AI Leadership Council

The North Carolina AI Leadership Council brings together state officials, academic experts, industry leaders, workforce experts and other stakeholders to guide the responsible and effective use of artificial intelligence in state government. 

Created by Governor Josh Stein in his Executive Order No. 24 on Sept. 2, 2025, the Council advises and supports the Governor and state agencies on AI strategy, policy and training to ensure North Carolina becomes a national leader in AI literacy, governance, and deployment to the benefit of our residents, communities and economy.

Established as an advisory body, the Council is co-chaired by Teena Piccione, Secretary of Information Technology, and Lee Lilley, Secretary of Commerce. The N.C. Department of Information Technology provides administrative and policy support for the Council’s work.

Council Leadership

  • Teena Piccione, Secretary of N.C. Department of Information Technology and State CIO (Co-Chair)
  • Lee Lilley, Secretary of North Carolina Department of Commerce (Co-Chair)

Council Membership

  • Sen. Todd Johnson, N.C. Senate, District 35, Senate Majority Whip
  • Sen. DeAndrea Salvador, N.C. Senate, District 39
  • Rep. Zack Hawkins, N.C. House of Representatives, District 31
  • Rep. Jake Johnson, N.C. House of Representatives, District 113, House Deputy Majority Whip
  • Dr. David Yokum, J.D., Ph.D., Chief Scientist, N.C. Office of State Budget and Management
  • Mary Penny Kelley, Chief of Staff, N.C. Office of State Human Resources
  • Kunal Choksi, Senior Deputy Attorney General, Consumer Protection Director at N.C. Department of Justice
  • Vera Cubero, N.C. Emerging Technologies Consultant, N.C. Department of Public Instruction
  • Bryan Harris, Executive Vice President, Chief Technology Officer at SAS
  • Phaedra Boinodiris, Global Leader of Responsible AI at IBM Consulting
  • Marina Chase Carreker, Founder, Galleon Strategies
  • Igor Jablokov, Chairman, Pryon Inc.
  • Dr. Thomas Reardon, former VP, Research at Meta; Partner, Lux Capital
  • The Hon. Tommy Sowers, Ph. D., Deputy Director, Duke Initiative for Science and Society
  • Dr. Andrea Crowley, Ph.D., Executive Director, N.C. Student Success Center, North Carolina Community Colleges
  • Dr. Stan Ahalt, Ph.D., Dean, School of Data Science and Society, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Dr. Siobahn Day Grady, Ph.D., Founding Director, Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Research & Associate Professor of Information Systems, North Carolina Central University
  • Markell Storay, Chief Information Officer and Director of Innovation & Technology, City of Charlotte
  • The Hon. Shinica Thomas, Wake County Commissioner
  • Jennie Bowen, Workforce Development Director, Rivers East Workforce Development Board
  • Dr. Angel Hsu, Ph. D., Associate Professor of Public Policy, Director of the Data-Driven Lab, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Leslie Boney, Principal, BoneConnector.com; former Director, Institute for Emerging Issues, NC State University 
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