Governor Cooper appoints four locals to State Boards, Commissions

RALEIGH, NC (WWAY) — Governor Roy Cooper has announced dozens of new appointments for people across North Carolina to various State Boards and Commissions, including four Cape Fear residents.

Cooper has appointed Jeffrey Allan Hilton, Sr. of Wilmington to the North Carolina Building Code Council. Hilton is a licensed general contractor specializing in coastal residential construction, according to a news release. Hilton has nearly 30 years of building experience, including 20 years as Vice President of Southern Homebuilders, Inc.

Sarah C. Thomas of Wrightsville Beach has been appointed by Cooper to the North Carolina Board of Dietetics/Nutrition. She is a practicing attorney and is the Senior Site Contract Specialist for PPD/Thermo Fisher in Wilmington.

Also from Wrightsville Beach, Anna Starr Shellem was appointed by Governor Cooper to the Marine Fisheries Commission. Shellem is the owner of Shell’em Seafood Company, where she harvests and delivers wild shellfish per order directly to many restaurants throughout North Carolina. Her fishing practices are centered around sustainability, producing zero-waste, according to the Governor’s Office. She harvests wild mussels, wild clams, wild oysters, and she hand harvests stone crabs.

Lastly, Cooper has appointed Ozlem Yildiz Nichols to the North Carolina Museum of Art Board of Trustees. Nichols is from Wrightsville Beach and is involved in various community organizations in the Wilmington area, and her home renovation in Wrightsville Beach was recognized by NCModernist.