DEAC Members
| Committee | Biography |
|---|---|
Sherri Vernelson, Section Chief Sensory Support and Assistive Technology Office of Exceptional Children North Carolina DPI | Sherri serves as the Section Chief of the Sensory Support and Assistive Technology Section with the Office of Exceptional Children at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Sherri has twenty-six years of experience in education with three years of private school experience, ten years of public-school experience, and thirteen years at the State level. She is also a fellow in the Education Policy Fellowship Program. Sherri earned an M.Ed., in Special Education, a B.S. in Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and an A.A. degree in Elementary Education. She holds a current NC teaching license in Deaf and Hard of Hearing (K-12) and Birth to Kindergarten. |
Brandon Smith, Compliance Analyst Transportation Services Section District Operations Division North Carolina Department of Public Instruction | Brandon Smith came to DPI in December 2023 as Finance Business Compliance Analyst from Pender County Schools where he was Transportation Director/Driver Ed. Coordinator. Prior to Pender County he worked in Bladen County Schools as a Transportation Supervisor/TIMS Coordinator and Sampson County Schools as a school bus technician. He recently transitioned to Program Analyst with the Transportation Section and is proud to be a graduate of Methodist University in Fayetteville NC. |
Dr. Brandi Gill, Stakeholder Support Lead Office of Charter Schools North Carolina DPI | Dr. Gill currently serves as an Educational Consultant with the Office of Charter Schools at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. She has twenty-four years in education including being a principal within the Wake County School district. She has three children who successfully completed driver education and believes traffic safety is an essential partnership between instructors and parents to ensure safety for all on the road. She received her Doctoral of Student Educational Leadership and Administration from Fayetteville State University. |
| Committee Member | Biography |
|---|---|
School Bus & Traffic Safety Unit North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles | |
Daniel Carter, Safety Planning Engineer North Carolina Department of Transportation | Daniel is a Safety Project Engineer with the North Carolina Department of Transportation. He serves in the safety planning group where he uses safety analysis methods to inform NCDOT project priorities and alternatives. Prior to his role at NCDOT, Mr. Carter spent 15 years as a Highway Safety Researcher at the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center. During his years in research, he used his civil engineering background to address highway safety from the standpoint of infrastructure improvements. His research experience includes the areas of roadway and safety data, countermeasure evaluation, and pedestrian safety. Mr. Carter holds a master’s degree in civil engineering and is a registered Professional Engineer in North Carolina. |
Dr. Cheryl Leonard, Assistant Director (Chair) Governor’s Highway Safety Program North Carolina Department of Transportation | Dr. Leonard serves as Assistant Director of External Affairs working to reduce traffic deaths and injuries through the planning and execution of innovative traffic safety initiatives. She oversees state-wide programs which aim to eliminate preventable roadway deaths and injuries by supporting grants and safe driving initiatives, such as Click It or Ticket, BikeSafe NC, Booze It & Lose It, Watch For Me NC, Speed a Little Lose a Lot, Rural Roads Initiative and North Carolinas Vision Zero Initiative, Teen Dream Teams, to name a few. In her earlier career as a highway specialist, she served on state and national committees effecting policy changes for traffic concerns with the National Sheriff’s Association as well as state committees focusing on the older and teen driver. Dr. Leonard has over 30 plus years’ experience working in both local and state government agencies in the fields of emergency and public health services, transportation, and highway safety. Dr. Leonard holds a BA degree in Political Science with a concentration in Criminal Justice, Master of Public Administration in Personnel Administration, and a PhD in Public Policy and Administration. |
Tonya Faulkner, Regional Chief Examiner Driver Services/Driver License Unit North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles | Ms. Faulkner has been with the NC Division of Motor Vehicles since 2014. She has held the positions of Examiner, District Manager, Staff Development Coordinator, and now Chief Examiner of the Western District. She is graduate of Central Piedmont Community College and Queens University in Charlotte. She has a master’s degree from High Point University. |
| Committee Member | Biography |
|---|---|
Marcia Kelly, Director Regional Affairs | Marcia has been in the insurance industry for thirty years in both the private and public sectors and has been employed with the NC Department of Insurance for seventeen years. Before becoming the Director of Regional Affairs, she was the Coastal Southeast Regional Director. Prior to becoming the Regional Director, she was the Outreach Coordinator for the Seniors' Health Insurance Information Program at the Department of Insurance. As a Regional Director, Ms. Kelly educates the public on insurance and safety issues. Ms. Kelly has a BA degree in Communications and Public Relations from UNC-Wilmington. |
| Committee Member | Biography |
|---|---|
Bobby Dixon Director North Carolina Division of Non-Public Education | Bobby currently serves as the Director of Non-Public Education. Before joining the DOA, he served 25 years in public education, working in North Carolina schools from elementary to high school. During this time, he enjoyed serving in various capacities including testing coordinator, classroom teacher, assistant principal, compliance officer, and principal. Most recently, Bobby served as the founding principal of Chatham School of Science & Engineering, an early college high school in Chatham County. Bobby is a graduate of Fayetteville State University, where he earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees. He collaborates with the Department of Public Instruction to provide support in providing traffic safety education to all public and home school students. The Division of Non-Public Education issues driver eligibility certificates to all eligible Non-Public schools in the state. |
| Committee Member | Biography |
|---|---|
Field Operations North Carolina State Highway Patrol Law Enforcement |
| Committee | Biography |
|---|---|
| Devin Tanner, North Carolina Driver & Traffic Safety Association (NCDTSEA) |
Devin currently serves as the NCDTSEA President, a professional traffic safety association which provides leadership and support to North Carolina teachers and education of traffic safety professionals.
He was a high school educator for twelve years teaching Driver Education, Physical Education/Health, and Earth Science. Currently, he is the Driver Education Coordinator for Wake County Schools which serves nearly 15,000 students annually. |
| Committee | Biography |
|---|---|
Dr. Matthew Tedder, Director Stokes County Schools In-House Programs | Strategic K–12 operations leader with 15+ years of experience in transportation, school administration, and district systems management. Proven ability to improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and lead large-scale organizational change. Demonstrated success in fleet optimization, budget expansion, staffing stability, and labor negotiations. Currently pursuing an MBA with a concentration in finance to further strengthen data-driven decision-making and organizational strategy. Recognized for delivering measurable operational improvements and aligning transportation systems with district-wide strategic goals. |
Dr. David Blackmon, Director Lee County Schools In-House Programs | Dr. David Blackmon is the Director of Human Capital for Lee County Schools, where he also oversees the district’s Driver’s Education program. He began his career with Lee County Schools as an Instructional Assistant before becoming a teacher in 2009. Throughout his career, he has served as a classroom teacher, Driver’s Education instructor, Assistant Principal, School Safety Coordinator, and Driver’s Education Coordinator. Dr. Blackmon currently manages all aspects of the district’s Driver’s Education program, including budgeting, scheduling, fleet management, instructor hiring, and compliance reporting. Under his leadership, the program serves approximately 700 students annually across traditional high schools, charter schools, private schools, alternative schools, and homeschool settings. Despite his administrative responsibilities, he continues teaching Driver’s Education, believing that remaining directly connected to students and instruction strengthens leadership and program effectiveness. |
| Committee Members | Biography |
|---|---|
Joseph Forthofer Benson Driving Schools | Joseph Forthofer is the General Manager of Benson Driving School. He manages all day-to-day business operations, including customer relations, compliance with state laws, and onboarding/training. In addition to his management capacity, he also serves as a classroom and behind-the-wheel instructor, and a road test examiner for the company. Joseph is highly motivated towards lowering the teen and young adult crash fatality rate through effective education and state licensing requirements. He hopes to draw on his experience in operating a Commercial Driving School and as an instructor in furthering this goal for all students in North Carolina. |
Tony Moore Owner North Carolina Driving School | Tony Moore has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Appalachian State University, and Master’s degree in Driver Education and Education Specialist degrees from East Carolina University. He has forty-five years of teaching experience in North Carolina with thirty-five years in Driver Education since 1992. Tony has served in leadership positions with Northeast North Carolina Driver and Traffic Safety Association, Professional Review Committee for the State Board of Education, Member of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee, Southeast Region Driving School Association of the Americas, and the Task Force Chair to review Legislative changes for North Carolina Commercial Schools. |
| Committee Member | Biography |
|---|---|
Justin Owens UNC Highway Safety Research Center | Dr. Justin Owens is a senior behavioral research scientist specializing in vulnerable road user safety at the UNC Highway Safety Research Center. Dr. Owens has been studying VRU safety issues for over twenty years, including safety for pedestrians, seniors, and people with disabilities. He was a researcher for fifteen years at VTTI prior to joining HSRC, and earned his Doctorate in Cognitive Science from Brown University and his Master’s in Human Factors Psychology from Clemson University. |
| Committee Member | Biography |
|---|---|
|
Kelly Hatcher, Executive Director Child Fatality Task Force |
Kella Hatcher, JD, has been the Executive Director of the North Carolina Child Fatality Task Force since 2015. In this role, she works on a range of policy issues that impact child health and safety, including issues related to motor vehicle safety. She has worked closely with experts and leaders in motor vehicle safety and currently serves on the Occupant Protection Task Force and the Impaired Driving Task Force for the Governor’s Highway Safety Program. Kella received her law degree from the University of North Carolina and her undergraduate degree in professional writing from Purdue University. |
| Committee Member | Biography |
|---|---|
| Ebone’ Baker, At-Large Director, Guilford County North Carolina Parent Teacher Association PTA Representative | Ebone’ has worked with the North Carolina Parent Teacher Association for five years, with a focus on the organization’s DEI efforts for the past 2 years before joining the Board of Directors. As a member of the Board, she works with the Education Committee on initiatives that enhance the educational opportunities for the children of North Carolina. She also serves as the Vice President of the Guilford County Council of PTAs. Ebone’ holds a degree in Computer Network Systems and is currently pursuing a B.S. in Computer Information Technology. She has over 15 years of experience in providing technology-based consulting services for small businesses and not-for-profit organizations. |
| Committee Member | Biography |
|---|---|
| Vacant |