Gov.-elect Josh Stein has named the members of his Cabinet who will lead state agencies next year.
Stein is keeping five members of current Gov. Roy Cooper's Cabinet, but two will be moving to different agencies. Reid Wilson will shift from being secretary of natural and cultural resources to lead the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality. Wilson's old job will be filled by Pam Cashwell, who's currently the secretary of administration under Cooper.
Stein is keeping Cooper's transportation secretary, Joey Hopkins, and his secretary of public safety, Eddie Buffaloe. Stein says the Department of Public Safety, which includes disaster recovery, needs steady leadership as western North Carolina recovers from Helene. Stein also announced that Kristin Walker will continue to serve as state budget director next year.
Gabe Esparza will become secretary of administration and the state's first Latino cabinet member. He worked as an administrator for the federal Small Business Administration and ran unsuccessfully for state treasurer this year.
Dr. Devdutta Sangvai is Stein's pick for secretary of health and human services. He's the former president of Duke Regional Hospital and will be the first Indian-American Cabinet member. He's also a professor of family medicine, pediatrics and psychiatry at the Duke University School of Medicine and the current president of the N.C. Medical Board.
He replaces Kody Kinsley, who held the position under Cooper. Stein said in a news release that Sangvai is "incredibly hard-working, knowledgeable about health care, and ready for the challenges of improving health and lowering health costs for people all across our state.”
Other Cabinet picks announced this week are:
- Lee Lilley will be the new secretary of commerce, heading up the state's economic development efforts. He previously served as director of economic and pandemic recovery for Cooper.
- Staci Meyer will lead the Office of State Human Resources. She is currently the chief deputy secretary at the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
- Teena Piccione will lead the Department of Information Technology. She's held leadership roles at Google and AT&T.
- Longtime state government administrator McKinley Wooten will lead the Department of Revenue. He is the department's current assistant secretary for tax processing, research and equity and a former inspector general at the N.C. Department of Justice.
- Attorney and Air Force veteran Jocelyn Mallette will head the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. She currently serves on the N.C. Real Estate Commission.
- Attorney Leslie Dismukes will lead the Department of Adult Correction, which oversees the state's prison system. She currently works under Stein as the criminal bureau chief at the N.C. Department of Justice.
Cabinet members will need to be confirmed by the state Senate, but they'll serve in an interim capacity until the confirmation vote.
