Skvarla Moves From DENR To Commerce In Cabinet Shuffle | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: The author of this post is Barry Smith, who is an associate editor for the Carolina Journal, John Hood Publisher.

Decker leaves McCrory administration to join media company closer to home

    RALEIGH - Gov. Pat McCrory choked up a bit Tuesday morning when he announced that his friend, Sharon Decker, was leaving her post as Commerce secretary to take a job in the private sector. "I'm sad to announce that she is resigning as Commerce secretary," McCrory said. "But she has left a legacy of jobs for North Carolina."

    Decker will become president of Nuray Media, a digital film preservation and restoration company started by the family who founded Raycom Sports, when she leaves the Commerce Department.

    John Skvarla, the current secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, will replace Decker at Commerce. The transition will take place at the end of the year. McCrory hasn't picked a successor to Skvarla yet. He said he and his team will be looking at "both internal and external candidates" to replace Skvarla, and hopes to have a successor named by the end of the month.

    The announcement of Decker's resignation came during a morning press conference in the old House chamber in the state Capitol.

    The governor credited Decker with reorganizing the Commerce Department, working with Division of Employment Security Director Dale Folwell to cut the state's unemployment insurance debt, and increasing jobs in North Carolina.

    McCrory said that during a walk around the Executive Mansion two months ago, Decker let him know that she wanted to seek other employment and spend more time with her family in western North Carolina.

    "Governor, thank you for an opportunity that came out of the blue, and an opportunity that has changed how I see the world," Decker said. She said she had a "bittersweet feeling" about leaving the job and moving on.

    At DENR, Skvarla faced some criticism by environmental groups for arguing the agency had not b een responsive to the concerns of businesses. In August 2013, Skvarla made a presentation to the Shaftesbury Society at the John Locke Foundation during which he explained how economic growth did not have to be at odds with environmental protections. (You can view the presentation at the end of this link.)

    Skvarla said on Tuesday he was glad there was "interchangeability among Cabinet members."

    "Going to Commerce, it's just another adventure," Skvarla said. "There's only one issue in the state of North Carolina that 100 percent of our citizens understand and care about. And that's jobs."

    "So it's our obligation at Commerce to assist in the realization of a job for every citizen in the state," Skvarla said.