Josh Stein was officially sworn into office as North Carolina’s 76th governor Jan. 1, 2025. Prior to his gubernatorial appointment, Gov. Stein served the North Carolina Department of Justice (NC DOJ) as attorney general. He also served as a state senator between 2009 and 2016. Other notable leadership positions he has held in the public sector include senior deputy attorney general for the NC DOJ for eight years and an adjunct faculty member for the Campbell University School of Law.
Gov. Stein made several appointments to cabinet roles as part of the transition from former Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration. The following are a selection of the state’s new leaders.
Lee Lilley was appointed secretary of the state’s Department of Commerce. Lilley has worked for the state of North Carolina for the past seven years, previously serving as director of economic and pandemic recovery, director of North Carolina pandemic recovery and director of legislative affairs for the Office of the Governor. He began his government career in 2007 as a legislative assistant with the U.S. House of Representatives, later transitioning to legislative director. Lilley has a bachelor’s degree in cultural studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
D. Reid Wilson assumed his role as secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality. He transitioned to the role from his previous position as secretary for the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, which he held since January 2021. He was promoted to that role from chief deputy secretary. He has also served as chief of staff to the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Wilson has a bachelor’s degree in political science and biology from Grinnell College.
Teena Piccione has transferred from a 31-year career across various private sector industries to serve as North Carolina’s secretary and state chief information officer. Throughout her career, she has gained extensive leadership experience as a managing director, executive vice president and chief technology officer among her other roles. Piccione also served on the North Carolina IT Strategy Board’s Digital Transformation Committee. She has a Master of IT Project Management from The George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts from Georgia State University.
Eddie Buffaloe will continue leading the Department of Public Safety as secretary and homeland security adviser. He has served in the role since 2021. Prior to joining the department, Buffaloe served for three decades as a law enforcement officer, including as chief of police for two separate police departments. He started his career in 1991 as a correctional officer with the Department of Public Safety – Odom Correctional. Buffaloe has a master’s degree in criminal justice in law enforcement administration from Grand Canyon University and a bachelor’s degree in the same field from the University of Mount Olive.
Kristin Walker has been selected to take over as secretary of the Office of State Budget and Management. She has been with the office since 2017, previously serving as state budget director, chief deputy state budget director and deputy state budget director. Walker brings 26 years of public service and financial experience to the role. She earned a master’s degree in public policy from Duke University and a bachelor’s degree in English and sociology from the University of Michigan.
Adam Chandler has been appointed as policy director for the governor, leaving his most recent role as chief of staff and associate deputy attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Chandler spent 12 years with the DOJ, working in several roles such as appellate attorney for the Antitrust Division, deputy chief of staff and senior counsel to the deputy attorney general. He brings 16 years of legal and public sector experience to the position. He has a law degree from Yale Law School and a master’s degree in higher education from the University of Oxford.
