Gov. Cooper Nominates New Members for Department of Transportation Board | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    RALEIGH: Governor Roy Cooper has nominated ten new members to serve on the North Carolina Department of Transportation Board.

    "These talented new members bring years of experience and commitment to public service to North Carolina's Transportation Board," Cooper said. "I look forward to working with them to make important improvements to our state's transportation system."

    The Transportation Board represents statewide transportation needs and oversees the North Carolina Highway Trust Fund, an account created by the North Carolina General Assembly to fund new road construction efforts.

    Cooper has nominated the following North Carolinians to serve as DOT board members:

• Mr. Michael S. Fox (Guilford County) - Fox brings more than 25 years of legal experience to the Transportation Board. He has been listed in "Best Lawyers in America" in land use and zoning since 2007 and previously served on the Transportation Board from 2010 to 2013. He will represent the 7th Division.
• Mr. Grady Hunt (Robeson County) - Hunt has practiced government, education, and real estate law for more than 25 years. He is currently a named partner at the law firm of Locklear, Jacobs, Hunt & Brooks and has served as legal counsel to several rural communities, including Hoke County, the Town of Pembroke, and the Town of Maxton. Hunt will serve as an at-large member representing rural issues.
• Ms. Valerie D. Jordan (Wake County) - Jordan brings more than 20 years of experience in development, account services, and project management to the Transportation Board. She currently works as the IBM Global Alliance partner account manager at Cisco Systems in North Carolina's Research Triangle Park. She will represent the 5th Division.
• Mr. Anthony T. Lathrop (Mecklenburg County) - Lathrop is a partner with the law firm of Moore & Van Allen PLLC in Charlotte, specializing in commercial litigation, zoning, land use, and dispute resolution. He has been a member of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission since 2011 and has served as its chair since 2014. He will join the Transportation Board as an at-large member representing government-related finance and accounting issues.
• The Hon. Daniel F. McComas (New Hanover County) - McComas served in the North Carolina General Assembly from 1994 to 2012, representing House District 13. He has been President and CEO of MCO Transport, Inc. since 1985. He also previously served as chair of the NC Ports Authority. He will join the Transportation Board as an at-large member representing state ports and aviation.
• Mr. John R. Pope (Catawba County) - Pope has worked with Cargo Transporters since 1985 and has served as chairman of its board since 2005. He holds several appointments on boards of directors for industry organizations including the Truckload Carrier Association, American Trucking Associations, North Carolina Trucking Associations, as well as several non-profit organization boards, including the YMCA and the Catawba Chamber of Commerce. On the Transportation Board, he will represent the 12th division.
• Ms. Nina Szlosberg-Landis (Wake County) - Szlosberg-Landis has been a leader in communications and civic engagement for over 25 years. She has held appointments on boards of various civic organizations, including the Triangle Transit Board of Authority, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, and the Hillsborough Street Partnership. She also served three previous terms on the Transportation Board. She will serve as an at-large member representing environmental issues.
• The Hon. Cullie S. Tarleton (Watauga County) - Tarleton brings decades of leadership experience in communications and broadcasting to the Transportation Board. He is a retired Senior Vice President and General Manager of WBT, WBTV, and WCCB-TV. Tarleton served in the North Carolina General Assembly from 2007 to 2010 and has served on various boards of directors for non-profit and charitable organizations. He will represent the 11th Division.
• Mr. R. Michael Wells, Sr. (Forsyth County) - Wells has more than 40 years of legal experience and has specialized in estate planning and administration, Medicaid planning, elder law, real estate, and general litigation. He has been listed as one of North Carolina's "Super Lawyers" since 2009 and has sat on boards of directors for various non-profit organizations in the Triad. He will represent the 9th Division.
• Mr. Landon G. Zimmer (New Hanover County) - Zimmer is a partner at the law firm of Zimmer and Zimmer, LLP., Attorneys at Law. He is also a commissioner on the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and is a member of various professional, civic, and social organizations. He will represent the 3rd Division.

    The names of the nominees have been provided to the General Assembly for a thirty-day comment period.

    DOT Board members are appointed to four-year terms. The new Board is scheduled to meet on March 9, 2017.

• Contact: Ford Porter
•     govpress@nc.gov