Governor McCrory Announces Appointments | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    Raleigh, NC     The Office of Governor Pat McCrory announced the following appointments today:

    Energy Policy Council

   •  Frank Gorham (New Hanover County) - Gorham is the owner of Sandstone Properties LLC. Prior to venturing into the oil and gas business, he earned a J.D. from the American University School of Law in Washington, D.C. Gorham is active in numerous charities and public service. He fills the seat for a person experienced in natural gas and associated hydrocarbon exploration, development and production.

   •  Carl Wilkins (Wake County) - Wilkins is a principal advisor with Quanta Technology. He has experience in the electric utility industry serving a variety of managerial, research and consultative roles working with electric and gas utility companies. Prior to joining Quanta Technology, Wilkins served at Advanced Energy as the director of utility services where he managed the senior management relationships and the delivery of energy efficiency and renewable energy services to electric utilities. Wilkins fills the seat for a person knowledgeable of alternative and renewable sources of energy.

    The council advises and makes recommendations on increasing domestic energy exploration, development and production within the state and region to promote economic growth and job creation to the governor. The term length is three years.

    North Carolina Food Safety and Defense Task Force

    Rick Smith (Pitt County) - Smith is the owner of the Independent Leaf Tobacco Company. He worked with Export Leaf Tobacco in Wilson for 35 years, as leaf buyer and supervisor, senior manager and director of leaf buying and sales. In 2004, he became director of leaf sales for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, following the merger of RJR and Brown & Williamson. He will hold an at-large seat on the board.

    The task force coordinates interagency and public-private efforts to enhance protection of the state's food supply system and its agricultural industry. Members' duties include partnering with state and federal agencies to conduct focused studies of the vulnerability of the state's food system to criminal and terrorist acts. The task force also recommends legislation needed to improve the ability of state departments and agencies to protect the safety and defense of the state's food supply and the agricultural industry base. The term length is one year.

    Western North Carolina Regional Economic Development Commission

   •  Dr. John Boyd (Mitchell County) - Dr. Boyd is the president of Mayland Community College. He received a B.S. in criminal justice from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, a master's of criminal justice administration from Oklahoma City University and a Ph.D. in educational leadership from Clemson University. He will hold an at-large seat on the board.

   •  Terri King (Buncombe County) - King is the president/owner at Coldwell Banker King, King Associates Real Estate, LLC, and Broker Associates Referral Network, LLC. She received a B.S. in animal science from NCSU and a master's of entrepreneurship from Western Carolina University. She is a member of the National Association of Realtors and WNC Foundation: Women for Women. She will hold an at-large seat on the board.

    The commission facilitates economic development and tourism in Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, McDowell, Macon, Madison, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania and Yancey counties. The term length is four years.

    North Carolina Criminal Justice Information Network Governing Board

   •  Bob Brinson (Wake County) - Brinson is the chief information officer for the Department of Public Safety. He is a reappointment for this board. He will represent an employee of a state correction agency.

   •  Greg Baker (Wake County) - Baker is the commissioner of the Law Enforcement Division for the Department of Public Safety. He led DPS's Alcohol Law Enforcement section. Baker received a B.S. in criminal justice from Oklahoma State University. He will represent an employee of public safety.

    The board operates the state's Criminal Justice Information Network. The network provides the governmental and technical information systems infrastructure necessary to accomplish state and local governmental public safety and justice functions by sharing criminal justice information among law enforcement, judicial and corrections agencies. The term length is four years.

    North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors

    Mark Griffin (Union County) - Griffin is the division director of building code enforcement and chief electrical inspector for Union County. He has an unlimited electrical contractors license and level III building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical standard code inspection certificates. Griffin will fill the seat for a person who is serving as a chief electrical inspector of a municipality or county in North Carolina.

    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. The term length is seven years.


    Contact: Crystal Feldman
        govpress@nc.gov