IEI Staff

Anita R. Brown-Graham | Director

Anita R. Brown-Graham joined the Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) as director in January 2007. Brown-Graham worked at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill's Institute of Government since 1994. Prior to that, she served as law clerk to the Honorable William B. Shubb in the eastern district of California and as business litigation counsel in a Sacramento, California, law firm. Brown-Graham has provided significant training and written books and articles focused on developing the economic base of distressed communities. She also currently serves on the boards of several development organizations and foundations. Brown-Graham earned an undergraduate degree from Louisiana State University and, after attending graduate school at LSU, she earned a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Email Anita at arbrowng@ncsu.edu

Diane Cherry | Manager of Policy Initiatives

Diane Cherry oversees core activities of IEI's policy process, assisting in the identification of emerging public policy issues and developing these issues into programs of work. Prior to joining IEI, she worked as a budget and management analyst for the City of Raleigh, overseeing the development of the city's operating and capital budgets. Cherry has also worked as an environmental policy analyst at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and at the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. In addition to her government experience, she spent time in Washington D.C. at a think tank and as a government consultant.

She holds a graduate degree in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Virginia.

Email Diane at diane_cherry@ncsu.edu.

Simone Collman | Office Manager

Simone Collman is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the office, HR related inquiries and managing the Institute and Director’s calendars. Prior to joining IEI, Simone worked as Office Manager for a Title Agency in New York City. In addition to her work at the Institute, Collman is also a published poet and semi professional caterer.

Collman is currently pursuing her Bachelor's degree in Political Science from NC State University.

Email Simone at simone_collman@ncsu.edu

Patrick Cronin | Faculty Fellows Program Manager

Patrick Cronin is responsible for overseeing IEI's GlaxoSmithKline Faculty Fellowship Program and other outreach efforts linking North Carolina's faculty with IEI's programs of work. He also assists in the conceptualization, communication, and evaluation of IEI’s programs of work.

Prior to joining IEI, Cronin spent ten years on the faculty at the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona. His research interests centered on economic competitiveness issues at the global, national, regional, and firm levels. He taught in Thunderbird's distance learning program for Latin American managers for eight years. Cronin received a B.A. from Middlebury College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Email Patrick at patrick_cronin@ncsu.edu

Michelle Goryn | Policy Program Coordinator

Michelle Goryn is responsible for moving forward the research and policy agenda of the Institute for Emerging Issues. She manages multiple aspects of a given program of work including, but not limited to, establishing a broad visionary framework for key elements of the program and managing key activities as the program develops, both strategically and practically.

Prior to joining IEI, Goryn worked in the Governmental Affairs Office of the American Bar Association in Washington, D.C. She received a Bachelor of Science in Languages from Georgetown University and a Masters of Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Email Michelle at michelle_goryn@ncsu.edu.

Wendy Burkland Lombard | Manager of Special Initiatives

Wendy Burkland Lombard is responsible for managing the development and fundraising work for the Institute, including the future James B. Hunt, Jr. Building on NC State's Centennial Campus.  Prior to joining IEI, Lombard served as assistant director for an environmentally-focused non profit in North Carolina where she provided key organizational support through planning and implementing new development strategies.

Lombard holds a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and a B.B.A in Administrative Systems from Western Michigan University.

Email Wendy at wendy_lombard@ncsu.edu

Melinda Reta Walker | Assistant Communications Manager

Melinda Reta is responsible for planning and managing print and electronic publications for IEI, including the content and design of its website. Prior to joining IEI, Reta served as communications and new media associate for the National Housing Conference in Washington, DC, where she developed and implemented new media strategies to enrich NHC's voice in the housing community.
 
Reta holds a M.A. in Media and Public Affairs from The George Washington University and a B.A. in English from the University of California, Santa Barbara. 

Email Melinda at melinda_reta@ncsu.edu

Molly Rushing | Events Manager

Molly Rushing oversees and manages all aspects of IEI's events - from Leadership Retreats and Working Groups to the annual Emerging Issues Forum.  Prior to joining IEI, Rushing worked as the manager of client relations and special events for Training Industry, Inc. in Cary, NC.  In addition to her event planning experience, Rushing is a published journalist with articles appearing in Wrightsville Beach Magazine and the Lumina News.

She holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Communication from N.C. State University and a B.S. in Communication from Appalachian State University.

Email Molly at molly_rushing@ncsu.edu

Roland Stephen | Assistant Director for Policy and Research

Roland Stephen leads the identification and development of issues to be addressed by the work of the Institute, and oversees that work as it is executed through research, publication, public forums and policy implementation. He works closely with partners and stakeholders both inside and outside the University, including business and political leaders, professional staffs, academics, and opinion leaders from across North Carolina and the nation.

An Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, he has a B.A. from Cambridge University in Economics and History and a Ph.D. from UCLA in Political Science. His applied research seeks to identify the policy responses available for economic developers and state leaders given a rapidly changing and increasingly competitive global economy.

Email Roland at roland_stephen@ncsu.edu.

Davina Thrash | Accounting Assistant

Davina Thrash currently serves as the Accounting Assistant for IEI. She is responsible for assisting in the financial planning and bookkeeping as well as financial reporting.

Prior to joining IEI, Davina served as the Executive Director of Visions Institute for Youth in Raleigh, NC. She is a veteran of the U.S. Armed forces has been working in the non-profit sector for 5 years.

Davina holds an A.A. in Business Management from Strayer University.

Email Davina at davina_thrash@ncsu.edu