North Carolina Cabinet
The North Carolina Cabinet are heads of the executive departments of the Government of North Carolina. All cabinet secretaries are appointed by the governor.[1][2][3]
History
On June 26, 1972, North Carolina Governor Robert W. Scott created the "Executive Cabinet," an advisory body consisting of the members of the North Carolina Council of State, the appointed secretaries of the state's executive departments, and miscellaneous members appointed by the governor.[4]
The Cabinet's size decreased by two on Jan. 1, 2012, when three Cabinet-level agencies, the North Carolina Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, the North Carolina Department of Correction and the North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, were merged to become the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.[5][3]
The Cabinet then expanded by two secretaries in 2015, with the creation of two new Departments: Information Technology, and Military and Veterans Affairs.[6] Then the Cabinet increased by one in 2022, with the creation of the new Department of Adult Correction.[7] In 2025, Governor Josh Stein announced a Cabinet of 13 members, including the directors of the Office of State Human Resources and the Office of State Budget and Management.[8]
Current members
The current cabinet includes the following positions:[3]
| Position | Formed | Incumbent |
|---|---|---|
| Secretary of Adult Correction | 2022 | Leslie Cooley Dismukes[9] |
| Secretary of Administration | 1957 | Gabe Esparza[9] |
| Secretary of Commerce | 1971 | Lee Lilley[9] |
| Secretary of Environmental Quality | 2015 | D. Reid Wilson [9] |
| Secretary of Health and Human Services | 1971 | Dev Sangvai[9] |
| Secretary/Chief Information Officer, Department of Information Technology | 2015 | Teena Piccione[9] |
| Secretary of Military and Veterans Affairs | 2015 | Jocelyn Mitnaul Mallette[9] |
| Secretary of Natural and Cultural Resources | 1971 | Pamela Brewington Cashwell[10] |
| Secretary of Public Safety | 1977 | Jeffrey Smythe[11] |
| Secretary of Revenue | 1921 | McKinley Wooten, Jr.[9] |
| Secretary of Transportation | 1979 | Daniel Johnson[12] |
The governor's chief of staff also meets with the cabinet.[13]
References
- ^ "Executive Branch". NCPedia.org. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
- ^ Marshall, Ellaine F. (2001). North Carolina Manual. North Carolina Secretary of State.
- ^ a b c "Executive Branch of the North Carolina Government". NCPEDIA. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
- ^ Fleer 1994, p. 111.
- ^ Winston-Salem Journal
- ^ News & Observer
- ^ NC Policy Watch
- ^ Gleason, Sarah. "As his inauguration approaches, meet NC Gov. Josh Stein's cabinet picks". Wilmington Star-News. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h ABC11; NC Governor Josh Stein's newest cabinet members sworn in
- ^ Pam Brewington Cashwell Sworn in as Secretary of N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (Jan. 3, 2025).
- ^ Governor's Press Release: Governor Stein Thanks Secretary Eddie Buffaloe for His Years of Public Service, Welcomes Jeffrey Smythe as New Secretary of Public Safety
- ^ NCDOT
- ^ Brown, Chantal; Humphries, Ben (February 5, 2025). "As a new session begins, here's everything you need to know about North Carolina government". EdNC. North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
Works cited
- Fleer, Jack D. (1994). North Carolina Government & Politics. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 9780803268852.