Governor-elect Josh Stein Announces Transition Team and Activity

Thursday, November 7, 2024

(RALEIGH) North Carolina Governor-elect Josh Stein today announced his gubernatorial transition team leadership. The transition team will be led by Seth Dearmin, Kristi Jones, Richard Stevens, Malcomb Coley, and Esther Manheimer. Christie McNeill will serve as executive director to the transition.

”I am honored that these talented folks have agreed to lead our transition team,” said Governor-elect Josh Stein. “We have the opportunity to make a real difference in North Carolina, and I am looking forward to working closely with them to hire hard-working, public-spirited people who will move our state forward.”

In addition to announcing the transition team, Governor-elect Stein also is announcing a transition website: www.stein2024transition.org. Stein is urging people who are interested in applying for roles in his cabinet and administration, or who are interested in serving on boards and commissions, to visit the website and submit their information. The website also includes an opportunity for people who have ideas about how to improve the state of North Carolina to submit their thoughts. 

Transition Team Leadership:

Seth Dearmin has served as chief of staff at the North Carolina Department of Justice for the past eight years. He is a Stokes county native and has worked closely with Governor-elect Stein for more than a decade. Dearmin previously served on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Triangle and as Student Body President at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Kristi Jones is Vice President for Public Affairs and Sustainability at NiSource, a leading natural gas & electric  utility.  She started her service with Governor Jim Hunt and spent most of  career as Chief of Staff to Attorney General Roy Cooper  and then served as his Chief of Staff in the Office of the Governor, 2017-2024.  A native of Wilson county, Kristi is a proud graduate of North Carolina Central University and the UNC School of Law.

Richard Stevens is an attorney with the Smith Anderson law firm in Raleigh and served as a Senator in the North Carolina General Assembly from 2003-2012. Richard was co-chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and served as a budget leader under both Republican and Democratic majorities. The former County Manager of Wake County, Stevens received the Distinguished Public Service Award from the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce and Chaired The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Board of Trustees.

Malcomb Coley based in Charlotte is the US Central Private Leader for EY. Coley is also a partner at Bright Hope Capital, a firm created to invest in and build minority-owned companies. Coley serves on the board of directors for several organizations including the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, Queens University Board of Trustees, Board of Directors for NC Railroad, and the UNC Wilmington Board of Trustees.

Esther Manheimer is the Mayor of Asheville, a role in which she has served since 2013 and prior to that she served on the city council from 2009-2013.  Esther is also a partner with the Van Winkle Law Firm in Asheville.  In the wake of Hurricane Helene, which brought devastation to Asheville and the western part of the state, she has been actively leading and contributing to response and recovery efforts in partnership with local, state, and federal leaders and agencies.

Christie McNeill is a Guilford County native who most recently served as a partner at McKinsey and Company where she advised clients with a focus in financial services and energy transition. She has worked with organizations across the private and public sectors to address complex challenges and capture strategic opportunities. Christie is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.