Ex-Wake Forest Chamber president pleads guilty to embezzlement
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Former Wake Forest commissioner pleaded guilty to one felony embezzlement count.
- Simpers agreed to complete community service; three other charges dropped.
- Chamber said Simpers’ actions caused harm for the organization.
A former Wake Forest commissioner pleaded guilty Monday to embezzlement from her time as president of the Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce.
Elizabeth Simpers, 49, was arrested and charged with four felony counts of embezzlement in August.
On Monday, she pleaded guilty to one count of felony embezzlement and the three other counts were dropped.
Simpers was ordered to serve 12 months of probation, complete 150 hours of community service, pay back $65,984.76 and to complete mental health and substance use assessment and treatment. Prior to her plea she had already paid back $54,000 and completed 150 hours of community service.
The charges followed a 13-month investigation, The News & Observer previously reported.
According to arrest warrants, Simpers spent $750 on home improvements, $1,000 on tree services and $1,613 on plumbing work, all at her home. She also reportedly used nearly $66,000 from the chamber for items, including “a party bus rental, orthopedic services, professional photographs ... and various Amazon retail items.”
Simpers served on the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners from January 2018 to December 2021, when she lost her bid for reelection. She served as present of the area chamber from February 2020 to May 2024, according to her LinkedIn page.
In a previous statement, the chamber called Simpers’ arrest a “significant moment in a difficult chapter” for the organization and community.
“We want it to be clear: Ms. Simpers’ actions caused harm to the Chamber and placed the organization in a precarious position,” the chamber said at the time.
This story was originally published February 9, 2026 at 1:12 PM.
CORRECTION: An initial version of this story did not fully report the sentencing for Elizabeth Simpers. In addition to her community service, she was ordered to serve 12 months of probation, pay back $65,984.76 and complete mental health and substance use assessment and treatment. Before her plea she had already paid back $54,000.
