Governor McCrory Announces Appointments | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    Raleigh, N.C.     The Office of Governor Pat McCrory announced the following appointments today:

Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, Inc.

• Mark Bellissimo (Polk County) - Bellissimo is founder and partner of the Tryon International Equestrian Center. The former software company entrepreneur bought a struggling Florida horse showgrounds property in 2006 and during the next few years became a globally known equestrian-industry mogul.
• James Whitehurst (Wake County) - Whitehurst is President and CEO at Red Hat. Prior to Red Hat, he spent six years at Delta Air Lines driving international expansion and as COO, overseeing all aspects of of airline operations. Whitehurst also held several corporate development roles at The Boston Consulting Group, where is worked in the Chicago, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Atlanta offices. He has a bachelor's degree in economics and computer science from Rice University, a General Course degree from the London School of Economics, and a master's degree in business administration from Harvard. This is a reappointment.
• Caleb Miles (Moore County) - Miles is President and CEO at Convention & Visitors Bureau in the Pinehurst/Southern Pines area. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Management from James Madison University. This is a reappointment.

    The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina is focused on recruiting new businesses to the state, supporting the needs of existing businesses, connecting exporters with customers around the globe, helping small business owners get their start and attracting tourists and visitors from all over the world.

North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners

• W. Hunter Cook (Mecklenburg County) - Cook is an audit partner at Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP's Charlotte office and is a member of the firm's Professional Standards Group. Prior to joining the firm in 1997, he taught auditing and accounting at Wake Forest University. Before that, he had 27 years of experience in public accounting with a Big Four firm where he was a partner in assurance and advisory business services. Cook has served clients in a wide variety of industries including manufacturing, distribution, engineering and construction, and real estate. This is a reappointment.
• Jeffrey Truitt (Wake County) - Truitt is a partner at Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell & Jernigan, LLP. His practice areas include mergers and acquisitions, commercial and finance transactions, start-ups, energy and renewable energy, and government contracting. He has significant experience in the drafting and negotiation of manufacturing and supply agreements, vendor agreements, licensing arrangements, and other contracts that support the day-to-day operations of companies. Truitt graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with honors and distinction in 1993 and served as a nuclear submarine officer for over four years. This is a reappointment.
• L. Samuel Williams, Jr. (Caldwell County) - Williams has owned his own accounting firm in Hickory for over 26 years. His firm provides total financial services to individuals, large and small businesses and other agencies. Williams was appointed to the NCACPA Board of Directors from 2012-2014 and previously worked at Deloitte as a senior manager.

    The board is responsible for granting and annually renewing certificates of qualification to CPAs and CPA firms who meet the legal requirements. Members oversee the administration of uniform CPA examinations, administer the State quality review program and adopt rules of professional ethics and conduct to be observed by CPAs.

North Carolina Hearing Aid Dealers and Fitters Licensing Board

• Bruce Le (Mecklenburg County) - Le is the Senior Regional Business Manager and licensed hearing aid dispenser for Starkey Hearing Technologies. He has been working in the hearing aid field since 2000. Le has an MBA from Queens University and Masters of Accountancy from UNC Charlotte.
• Frances Campbell (Alexander County) - Campbell is a retired school teacher residing in Alexander County. She is still active as a volunteer in her community with local groups during her retirement.
• Angela Goodrich (Rutherford County) - Goodrich is a Hearing Aide Specialist at the Hearing Aide Center Medical Supply in Forest City. This is a reappointment.
• Raymond Dyer (Northampton County) - Dyer is a retired U.S. Army Logistics officer with more than 30 years of experience. He holds a bachelor's degree in Computer Information Systems from St. Leo College. This is a reappointment.

    The board works to protect the hearing impaired citizens of N.C. by implementing a pre-qualification examination for registered apprentices.

Governor's Advisory Council on Aging

• John Thompson (Carteret County) - Thompson has extensive background in volunteer activities during his professional career and since his retirement. After moving to Carteret County 13 years ago, Thompson has focused the bulk of his volunteer time in leadership positions dealing with aging issues. As a disabled veteran, he devotes time to helping other veterans by volunteering with the Veterans Service Office in Carteret County. As the former Speaker of the N.C. Senior Tar Heel Legislature (2011-2013), he was involved in the establishment and setting of priorities that were presented to the General Assembly.
• Susan McGuire (Johnston County) - McGuire is a Senior Care Coordinator Resources for Seniors, Inc. in Raleigh, N.C. She is responsible for Medicare counseling for adults with disabilities and older adults. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications at North Carolina State University. This is a reappointment.
• Joyce Boone (Wake County) - Boone is the founder of Tutorial 1/2 Christian School in Durham. Prior to opening the school, she provided in-home tutoring services for children diagnosed with ADHD and taught kindergarten at Mt. Zion Christian Academy. In 2012, she was nominated by the National Association for Professional Women for Teacher of the Year Award. She obtained her master's degree in Education from North Carolina Central University.
• John Hammond (Orange County) - Hammond is a professor emeritus in the departments of pathology and lab medicine and biomedical engineering at the UNC School of Medicine. He spent 29 years at UNC, rising through the academic ranks to full professor and serving as a director of the chemistry laboratories at UNC Hospitals. He retired in 2003.​ This is a reappointment.
• James Scott (Halifax County) - Scott is an instructor at Caledonia Prison where he helps inmates earn their GED and teaches a Career Readiness Certification course.

    The council studies ways and means of promoting public understanding of the problems of aging, considers the need for new State programs in the field of aging and makes recommendations to the Governor and Secretary of Health and Human Services.

North Carolina Board of Licensed Professional Counselors

• Kyla Kurian (Wake County) - Kurian is an Assistant Professor for the Department of Counselor Education at N.C. Central University. She received her Ph.D in Counselor Education and Supervision Psychology from N.C. Central University and her Masters of Education from Ohio State. Kurian is also the President/Executive Designer of King's Couture.
• Rev. George H. Greer, Jr. (Nash County) - Greer is the reverend at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Rocky Mount. This is a reappointment.

    The board examines and approves the qualifications of applicants for licenses and issues or renews licenses for the successful applicants.

North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors

• Dr. Leonard W. White (Wake County) - Dr. White is a professor of electrical and computer engineering at NC State University.

    The board is responsible for the licensing of all electrical contractors within the state, providing the written examination of all applicants. and investigating complaints against non-licensed electrical contractors.

North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Cosmetic Art Examiners

• Susan Byars (Cleveland County) - Byars is a Cosmetic Instructor at Cleveland Community College with 34 years of experience as an active Licensed Cosmetologist. Byars graduated from Trudy Price Hairstyling Academy and from the Carolina Beauty College.

    The board is responsible for issuing, renewing and revoking licenses, conducting investigations of alleged violations, approving new cosmetic art schools and adopting a curriculum for each course of study required for the issuance of a license.

Southern Regional Education Board

• Sen. Tamara Barringer (Wake County) - Senator Barringer represents North Carolina Senate District 17. She received her bachelor's degree in business administration and her JD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

    The Southern Regional Education Board works with North Carolina policymakers, colleges and schools to help improve education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education.

Permanency Innovation Initiative Oversight Committee

• Vickie H. Koch (Wake County) - Koch is a processing assistant for the Attorney General's Office. She has previously served on the Childcare Commission and is the permanent caregiver for her granddaughter.
• Annie Smith (Moore County) - Smith has served as Youth Villages' director of North Carolina since 2008. She is responsible for overseeing community-based services including Multisystemic Therapy, Intercept, YVLifeSet, medication management, and outpatient therapy in nine offices within North Carolina. Smith also serves as a member of the National Board of Licensed Professional Counselors.
• Dr. Mark F. Testa (Orange County) - Dr. Testa is the Sandra Reeves Spears and John B. Turner Distinguished Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to his current role, he was a professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and also served as the Director of the Children and Family Research Center, an independent research organization created jointly by the University and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
• Jennie Kristiansen (Chatham County) - Kristiansen is the Director of the Chatham County Department of Social Services. She is a 2009 graduate of the Chatham County Leadership Academy and a member of the Board of Directors of the Chatham County Partnership for Children.

    The purpose of the board is to design and implement a data tracking methodology to collect and analyze information to gauge the success of the Permanency Innovation Initiative, develop a methodology to identify short and long-term cost-savings in the provision of foster care, and to study, review and recommend other policies and services that may positively impact permanency and well-being outcomes.

North Carolina Awards Committee

• Robert F. Orr (Yancey County) - Orr served as an Associate Justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court from 1994-2004. He retired from the state Supreme Court to head the newly-formed North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law. Orr served as Vice- President of the North Carolina Bar Association from 1991-1992 and was appointed to the Governor's Crime Commission in 1998.

    The purpose of the board is to advise the Secretary of Natural and Cultural Resources on forming and administering programs of N.C. Awards and on the selection of committees to select annual recipients.

• Contact: Crystal Feldman
•     govpress@nc.gov