Upcoming Steering Committee Meetings
Tuesday, June 9 — 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. [Wake County]
Steering committee attendance is open exclusively to NCACC members, including county commissioners and county staff who specialize in committee-related fields.
NCACC’s Steering Committees assist the Board of Directors in setting policy for the Association in the areas of Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources, General Government, Health and Human Services, Justice and Public Safety, Public Education, and Tax and Finance. Steering committee attendance is open exclusively to NCACC members, including county commissioners and county staff who specialize in committee-related fields.
Each year, the NCACC President appoints a chairperson to lead and represent each Steering Committee on the Board of Directors. The chair of each Steering Committee plays an important role in leading committee meetings and identifying specific topics for discussion within the committee’s jurisdiction.
During the 2024-25 year, the steering committees were tasked with reviewing and voting on county proposals for consideration to determine if they would move forward in the NCACC legislative goals setting process.
Steering Committee Membership List
The following committee appointments were confirmed the week of December 9, 2025. Appointments for the 2025-2026 committees ended July 31, 2026. Committee membership is open to all county commissioners. Check the NCACC Calendar for meeting details.
- 2025-2026 NCACC Steering Committee Membership
Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources
Commissioners Dennis Aldridge (Avery; Steering Committee Co-Chair), Terri Wells (Buncombe; Steering Committee Co-Chair), Vickie Adamson (Wake), David Allen (Randolph), Sissy Aydlett (Camden), Edwin Booth (Beaufort), Sheila Franklin (Henderson), Jeremy Hensley (Madison), Jerry Jones (Greene), Sue Leggett (Nash), Tommy Long (Haywood), Edwin Madden Jr. (Columbus), Harley Masters (Mitchell), Jonathan Meads (Pasquotank), Elaine Powell (Mecklenburg), Terry Ramey (Haywood), Amanda Robertson (Chatham), Mike Stroud (Burke), Tyrra Turner (Edgecombe), Rob Zapple (New Hanover)
General Government
Commissioners Mike Forte (Brunswick; Steering Committee Chair), Tom Adams (Moore), Corey Ballance (Bertie), Mary Ellon Ballance (Dare), Royce Bennett (Onslow), Katie Cashion (Guilford), Jason Chappell (Transylvania), Marty Cooke (Brunswick), Tony Cozart (Granville), Robbie Davis (Nash), David Delaney (Chatham), Leroy Douglas (Hertford), Karen Howard (Chatham), Tom Keigher (Gaston), Sean Lavin (Pasquotank), Jonathan Meads (Pasquotank), Ed O’Neal (Scotland), Phyllis Portie-Ascott (Orange), Linda Rouse Sutton (Lenoir), Mike Stroud (Burke)
Health and Human Services
Commissioners Cheryl Stallings (Wake; Steering Committee Chair), Melissa Hiatt (Surry), Houston Barrow (Rockingham), Marilyn Carter (Orange), June Cummings (Lenoir), Ann Floyd Huggins (Pitt), Amy Fowler (Orange), Darrell Frye (Randolph), Lewis Hoggard (Bertie), Jennifer Horton (Buncombe), Wendy Jacobs (Durham), Mark Jerrell (Mecklenburg), Antoinetta Royster (Person), Emily Truman (Gates), Charles Woodard (Perquimans)
Justice and Public Safety
Commissioners Wayne Branch (Duplin; Steering Committee Chair), Mike Benfield (Rutherford), Pauline Campbell (Robeson), Larry Chapman (Transylvania), Braxton Eggers (Watauga), Wes Greene (Ashe), Rodney Hester (Bladen), Don Mial (Wake), Brent Springer (Pender), Randell Thompson (Brunswick), Larry Yoder (Alexander)
Public Education
Commissioners Carly Cooke (Guilford; Steering Committee Chair), Michelle Burton (Durham), Joshua Ellerbe (Anson), Susan Evans (Wake), Viola Harris (Edgecombe), Hope Haywood (Randolph), Tracey Johnson (Washington), Don Martin (Forsyth), Mark Richardson (Rockingham), Susan Rodriguez-McDowell (Mecklenburg), Janet Rose (Currituck), Vivian Saunders (Bertie), Shinica Thomas (Wake), Stephanie Walker (New Hanover), Keedra Whitaker (Northampton), Jarvis Woodburn (Anson), Malishai Woodbury (Forsyth)
Tax and Finance
Commissioners Butch Lawter (Johnston; Steering Committee Chair), Jamezetta Bedford (Orange), Jake Dalton (Transylvania), Joe Daughtery (Wayne), Tandy Dunn (Beaufort), Marshall Faircloth (Cumberland), Jamie Gathings (Richmond), Bob Hovis (Gaston), Tim Ivey (Scotland), Safiyah Jackson (Wake), Bob Kirby (Chowan), Teresa McCall (Transylvania), Rebecca McCall (Henderson), Pavan Patel (Cumberland), Cole Setzer (Catawba), Sherry Wilborn (Person), Rob Zapple (New Hanover)
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- 2025-2026 NCACC Steering Committee Nominations
Your Voice. Your Leadership. Your Opportunity.
Are you ready to help shape policies that impact all 100 North Carolina counties? Now’s your chance to take an active role in NCACC’s policy-setting process. We invite you to nominate yourself or a fellow county commissioner to serve on one of NCACC’s 2025-2026 steering committees — a vital opportunity to collaborate, lead, and ensure your county’s voice is heard.
Key Dates
- Term ends: July 31, 2026
- Meeting schedule: Meetings are scheduled for January, March, and June either virtually or in person. The June meeting will coincide with County Advocacy Days.





