SPIA Advisory Council

Ms. Evonne Carawan (PS 1986) is a Department of the Navy Senior Advisor for Quality-of-Life programs provided to Sailors, Marines, families, retirees, and civilians worldwide. Her experience includes oversight of civilian leadership and development for Headquarters Marine Corps, as well as the conceptualization and implementation of the Single Marine Program statewide and overseas. Evonne has a distinguished volunteer background, having served in regional and national leadership positions with Alpha Xi Delta Fraternity (National Vice President and Foundation Trustee) and the National Panhellenic Conference.

Marquan Hamilton (PS 2019) is a Research Analyst – Marketing and Enrollment Solutions, Research Development at the Education Advisory Board (EAB). He is from Shelby, North Carolina, and currently resides in Washington, D.C. Marquan recently obtained his Master of Public Policy (concentration in social policy) at American University. While enrolled at American University, he completed a two-year graduate assistantship that focused on combating housing inequalities/disparities in Washington.

Bill Hodgin (PS 1974/MPA 1976) retired from Wells Fargo Private Bank where he served as the Senior Vice President and Senior Trust and Fiduciary Specialist. Bill’s entire career was spent in the Financial Services Industry. He served in the U.S. Army as a Captain, Airborne Infantry Officer. He volunteers with Friendship Trays and the Shepherd Center. He served as the Board President of Charlotte Mecklenburg Senior Center, and a board member for Charlotte Goodwill Industries. Bill was Chairman of the Boy Scout Committee MPUMC and served on the Boy Scout Eagle Review Board. 

Bryan Hum (PS 2013) is a Senior Government Relations Director with Elevance Health, using his experience in government and policy to advocate for and support Elevance’s Medicaid business in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining Elevance, Bryan served in the Washington Mayor’s Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs working as a liaison between the executive and legislative branches, advocating for Mayoral policies focused on health, labor and workforce development, government operations, and budgetary matters. In 2017, with a fellow NC State alumna, he created the Wilkinson-Hum Government Scholarship to support students interested in careers in government, international affairs, public policy, and law. Bryan earned his bachelor’s degrees in political science and international studies from NC State in 2013, and his juris doctor from Albany Law School in 2016. 

Sandra Latta (PS 1984) retired after a 40-year career working for or with the U.S. Congress. She began her career on the staff of U.S. Representative Bill Hefner of North Carolina where she served as a policy adviser and press secretary. She went on to hold legislative affairs posts in the private sector and in the Pentagon. Her awards include the Department of the Navy’s Distinguished Civilian Service Award and the Department of Defense’s Spirit of Service Award. She is a native of Mocksville, NC, and resides in the Washington, D.C., area.

Shirreef Loza (MIS 2003) is a Senior International Trade Specialist with the United States Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, and currently serves as the Director of the U.S. Foreign and Commercial Service office in Raleigh.  In this role, he actively works with foreign service officers in U.S. Embassies to promote U.S. businesses, schools and organizations in international markets. Since 2003, Shirreef has held a variety of leadership roles on the Healthcare, Education, and Information Communication Technology teams, and served as Deputy Leader for the Africa/Near East/South Asia regional team.  

Crystal Wallace Marik (LPS 2017) is a Sales Enablement Program Manager at Red Hat in Raleigh, NC, where she manages the global Sales Onboarding and Continuous Learning for Sales programs for the organization. Crystal spent the first decade of her career working in the public sector at the State Employees’ Credit Union as a teller and Records Services Analyst, and then at NC State as a University Program Associate in the University Honors and Scholars Programs. She also served on the ACT Foundation’s Working Learner Advisory Council, where she represented young working learners across the country alongside a panel of 17 other council members.

Ryan Minto (PS 2007) serves as Managing Director of North Carolina State Government Affairs for Duke Energy.  Prior to joining Duke, Ryan was Vice President, External Affairs, for UnitedHealth Group. He was responsible for the company’s Federal Government Affairs activities with a focus on Republican Members of Congress and the Administration. He previously led State Government Affairs activities for UnitedHealth Group in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky.  Ryan has over a decade of state and federal government experience, having previously served in senior staff positions for former North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory (R-NC), North Carolina Department of Revenue Secretary Lyons Gray, and U.S. Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC). He has extensive relationships with legislators on both sides of the aisle in the North Carolina General Assembly and across state government. 

Lisa Reid (LPS 2022) has over 28 years of experience in operations and management of Fayetteville’s Emergency 911 Communications. For the past 12 years, Reid  served in the top 911 leadership position for the City of Fayetteville’s Police Department, leading organizational change and managing the agency’s core values. Reid’s military career framed my career path, which began at Fort Hood, Texas, assigned to the Military Intelligence (MI) Unit and through Signal and Communications Units while serving in Garlstedt, Stuttgart, and Augsburg, Germany. 

Kristen Rosselli (MPA 2006) has over 20 years of experience changing how communities work together to improve the lives of families. Her areas of interest include substance use disorder and mental health treatment access and options, alternatives to incarceration, re-entry, living wage employment, and educational success. Her leadership and grant writing skills led to $10+ million in publicly and privately-funded initiatives. She and her teams received national recognition for innovative crime reduction strategies and won HUD’s highest award for neighborhood revitalization. Kristen is the Chief Operating Officer at TROSA. 

Lieutenant General John (Jack) N.T. Shanahan (MIS 2022), United States Air Force, retired in 2020 after a 36-year military career. In his final assignment he served as the inaugural Director of the U.S. DoD Joint Artificial Center (JAIC). Jack served in a variety of operational and staff positions in various fields including flying, intelligence, policy, and command and control. He commanded at the squadron, group, wing, Agency, and Numbered Air Force levels. He is Adjunct Senior Fellow with the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). Jack serves on a variety of AI-related committees, boards, and advisory groups, and as a consultant on the use of AI-enabled technologies for national security.

Andriy Shymonyak (PS 2015) serves as a Senior Program Manager at the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Washington, D.C. In his current role, Andriy supports political, civic, and media partners in Eurasia to fight for democratic political processes, demand credible elections, and enhance the integrity of their information space. Previously, Andriy supported 100+ programs in 51+ countries (approximately $100 million in funding) that protected fundamental freedoms, electoral processes, and rights of marginalized populations. Andriy also represented NDI’s 200+ bargaining unit staff as a Union shop steward. Andriy is a 2024 Carnegie-Maxwell Public Policy Lab Fellow at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. Andriy is originally from Novoyavorivsk, Ukraine, and an active supporter of Ukrainian and Eastern European causes.

Shannon Beasley Taitt (PS 1992/MPA 1994) is the director of the Office of Program Analysis and Coordination within the Office of the Assistant Secretary at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In this role, she provides programmatic and budgetary guidance in the administration and planning of the Office’s initiatives. She has more than 25 years of experience as a recognized public health expert with special emphasis on workforce development, women, and minority health. Shannon is a Certified Professional and Executive Coach has extensive experience in both addiction treatment and increasing access to care for under-served populations.

Anita Watkins (PS 1994) joined Rex Health Ventures in 2012 and serves as the Director for Strategic Innovations. Anita leads partnership, due diligence and strategic opportunities with potential and existing portfolio companies. Rex Health Ventures is the venture arm for the UNC Health Care system and is based at UNC REX Healthcare in Raleigh, North Carolina. RHV works to spur innovation in healthcare through equity investments in and partnerships with healthcare startup companies. 

Patrick Weninger (PS 1991) is a retired Senior Intelligence Officer from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), who has over 28 combined years of National Security experience, which includes eight years as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. Mr. Weninger served in executive-level CIA headquarters assignments overseeing clandestine operations, tradecraft, and technical operations for the Directorate of Operations. He also served worldwide as a Case Officer in the Senior Executive Service with senior field assignments in the Near East, South Asia, and European regions, including multiple Chief of Station and war zone assignments. Since retiring from CIA in the fall of 2020, Mr. Weninger is a founding member of Presage Security Inc. and serves as the Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Weninger maintains a Top Secret/SCI clearance with a Full Scope Polygraph and is a Portuguese speaker.

Susan Elizabeth Carter (PS 1981) is an executive with expertise in issues management, government affairs, crisis management, communications and strategic philanthropy. Retired after nearly 30 years with ExxonMobil, she serves as president of the board of directors of the National Woman’s Party at the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument in Washington, D.C. She also served as the advisory council chair for NC State’s School of Public and International Affairs. She has a master’s degree in Middle East Studies, International Economics and Arabic from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Sherald Cratch (PS 1985) has over 25 years experience in the banking industry, primarily in Trust and Investment Management with Wachovia Bank/Wells Fargo and Capitol Bank. Prior to his banking career, Sherald served on the staff of U.S. Congressman L. Richardson Preyer (NC) and also served as Director of Governmental Affairs for the North Carolina Association of Realtors.  Sherald has also served as a member of the Board of Directors and finance committee for the Greensboro Science Center for over a decade. 

Sarah Crawford (PS 2003) is an American politician and nonprofit executive. She has served as a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, having represented the 66th district (including constituents in Wake County) since 2023. She previously served in the North Carolina Senate from 2021 to 2023, representing the 18th district (which includes parts of Franklin and Wake counties).

Dr. Rick Kearney is the former director of the School of Public and International Affairs. He earned a MPA and Ph.D. in political science at the University of Oklahoma. His research and teaching fields were in public administration, human resource management, labor relations, state and local politics, and public policy (particularly environmental policy). His print books include State and Local Government (11th edition); Public Human Resource Management: Problems and Prospects (6th edition); Labor Relations in the Public Sector (5th edition). In the Navy as a Lieutenant (jg), he served on a ship in the waters of Vietnam and on shore in East Africa.