Josh Stein Announces New Cabinet Members for North Carolina, Including Key Reappointments

RALEIGH — Josh Stein, North Carolina’s incoming governor, announced six more people for his cabinet, with four of them already working in roles under Gov. Roy Cooper. Three of these individuals will keep their current positions.

Stein’s team shared on Tuesday that Eddie M. Buffaloe Jr. will stay as the secretary of the Department of Public Safety. He has held this role since 2021 under Cooper. Stein explained that Buffaloe’s leadership is crucial as western North Carolina recovers from Hurricane Helene.

Joey Hopkins will also remain as the Department of Transportation Secretary. He was appointed to the role by Cooper in 2023 and has previously worked in various leadership roles in the department.

Kristin Walker, the current state budget director under Cooper since 2022, will continue to lead the Office of State Budget and Management. She is the first woman to hold this position.

Lee Lilley will head the Department of Commerce. He has worked as Cooper’s director of Economic and Pandemic Recovery and as Director of Legislative Affairs. Lilley has been a long-time aide and lobbyist 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 and has worked in various legal and governmental roles.

Teena Piccione will head the Department of Information Technology. She has worked in leadership roles at Google, RTI International, Fidelity Investments, and AT&T, focusing on cloud and customer engineering.

Most of these cabinet picks do not need approval from the state Senate. However, two positions have already been confirmed: Buffaloe in 2022 and Hopkins in 2024.

This is the second round of cabinet appointments in two days, completing Stein’s major selections.

 

Leave a Comment