McCrory appoints cabinet, leadership team

Last week, North Carolina Governor-Elect Pat McCrory announced several appointments to his leadership team in his first term, which begins in January.

McCrory tapped Lyons Gray as secretary of the Department of Revenue, Susan Kluttz as secretary of the Department of Cultural Resources and Kieran Shanahan as secretary of the Department of Public Safety.

McCrory selected Bob Stephens to serve as his chief legal counsel, Art Pope as deputy budget director and Chris Walker as communications director in the Office of the Governor.

“During this transition process, I am continuing to build a strong team of talent,” McCrory said in a statement. “These individuals will bring enormous talent and experience to their respective roles and will help me run the government in the most effective way possible.”

According to his statement, McCrory outlined broad objectives for his cabinet and leadership team, including: instituting a culture of customer service to state government, identifying and implementing efficiencies in state government, collaborating and sharing resources across departments and agencies and instituting the highest ethical standards while serving in government.

Gray served as the senior advisor to the president of the University of North Carolina system from 2011 to 2012. Previously, he served for four years as the chief financial officer of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. From 1989 to 2002, Gray served in the N.C. General Assembly.
Kluttz most recently served 14 years as mayor of Salisbury and currently serves on the Salisbury City Council. There, Kluttz helped develop the city’s Cultural Arts Plan and created a tourism master plan for Salisbury, including reorganization of the local arts council.

Shanahan will enter the McCrory administration with more than five years of experience as an assistant United States attorney, serving in both the Eastern District of North Carolina and the Northern District of Georgia. There, he concentrated in the investigation and prosecution of white collar crime. He currently serves on the Eastern Carolina University Board of Trustees and is a Principal in Shanahan Law Group.

Stephens joins the McCrory Administration from his law firm, Hamilton Stephens Steele & Martin. Stephens is a lifelong resident of Charlotte and has spent his entire professional career in Charlotte.

Pope currently serves as co-chair of the governor-elect’s transition team and is also CEO and chairman of Variety Wholesalers, Inc. Pope is a former state legislator, chairman and president of the John William Pope Foundation, director of conservative political group Americans for Prosperity and board member for the conservative John Locke Foundation.

Walker is the former Southeastern communications advisor for the Romney for President campaign and former press secretary to U.S. Senator Richard Burr.