Cooper appoints locals to Western Residence board

Press release from the Office of Gov. Roy Cooper:

Raleigh, N.C. —Gov. Roy Cooper announced additional appointments to state boards and commissions, including 15 to the board of directors of the Western Residence, which is located in Asheville.

“These new appointees bring dedication and experience to our state boards and commissions,” Cooper said. “I’m grateful for their service and look forward to working with them on behalf of all North Carolinians.”

Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Western Residence board of directors:

• Cecilia Rawlins of Asheville as an at-large member. Rawlins has previously worked as an elementary principal at Osaka International School in Japan and at Wiley International Elementary Magnet School and Hunter GT Magnet Elementary School in Raleigh. Rawlins is a board member for the Hot Springs Community Learning Center.
• Joan Creasman of Leicester as an at-large member. Creasman worked as an assistant to the Buncombe County Sheriff and as the deputy commissioner at the Western Regional Office of the North Carolina Department of Insurance.
• Jewell Wilson of Asheville as an at-large member. Wilson worked for two U.S. senators and two North Carolina governors.
• Douglas Beach of Lenoir as an at-large member. Beach is an attorney who received his B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law.
• Bruce Peterson of Fletcher as an at-large member. Peterson is a veteran of the U.S. Army military police, a former teacher, coach, athletic director and retired principal. He served on the UNC Asheville board of trustees, board of directors for Western North Carolina Communities and the Buncombe County Agriculture Board.
• Terry Bellamy of Asheville as an at-large member. A former mayor of Asheville, Bellamy was first elected in 2005. She was the youngest mayor in North Carolina and the first African-American mayor of Asheville.
• Nancy Edgerton of Asheville as an at-large member. Edgerton currently serves on the Asheville Symphony board on the Governance and Development committees. She recently finished a six-year stint as a trustee for Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.
• Pamela Prather of Cary as an at-large member. Prather teaches ESL at Wake Tech Community College and serves as the education chair of the Women’s Giving Network of Wake County.
• Patricia Keever of Asheville as an at-large member. Keever served in the N.C. House of Representatives from 2010-2012 and as a county commissioner from 1992-2014.
• Clerk of Superior Court June Ray of Waynesville as an at-large member. Ray has served as the Clerk of the Superior Court of Haywood County since 2002. Ray is a current member of the NC Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission.
• Carole Wilson of Raleigh as an at-large member. Wilson is a philanthropist who currently serves on the Appalachian State University board of trustees.
• Jo Bailey Sitton of Morganton as an at-large member. Sitton has served on the boards of the Blue Ridge Healthcare Foundation and the Blue Ridge Healthcare Hospital. She volunteers with the History Museum of Burke County.
• Yona Wade of Cherokee as an at-large member. Wade is the director of the Cultural Arts Center and of public relations for Cherokee Central School. He also works at the Chief Joyce Dugan Cultural Arts Center.
• Warren Bare of Burnsville as an at-large member. Bare has started several successful internet companies including HeadHunter.net, which is now known as CareerBuilder. Bare serves on the Yancey County Economic Development Commission.
• Kaye Myers of Fairview as an at-large member. Myers has worked for the state of North Carolina for 18 years as a heritage tourism officer and the executive director of the Governor’s Western Residence. Myers previously served as chairman of the Western Residence board.

Cooper also made appointments to the Education Commission of the States, North Carolina Medical Care Commission and North Carolina Courts Commission.