NC Gov.-elect Josh Stein announces Cabinet picks. They include some familiar faces
North Carolina Gov.-elect Josh Stein announced his picks for Cabinet positions in his administration this week ahead of his swearing-in next month.
Stein’s picks include five holdovers from Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration — though some of them will lead different departments for Stein.
The nominations also include two potential “firsts.”
Gabe Esparza, who Stein nominated to lead the Department of Administration, would be the first Latino Cabinet member in North Carolina’s history, if confirmed.
Stein also nominated Devdutta Sangvai to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. He would be the state’s first Indian-American Cabinet secretary.
All of Stein’s nominees must be confirmed by the Republican-controlled state Senate before they can take office.
Stein’s picks for Cabinet members
Stein’s transition team released the names of all 11 Cabinet appointees on Monday and Tuesday.
His nominations are:
- Department of Administration: Gabe Esparza, a former associate administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration who ran unsuccessfully for state Treasurer.
- Department of Adult Correction: Leslie Cooley Dismukes, who currently services as the criminal bureau chief at the North Carolina Department of Justice.
- Department of Environmental Quality: Reid Wilson, the current secretary of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
- Department of Health and Human Services: Devdutta Sangvai, a professor at the Duke University School of Medicine who previously served as president of Duke Regional Hospital.
- Department of Natural and Cultural Resources: Pamela Cashwell, the current secretary of the North Carolina Department of Administration.
- Department of Revenue: McKinley Wooten Jr. is the assistant secretary of tax processing, research & equity at the North Carolina Department of Revenue.
- Department of Military and Veterans Affairs: Jocelyn Mitnaul Mallette is an attorney and veteran of the U.S. Air Force who served as an intelligence officer and prosecutor in the Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
- Department of Public Safety: Eddie Buffaloe Jr., the current secretary of DPS who previously served in law enforcement for over 30 years.
- Department of Transportation: Joey Hopkins, the current secretary of the DOT who has worked in the department for over 30 years as an engineer and chief operating officer.
- Department of Commerce: Lee Lilley, who previously served as Cooper’s director of economic and pandemic recovery.
- Office of State Human Resources: Staci Meyer, the current chief deputy secretary at the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
- Department of Information Technology: Teena Piccione, an executive at Google who has also worked for RTI International and Fidelity Investments.
- Office of State Budget and Management: Kristin Walker, the current state budget director, who has served in the role since 2022.
This story was originally published December 16, 2024 at 6:50 PM.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect that Reid Wilson is the current secretary of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
