NC State in the 197-pound weight class from 2010-2014, where he qualified for the NCAA tournament. Jones is now a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 5 years of experience in mental health. He also works on the Child and Adolescent Unit at the State Psychiatric Hospital where he was nominated for the Governor’s Award of Excellence. 

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina State Bar Council:

• Patricia R. Head of Littleton as a Public Member. Head served on the Wake County Board of Education as both the Chair and Vice-Chair. She is a past member of the North Carolina State Bar Disciplinary Hearing Commission and the Board of Legal Specialization. 

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching:

• David M. Farris of Rocky Mount as a representative from Educational Region 3. Farris is the President and CEO of the Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce. He serves on the Carolinas Gateway Partnership Executive Committee, NC East Alliance, Nash County Travel and Tourism and the Downtown Redevelopment. He also served as the Past Chairman of the Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association. 
• Dr. Robert P. Taylor of White Lake as a representative from Educational Region 4. Taylor has served as the Superintendent of Bladen County Schools since 2011. Dr. Taylor serves on the Advisory Council for both the Dean of the School of Education at Fayetteville State University and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. He also serves on the State Board of Education’s Whole Community School Child Advisory Council, working to create policy for the coordination of services between public schools and public agencies.
• Desarae D. Kirkpatrick of Nebo as a representative from Educational Region 7. Kirkpatrick currently serves as the Principal of East McDowell Middle School in Marion. She is a board member of the North Carolina Principals and Assistant Principals Association and was named the Northwestern Regional Principal of the Year in 2018.
• Perry L. Harker of Beaufort as a representative from Educational Region 2. Harker currently serves as the Vice President of Corporate and Community Education at Carteret Community College. He has over 30 years of experience in the higher education and administration leadership field. He also serves on the board of directors for the Carteret County Boys and Girls Club, the East Carolina Community Development Inc. and the North Carolina Business Incubation Association. 

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Child Well-Being Transformation Council:

• Debra Farrington of Raleigh as a representative from DHHS, Division of Medical Assistance. Farrington currently serves as chief of staff in the Division of Health Benefits. She is responsible for overseeing the planning, implementation and tracking of short- and long-term projects as well as developing new community initiatives.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Complete Count Commission: 

• Keith Thomson of Black Mountain as a member at-large. Thomson is a small business owner providing IT services to local small businesses, non-profits, and churches in Buncombe County for over twenty-five years. He has been active in volunteer service in Buncombe County and Western North Carolina since moving there in 1980.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina State Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners:

• Renee Byars of Grover as a Cosmetology Instructor. Byars is currently retired after serving as a Cosmetology instructor at Cleveland Community College from 2001-2014. Byars previously served as an Inspector for the North Carolina State Board of Cosmetic Art. She is the Chairperson on Young Enough to Serve, Youth to Senior Adults.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Credit Union Commission:

• Fay Davenport Boyd of Columbia as a public member. Boyd currently serves as Chief Judge of the Tyrrell County Board of Elections. Boyd has also served on numerous boards including Tyrrell County Rural Health and Tyrrell County Board of Social Services.

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

• Kayla N. McMillan of Raleigh as a person with a developmental disability. McMillan has served on the planning committee for the North Carolina Youth Leadership Forum for over six years. She has been involved with the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living and the National Council on Independent Living. She previously worked at the Alliance of Disability Advocates Center for Independent Living where she helped initiate youth programs. 
• Victor Armstrong of Charlotte as a representative of the Department of Health and Human Services. Armstrong serves as director of the North Carolina Division of Mental Health, with Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services. Victor currently serves on the board of directors of American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) NC. He is also former board chair of NAMI NC, and a member of American Association of Suicidology (AAS), and NASW-NC. 

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Governor’s Advisory Council on Film, Television, and Digital Streaming: 

• Lindsay Bierman of Durham as a member at-large. Bierman serves as chief executive officer of UNC-TV. Prior to joining UNC-TV, Bierman served as the eighth chancellor of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Historic Murfreesboro Commission.

• Margret Braswell of Ahoskie as a member at-large. Braswell currently serves as executive vice president of the Ahoskie Chamber of Commerce. She is also on the Board of Directors of the Ahoskie Regional Visitor’s Center, Rivers East Regional Workforce Development Board, and the Board of Trustees of the Garden Club of North Carolina.
• Frances Bunch of Murfreesboro as a member at-large. Bunch retired from Murfreesboro Farms, Inc. in 2002. She enjoys serving as a member of the Murfreesboro Baptist Church, the N.C. Watermelon Festival Committee, the Murfreesboro Historical Association and as a trustee of Chowan University.
• Suzanne Deets of Murfreesboro as a member at-large. Deets is a retired Clinical Pastoral Education Supervisor, Board Certified Clinical Chaplain, and Board-Certified Pastoral Counselor. She is also the author of From Mourning into Joy: Healing in the Grief Process.
• Jacquelyn Ruffin-Pittman of Macclesfield as a member at-large. Ruffin-Pittman currently works as a Media Specialist for two high schools, Northwest Collegiate and Technical Academy and Southeast Collegiate Prep Academy with Halifax County Public Schools. 
• Joseph Twine of Murfreesboro as a member at-large. Twine is currently retired after more than 40 years in law enforcement in Hertford, where he was the second African American police officer in Murfreesboro.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Irrigation Contractors` Licensing Board:

• J'Nell Bryson of Charlotte as a public member. Bryson is currently serving as principal for J’Nell Bryson landscape architecture in Charlotte. She is responsible for the design and installation of a Children’s Reading Garden in Davidson.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy:

• Steve Green of Greensboro as a licensed massage and bodywork therapy establishment owner. Green is a multi-unit franchisee business owner with Massage Envy with 10 years of industry experience. He is a member of the Alamance, Fayetteville, and Myrtle Beach Chambers of Commerce.

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

• Dr. Charles E. Baker of Crossnore as a member at-large. Baker is currently retired after his 40-year career as a pediatric and family medicine doctor in Avery County. The Baker Center for Primary Care has grown to become the cornerstone of accessible healthcare in the community.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Council on Sickle Cell Syndrome:

• Rep. Carla Cunningham of Charlotte as a state or local official concerned w/ public health, social services & rehabilitation. Cunningham represents the 106th District in the North Carolina House of Representatives. She is a Member of the American Nurses Association, North Carolina Nursing Association, and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, as well as serving as the co-chair of Democratic House Caucus Women’s Issues Work Group.
• Dr. Olu Jegede of Greensboro as a physician in a medical center or community practice interested in sickle cell syndrome. Jegede currently serves as first care division medical director at Cone Health Community Care Services and as medical director of Cone Health Sickle Cell Medical Center. He is also a member of the American Association of Physician Leadership American College of Healthcare Executives.
• Dr. JJ Strouse of Durham as a teacher or member of a state or local school board. Strouse is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Duke University. He is also Treasurer of the Sickle Cell Adult Provider Network and is Co-Chair of NHLBI Sickle Cell Disease Observational Study Monitoring Board. 
• Leigh Downey of Wake Forest as a member at-large. Leigh has worked in the health care system providing financial counseling and assistance for patients and their families for over 20 years. 
• Kathy Norcott of Greensboro as a member at-large. Norcott currently serves as the Executive Director of Piedmont Health Services and Sickle Cell Agency. She also created a support group for adolescents with sickle cell disease.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners:

• Rosa M. Gonzalez of Troutman as a public member. Gonzalez cofounded and is the president of El Puente Hispano. She also serves as the Faith Community Nurse for Saint James and Saint Joseph Catholic Churches.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Statewide Independent Living Council:

• Brian Michaels of Wake Forest as a Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing representative. Michaels is a Community Resources Program Manager for the Division of Deaf and Hard of Hearing within the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. There, he supervises the managers of all seven of the division’s regional centers.

Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Well Contractors Certification Commission:

• Douglas Young of Fayetteville as a public member not engaged in well contractor activity or employed by a well contractor or government agency. Young is the regional sales manager for Crane Pumps & Systems, where he is responsible for both the Southeast & Mid-Atlantic regions.

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