Professional development program helps elevate public service by developing leadership skills of public sector employees 

Today, 34 state employees earn the title of Certified Public Manager during a graduation ceremony at the State Archives of North Carolina State Archives of North Carolina. The North Carolina Certified Public Manager® (CPM) Program is a nationally accredited, 300-hour curriculum designed to enhance the service and leadership skills of public sector managers. 

“Our CPM Program continues to be a standout offering for those advancing their careers in public service,” said State Human Resources Director Staci Meyer. “It is wonderful to see another cohort earn this unique distinction, and I’m excited for the continued impact they’ll make across our state.”  

Managed by the Office of State Human Resources (OSHR), the rigorous CPM Program takes approximately 14 months to complete and includes a hybrid of in-person and virtual instructor-led trainings, asynchronous self-paced assignments, and a final capstone project.  

“Our state employees are critical to the wellbeing of North Carolina,” said Governor Josh Stein. “It is great to see another group of state employees achieve this honor, and I am proud of their commitment to public service.”        

Since its inception in 1982, the CPM Program has produced 2,614 certified public managers across North Carolina’s state government.  

Christie McNeill, Governor Stein’s deputy chief of staff and chief operating officer, will join OSHR in celebrating these graduates, and serve as the ceremony’s keynote speaker.  

All honorees are based in Wake County unless otherwise noted: 

• Department of Commerce: Carrie Shortt and Sheryl D. Stevens (Rockingham County) 

• Department of Health and Human Services: Jason L. Dempsey  

• Department of Information Technology: Katherine Cotney, Jon Richard Nedell, and Cherolyn N. Thomas  

• Department of Justice: Kristopher M. Joyce, Sherri Horner Lawrence, and Kristin J. Uicker 

• Department of Natural and Cultural Resources: Nathan Etheridge and Kimberly P. Kenyon (Pitt County) 

• Department of Public Safety: Gayle E. Alston (Davidson County), Adrienne Becton-Marsh (Henderson County), Namika LaTrice Harley (Moore County), Shaketria Lindsey (Buncombe County), Brad C. Morris, and Charlie Edward Richards, III (Caldwell County) 

• Department of Revenue: Karen E. Bargsley (Mecklenburg County), Holly C. Browning, Tanya Jackson Dearmon, and Heidi Nolta  

• Department of State Treasurer: Anitha Narayanan  

• Department of Transportation: Lance Kent Byrd (Ashe County), Reba D. Clemmons, Christopher Connolly, Marissa Cox, Katrina M. Feltes, Arthur Paul Hyman, Suzana Matta (Guilford County), Jason S. Morris (Northampton County), Gregory D. Myrick (Randolph County), Eric Steven Sedlacek (Martin County), and Jeremy Lee Holleman Warren (Durham County) 

• University of North Carolina – Greensboro: Ross Rick (Guilford County) 

To learn more about North Carolina’s Certified Public Manager® Program, please visit: https://oshr.nc.gov/state-employee-resources/learning-and-development/nc-certified-public-manager-program