Easley honors two aides with Utilities seats

Gov. Mike Easley rewarded longtime aides Bryan Beatty and Susan Rabon with appointments to the N.C. Utilities Commission on Tuesday.

Beatty has served as secretary of the N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety under Easley since 2001, overseeing the state Highway Patrol, the Division of Alcohol Law Enforcement and the Emergency Management Division, among other agencies. He is a former State Bureau of Investigation director under then-Attorney General Easley and also worked in the N.C. Department of Justice.

Rabon is one of Easley's top aides, currently serving as senior assistant for administration in his office. She was a corporate lawyer in Wilmington before going to work as special counsel for the justice department in 1993 when Easley was attorney general. She became chief of staff of the department in 1994.

The Utilities Commission regulates the rates and services of the state's public utilities, including telephone, electric, natural gas, wastewater, buses and ferryboats.

The governor appoints all seven members to eight-year terms, but they must be confirmed by the legislature. Other members appointed by Easley are Howard Lee, Bill Culpepper, Lorinzo Little Joyner, Sam Ervin IV, Robert Owens and Chairman Edward Finley.

The appointments fill two openings on the commission. Ervin will leave the board to join the N.C. Court of Appeals today. Jim Kerr left the board Aug. 31.

Court director named

A new administrative director has been named for the state court system -- Special Superior Court Judge John W. Smith.

Smith replaces Judge Ralph A. Walker, who retires today.

As director of the N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts, Smith will oversee administrative services for the state's unified court system. Easley appointed him a special Superior Court judge in 2001 to work out of Wilmington. Smith has also been a district court judge, certified juvenile court judge, chief district court judge and an assistant district attorney in North Carolina.

State Supreme Court Chief Justice Sarah Parker made the appointment. In a statement, she said Smith "brings enormous commitment to the administration of justice both within the judicial branch and to the citizens of the state."

The position pays $126,738 annually.

Democrat after top job

Dannie Montgomery is running for chairwoman of the N.C. Democratic Party.

The Anson County activist, currently serving as first vice chair, sent e-mail to members of the party's executive committee to declare her candidacy Nov. 30.

Montgomery served as Anson County Democratic Party chairwoman from 1999 to 2005, has been on the party's executive committee since 1999 and was a superdelegate for President-elect Barack Obama this year. She ran unsuccessfully for Anson County commissioner.

She could have some competition. Richard Sullivan of Raleigh, a successful fundraiser for Bill and Hillary Clinton, said he's giving some thought to running after being encouraged by "numerous activists."

Sullivan currently works as director of marketing for Lovell, Mitchell and Bart, a law firm with offices in Seattle and New York.

Statesville attorney David Parker is also reportedly interested. The party's executive committee will decide in late January who will replace Chairman Jerry Meek, who is stepping down.

Fired chief supported

An environmental and government watchdog advocacy group wants Obama to bring back Teresa Chambers, the former Durham police chief who later tangled with the Department of Interior as its U.S. Parks police chief.

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, known as PEER, released a nominee wishlist of people it recommends for the Obama administration.

Chambers was fired from her post as chief of the U.S. Parks after complaining about low staffing levels to The Washington Post. She tried to get back her job with PEER's support, but she has not yet been successful.

In a news release, the group noted that days after The Washington Post interview, Chambers was ordered to surrender her badge, weapon and ID and was relieved of her duties.

"In what has become the prime example of the Bush administration's suppression of information, Chambers was ultimately removed from the Chief position," the release said.

Chambers is now police chief for Riverdale Park, a town in Prince George's County, Md.