Flooding in western North Carolina from Hurricane Helene. (Photo: David Davis, County Extension Director, N.C. Cooperative Extension)
A new team within Gov. Josh Stein’s office will be tasked with leading Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in western North Carolina.
Stein announced the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC) on Tuesday, as he spins up infrastructure for relief in the mountains during the first weeks of his administration.
Leading the team will be Matt Calabria, who recently resigned as chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners. Calabria, an attorney, has previously focused on workforce development, affordable housing and public transportation.
“Supporting western North Carolina is going to be an all-hands-on-deck initiative that requires a team with diverse experiences and skillsets,” Stein said in a news release. “I am grateful to each of these leaders for prioritizing urgency, focus, transparency, and accountability as we work to rebuild the region.”
Other members of the GROW team include:
- Emily Williamson Gangi, who worked in the NC Department of Information Technology and previously secured more than $1 billion in federal dollars for high-speed internet expansion.
- Eliza Edwards, who worked in the NC Office of Strategy Partnerships and on former Gov. Roy Cooper’s policy team.
- Stephanie McGarrah, who previously led the NC Pandemic Recovery Office and worked with the NC Area Health Education Centers to address health care shortages.
- Holly Jones, who worked as Stein’s western North Carolina policy advisor while he was attorney general and has served in elected office in Buncombe County and Asheville.
- Jonathan Krebs, who is Stein’s western North Carolina recovery advisor.
The team will take the lead on a relief operation that is expected to take years, and has garnered scrutiny as legislators and other elected officials urge transparency in spending and governance.
After Stein announced a bundle of executive orders last week to expedite relief, Republican State Auditor Dave Boliek said his office would track spending and report on the orders’ efficacy.