Brooks Pierce Capital Dispatch: Governor-elect Stein Names Senior Officials and Nominates Cabinet Secretaries
Gov.-elect Josh Stein this week announced nominees for eleven Cabinet positions and two senior administration officials. The North Carolina Senate will consider the Cabinet nominations when it begins meeting in January.
The Cabinet nominees are:
Administration - Gabe Esparza
He is a former senior official at the U.S. Small Business Administration and the former Vice President of Global Business Development at American Express. If confirmed, he will be North Carolina’s first Latino cabinet member.
Adult Correction - Leslie Cooley Dismukes
She is the Criminal Bureau Chief at the NC Department of Justice and formerly worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and Mecklenburg County Assistant DA.
Commerce - Lee Lilley
He has held senior economic development and legislative roles for Gov. Roy Cooper and was legislative director for Congressman GK Butterfield of North Carolina.
Environmental Quality - Reid Wilson
He currently is Secretary of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and formerly held leadership positions at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Conservation Trust for North Carolina and the Sierra Club.
Health and Human Services - Dr.Devdutta Sangvai
He is a Duke University doctor and professor and previously served as president of Duke Regional Hospital and as president of the North Carolina Medical Society.
Information Technology - Teena Piccione
Her background includes work at Google, RTI International, Fidelity Investments, and AT&T.
Military and Veterans Affairs - Jocelyn Mitnaul Mallette
She is an Air Force veteran who served as an intelligence officer and a prosecutor in the Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
Natural and Cultural Resources - Pam Cashwell
She currently is Secretary of the Department of Administration and is the first Native American woman to lead a state cabinet agency. Her experience includes work at the Department of Public Safety, the Ethics Commission, and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Public Safety - Eddie Buffaloe
He has served as Secretary since 2021 and his law enforcement career includes service in local government, as a sheriff’s deputy and correctional officer, and a member of the North Carolina National Guard.
Revenue - McKinley Wooten Jr.
He is currently an Assistant Secretary at the Department and has worked at the NC Department of Justice, the Department of Administration, and the Administrative Office of the Courts.
Transportation - Joey Hopkins
He has served as Secretary since 2023 and has worked for the Department for over 30 years including as COO, Deputy Chief Engineer, and Division Engineer.
Stein also announced two senior officials:
Budget and Management - Kristin Walker
She has served as State Budget Director since 2022 and previously was a fiscal analyst at the North Carolina General Assembly and worked at the National Science Foundation.
Human Resources - Staci Meyer
She is currently Chief Deputy Secretary at the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and previously worked at the North Carolina Department of Justice and as Chair of the North Carolina Industrial Commission.
For more information, contact a member of the Brooks Pierce Government Affairs Team.
Ed Turlington, Partner
Drew Moretz, Government Relations Advisor
Katelyn Kingsbury, Government Relations Advisor