Rob Thompson (President)
Mr. Thompson served for three years as a policy advocate at NC PIRG where he worked on their democracy program. Prior to moving to North Carolina, Mr. Thompson directed the Center for Campus Free Speech, where he organized students and faculty to protect their First Amendment rights. He has a degree in English Literature from Tulane University and is currently enrolled at NC State University.
Nicole Stewart (Vice President)
Ms. Stewart is an organizer with the NC Conservation Network and joined NCVCE\'s board in 2006. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) in May of 2003 with a BA in Environmental Studies. While at UNCW, Ms. Stewart held a leadership role in the Environmental Concerns Organization and the Student Government Association.
Bob Hall (treasurer)
Mr. Hall is the executive director of Democracy NC. He has been working with grassroots groups across North Carolina since 1970, collaborating with them on research projects on economic and social issues. He has served as executive director and research director with the Institute for Southern Studies and was recognized for that work with a MacArthur Fellowship in 1992.
Bob Phillips (secretary)
Mr. Phillips is the executive director of Common Cause North Carolina. His interest in campaign finance reform comes in part from his other work experiences which include television news reporter and press secretary for the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. He is a native North Carolinian and graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill.
Damon Circosta (director-at-large) has worked in Washington D.C., California and Raleigh as an attorney and political consultant. A graduate of the University of Arizona School of Law, Damon has worked in the U.S. Senate on campaign reform efforts including the landmark Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act. He has managed a successful statewide judicial campaign under North Carolina's Judicial Campaign Reform Act, and worked on various other reforms to our election system. He currently is Policy Director at the NC Center for Voter Education where he works on campaign finance reform and other election issues
Tom Coulson (director-at-large)
Mr. Coulson is the former and founding president of NCVCE. A retired hospital executive, he devotes himself to good government issues. He serves on the Governing Board of Democracy North Carolina, of Common Cause/North Carolina and heads the Jane Bingham Chapter of Common Cause/NC, covering North Carolina\'s eleventh Congressional District.
Wib Gulley (director-at-large)
Mr. Gulley currently is the General Counsel for the Triangle Transit Authority and has been on the NCVCE board since 2004. A former state senator and mayor of Durham, Wib has been active in the campaign reform movement since his days as the first director of NC PIRG in the mid-1970's. While in the General Assembly, Senator Gulley led efforts to reform election campaigns and campaign finances. He was the chief sponsor of the NC Judicial Campaign Reform Act, which provides for non-partisan elections for the appellate courts in North Carolina and a public financing option for candidates who accept firm spending limits. He received his law degree from Northeastern University School of Law and his bachelor's degree from Duke University.
Linda Gunter (director-at-large)
Ms. Gunter works as a Government Relations Specialist with the NC Association of Educators working on PK-12 educational issues. She was a former state senator as well as social studies teacher at Cary High School. During her teaching career, Linda was a Fulbright Scholar to Malaysia and Singapore, Fulbright Teacher-Scholar Program participant to Japan and Taft Fellow. An active volunteer with the Democratic Party, Linda is a member of the Democratic State Executive Committee, as well as serving as Precinct Vice Chair, First Vice President of the Wake County Democratic Women, and President of the NC Electoral College in 2008.
Toby Hampson (director-at-large)
Mr. Hampson is an associate attorney with Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton. He holds a B.A. in International Studies and History with honors and a J.D. with honors from Campbell University School of Law. He served as Treasurer of the Judge Bob Hunter Cmte and serves on the North Carolina Bar Association Law School Liaison Cmte. He also is active in the North Carolina Bar Association, American Bar Association, and Wake County Bar Association.
Dick Logan (director-at-large)
Shortly after retiring in 1991, Mr. Logan moved from New York City to North Carolina where he has been an active member of North Carolina Fair Share for over ten years. His entire career was spent as a trade union activist working to make unions more democratic and more effective in collective bargaining.
Beth Messersmith (president)
Ms. Messersmith has been involved with the campaign reform movement for over five years. She was previously co-executive director of Democracy North Carolina. She previously worked as marketing specialist for Big Brothers Big Sisters. She has also served as a conflict resolution intern with the Carter Center in Atlanta, and was awarded the Harry S. Truman Fellowship for pursuit of graduate work in public service. She received her Masters of Public Affairs Degree from Indiana University.
Louise Romanow (director-at-large)
Ms. Romanow is an active member of the state League of Women Voters and serves on the state board. She has been a long advocate for campaign finance reform and other progressive issues.
Adam Sotak (director-at-large)
Mr. Sotak is the Organizing Director for Democracy North Carolina and has been on the NCVCE board since 2005. He has been working with Democracy North Carolina (formerly Democracy South) since January 2000. Prior to his work at Democracy NC, Adam received his MSW from UNC-Chapel Hill and trained and worked as a labor organizer. He also spent two years working with at-risk youth. In 2001, he received the Humanitarian Award from the Charlotte-Black Political Caucus and in 2005 he received the 'Unsung Hero Award' from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP for his work for voting rights. He continues to work in the Charlotte area and throughout the state\'s Piedmont and western counties, encouraging citizens to take ownership of their democracy.
Louisa Warren (director-at-large)
Ms. Warren is a Senior Policy Advocate focusing on work and income supports at the N.C. Justice Center . Prior to joining the Justice Center , Louisa was the Director of the N.C. Coalition for Lobbying & Government Reform and also previously was the Coordinator of Special Events & Communications at El Pueblo. A Raleigh native, she graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Grinnell College .
