RALEIGH, N.C. — Josh Stein, the Democratic governor-elect of North Carolina, made public his appointments for the majority of his Cabinet positions on Monday, ahead of his swearing-in next month. Among the seven department secretaries announced, two are continuations from the administration of outgoing Governor Roy Cooper.
Reid Wilson will transition from the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to become the new secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality. Pamela Cashwell, who currently serves as the administration secretary, has been selected by Stein to take Wilson’s previous position.
Stein, who recently secured his victory over Republican Lt. Governor Mark Robinson, has also appointed key figures from his current role as attorney general. Notably, his Cabinet will feature its inaugural Latino and Indian American secretaries—Gabe Esparza and Dr. Devdutta Sangvai, respectively.
In addition to Wilson and Cashwell, Stein has chosen Sangvai to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, which manages Medicaid, mental health services, and state-operated hospitals. Sangvai is a Duke University medical school professor and was the president of Duke Regional Hospital. He is also the current president of the North Carolina Medical Board, responsible for doctor licensing and discipline.
Esparza, an experienced former U.S. Small Business Administration administrator and past state treasurer candidate from Charlotte, is set to head the Department of Administration. This department manages several internal governmental operations, including procurement, the state’s motor fleet, and government properties.
Stein’s appointment of Leslie Cooley Dismukes, who currently serves as the criminal bureau chief within the state Department of Justice, to lead the Department of Adult Correction was also unveiled. Dismukes, previously a chief in the criminal division for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in eastern North Carolina, will oversee the state’s correctional facilities, including prisons and community supervision services.
Additional appointments announced by Stein include McKinley Wooten Jr. as the secretary of the Department of Revenue and Jocelyn Mitnaul Mallette as the secretary of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Wooten has extensive experience in state government and is currently an assistant revenue secretary, while Mallette is a private attorney, a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, and a former Air Force intelligence officer.
The total number of Cabinet positions is expected to reach 11, pending confirmation from the state Senate. A law enacted in 2016 established this confirmation process and, to date, the Senate has only rejected one nominee—Dionne Delli-Gatti for environment secretary in 2021.
Stein and his transition team are continuing their efforts to complete the appointments, with an inauguration ceremony for the newly elected statewide officials scheduled for January 11 in Raleigh; however, it is expected that Stein will be sworn in before that date.