RALEIGH — Gov. Roy Cooper has selected Tony Copeland for secretary of commerce and Machelle Sanders for secretary of administration.
Copeland has experience in both the public and private sectors, according to a news release from Cooper’s office. As assistant secretary of commerce, Copeland helped recruit nearly $12 billion in investment and create 100,000 jobs in North Carolina, the release says.
In the private sector, he worked with companies looking to locate operations in North Carolina, including global headquarters. From 1992-2003, he was executive vice president, secretary, and general counsel of BTI, a telecommunications company.
“Tony Copeland knows how to bring more good paying jobs to North Carolina,” Cooper said in a statement. “He understands what makes our state such a great place to do business and how we can best prepare our workforce for 21st century careers.”
Sanders has expertise in quality control, quality assurance, manufacturing operations, and general management from numerous positions in the biotechnology field, Cooper’s office said. She held leadership positions with Biogen from 2007-16 and previously worked at Perdue Pharmaceuticals and Akzo Nobel.
“Machelle Sanders has a long track record of making complex organizations run smoothly,” Cooper said. “She’ll help us make state government more organized, efficient, and effective.”