North Carolina Department of Commerce (NCDOC)
Logo of the North Carolina Department of Commerce
Agency overview
Formed1971
Headquarters301 North Wilmington Street, Raleigh, North Carolina
Agency executive
  • Secretary of Commerce Machelle Baker Sanders
Websitenccommerce.com

The North Carolina Department of Commerce was formed in 1971 by the North Carolina State Government Reorganization Act. The department is headed by the Secretary of Commerce, who is appointed by the Governor of North Carolina. The Secretary is part of the Governor's Cabinet. The chief function of the department is to connect businesses with locations, workforce and infrastructure in North Carolina that businesses need to succeed. The department also connects local communities with grants and funding sources to attract new business to North Carolina. The department also staffs and receives policy guidance from: the North Carolina Board of Science, Technology, and Innovation; the NCWorks Commission; and the Rural Infrastructure Authority.[1][2]

History

The North Carolina Department of Commerce was created in 1971 by the North Carolina State Government Reorganization Act, specifically General Statute 143B, Article 10, Paragraph 143B-427:[1][2][3][4]

"There is hereby recreated and reconstituted a Department to be known as the Department of Commerce, with the organization, powers, and duties defined in Article 1 of this Chapter, except as modified in this Article."[5]

The Reorganization Act was part of an effort to reduce the number of state organizations and improve efficiency in government. The Department of Commerce is headed by the Secretary, who is selected by the Governor, and serves during the governor's tenure. The Secretary is one of the members of the Governor's Cabinet.

In its early history, the Department was simply an administrative umbrella providing support for a number of different regulatory agencies, each of which exercised its authority independently.[6] In 1977, the North Carolina General Assembly transferred the state Division of Economic Development from the Natural/Economic Resources department into the Commerce department, among other changes.[7]

Secretaries

The Secretaries of the Department of Commerce have included:[1]

Secretary Term Governor
George Irving Aldridge 1972–1973 Robert W. Scott
Tenney I. Deane, Jr. 1973–1974 James Holshouser
Winfield S. Harvey 1973–1976 James Holshouser
Donald R. Beason 1976–1977 James Holshouser
Lauch Faircloth 1977–1985 Jim Hunt
Howard Haworth 1985–1987 James G. Martin
Claude E. Pope 1987–1989 James G. Martin
Jim Broyhill 1989–1990 James G. Martin
Estell C. Lee 1990–1993 James G. Martin
S. Davis Phillips 1993–1997 Jim Hunt
E. Norris Tolson 1997–1998 Jim Hunt
Rick Carlisle 1998–2001 Jim Hunt
James T. Fain, III 2001–2009 Mike Easley
John Keith Crisco 2009–2013 Bev Perdue
Sharon Decker 2013–2015 Pat McCrory[8]
John E. Skvarla, III 2015–2017 Pat McCory
Anthony M. "Tony" Copeland 2017–2021 Roy Cooper
Machelle Baker Sanders 2021-Present Roy Cooper

Included organizations

The following state organizations are included in the Department of Commerce:[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Lewis, J.D. "North Carolina Department of Commerce". carolana.com. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c "North Carolina Department of Commerce, About Us". nccommerce.com. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  3. ^ Williams, Wiley J. (2006). "Executive Organization Acts". NCPEDIA.
  4. ^ Fleer, Jack D. (1994). North Carolina Government and Politics.
  5. ^ "Chapter 143B, Article 10, Department of Commerce". 1971. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  6. ^ North Carolina Manual, 1975, p. 561.
  7. ^ North Carolina Manual, 1977, p. 299.
  8. ^ "DB Global to Create 431 Jobs in Wake County" (PDF). nc.gov.
  9. ^ Williams, Wiley J. (2006). "Employment Security Commission". NCPEDIA.
  10. ^ Williams, William J. (2006). "Savings and Loan Association".
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