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Commission Member Profiles
Robert L. Farmer
Commission Chair
Appointed by: Governor
Term: 1/1/2010 - 12/31/2013
Robert L. Farmer began serving on January 1, 2007, after being appointed by Governor Michael Easley. He was reappointed by Governor Perdue on January 21, 2010, to a term expiring December 31, 2013. Judge Farmer currently serves as Chairman of the Commission. He received both his undergraduate and law degrees from UNC Chapel Hill. Judge Farmer served as a Superior Court Judge for 26 years and is currently a certified mediator and arbitrator. He is a former solicitor of the Wake County Domestic Relations Court and former attorney for the Wake County Board of Education. He also served as a member of the NC House of Representatives from 1970-1977, where he chaired the Judiciary III and Finance Committees. While in the House, he sponsored legislation that created ethics laws for the Legislature. Judge Farmer previously served on the Board of Ethics, prior to creation of the State Ethics Commission.
Jane F. Finch
Vice-Chair
Appointed by: Governor
Term: 1/1/2012 - 12/31/2015
Jane F. Finch was appointed by Governor Michael Easley on January 1, 2007 for an initial one year term. She was reappointed by Governor Beverly Perdue. Ms. Finch graduated from Peace College (1973), UNC at Greensboro (1975) and North Carolina Central University School of Law (1978). After clerking on the NC Court of Appeals for the Honorable Harry C. Martin, she practiced law and became a partner with the law firm of Moore, Ragsdale, Liggett, Ray and Foley (the former and late Governor Dan K. Moore) in Raleigh, NC, which subsequently merged with the New York law firm, LeBouef, Lamb, Leiby and MacRae. She practiced primarily in civil litigation, personal injury, medical malpractice, business, real estate and insurance related litigation in state and federal courts. After leaving the firm, she handled both mediation and arbitration cases and continued in private practice. She was of counsel with the law firm, Smith, Debnam, Narron, Wyche, Story and Myers, P.A. from 1999 to 2001. She has served as a presenter and panelist for professional seminars on professional malpractice prevention and risk management, preparing and trying personal injury cases, evidence and ethics. She spent one year in London with her husband and three children while her husband attended the London School of Economics. Ms. Finch has been active in many civic and charitable organizations. She has previously served as a member of the Board of Visitors for NCCU School of Law, the Board of Visitors for Peace College, Young Advisory Council for the Capitol City Club, Board of Directors for the Carolina Ballet, Board of Directors for the Hayes Barton Baptist Pre-School, Board of Directors for the 10th Judicial District Bar, Grievance Committee of the 10th Judicial District Bar, the Junior League of Raleigh, the National Charity League and volunteered extensively for numerous charities. Ms. Finch was appointed to the Board of Ethics (which preceded the State Ethics Commission) by Governor Hunt in 1993, was elected vice chairman, and continued to serve on the Board of Ethics until she was appointed to the Ethic's Commission.
Barbara K. Allen
Appointed by: General Assembly, upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the House
Term: 1/1/2011 - 12/31/2014
Barbara K. Allen was appointed by the General Assembly upon recommendation of the Speaker of the House on January 1, 2007, to a term expiring December 31, 2010. She was reappointed by Governor Perdue for another term expiring on December 31, 2014. Ms. Allen, who attended Peace College, is a former chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party and a retired Carolina Power & Light executive. She serves in numerous community leadership positions, including serving on the Public School Forum, the NC State University 4H Foundation, the NC School of Social Work, Lillian’s List Board of Directors, and as an emeritus member of the Meredith College Board of Trustees. Ms. Allen has been the recipient of many awards, including the Distinguished Women of North Carolina Award, the A.E. Finley Distinguished Citizenship Award, the YWCA Academy of Women in Business Award, the Triangle Journal Women in Business Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Wake Education Partnership Outstanding Leader in Public Education Award.
Leslie W. (Les) Merritt, Jr.
Appointed by: General Assembly, upon the recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate
Term: 1/1/2013 - 12/31/2016
Leslie W. (Les) Merritt, Jr. was appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Senate President Pro Tempore. Mr. Merritt is currently the Executive Director of the Foundation for Ethics in Public Service, a non-profit organization which investigates allegations of corruption in government and educates government leaders and the general public on the true nature of ethics in government as well as the causes and remedies of public corruption. Prior to becoming Executive Director for the Foundation, Mr. Merritt served as State Auditor of North Carolina from January 2005 until January 2009 and was the first Certified Public Accountant (CPA) to serve as North Carolina's State Auditor. As State Auditor, Mr. Merritt served on North Carolina's Council of State, as a member of the Local Government Commission and led an agency with more than 200 employees. Prior to being elected State Auditor, Mr. Merritt was an owner and managing partner in privately held accounting and auditing firms for over twenty (20) years. He has also been a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) since 1981 and served as a Wake County Commissioner from 1994 through 1998. Prior to entering the accounting profession, Merritt spent several years in the banking industry. Les Merritt earned degrees in accounting and economics from North Carolina State University. He is a past president of the Zebulon Elementary School PTA, Zebulon Rotary Club and Zebulon Lions Club. Mr. Merritt also served as a member of the Zebulon Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He lives in Zebulon, North Carolina with his wife, Cheryl.
Clarence G. Newsome
Appointed by: General Assembly, upon the recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate
Term: 1/01/2011 - 12/31/2014
Clarence G. Newsome was appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Senate President Pro Tempore on January 23, 2007. His term expired on December 31, 2010 and he was reappointed to another term expiring on December 31, 2014. Dr. Newsome received his Bachelor of Arts, Master of Divinity, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from Duke University, where he continues to serve on the Board of Trustees. He most recently served as President of Shaw University in Raleigh. Prior to that, Dr. Newsome served at the Howard University School of Divinity for 17 years, rising to Dean. He is active in numerous academic and community activities including serving as General Editor of the Directory of African American Religious Bodies, Volume 2. Past honors include the Distinguished Service in Education Award from the Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc., in 2000, and the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Duke Divinity School in 2001.
James LeRoy (LeRoy) Roberts
Appointed by: Governor
Term: 5/31/12 - 12/31/15
James (LeRoy) LeRoy Roberts was appointed by Governor Beverly Perdue on May 31, 2012 to a term expiring December 31, 2015. Recently retired, Mr. Roberts graduated from Missouri State University in1960 from which he received a B.A. with a major in History and a Minor in Political Science. He began his career as a securities representative with a firm headquartered in Houston, Texas. In 1979 he formed American Funding, Inc., a Broker-Dealership, serving as President and CEO. The firm did best efforts underwriting for certain segments of the non-profit community in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. During this time he served two terms as President of the National Association of Church and Institutional Financing Organization, Inc. (NACIFO). Since retirement he has served as a consultant or representative to two other broker-dealerships as well as some contractual work with a Trust Company. In addition he served on the Board of Directors of Foundation Capital Resources, Inc., a privately held Real-estate Investment Trust Company, serving as Chair of the Credit Committee. He continues to be active in the local real-estate market. He and his wife have made their home in Raleigh for over forty years.
Alice C. Stubbs
Appointed by: Governor
Term: 1/1/2010 - 12/31/2013
Alice C. Stubbs was appointed by Governor Michael Easley on January 1, 2007, and was reappointed by Governor Perdue on January 20, 2010. Her current term expires December 31, 2013. Ms. Stubbs served as a District Court Judge in Wake County for eight years. During her time on the bench, Judge Stubbs presided over juvenile and family matters. She currently practices family law at Tharrington Smith in Raleigh. A native of New Bern, she graduated from Davidson College in 1989 with a major in economics, attended University College in London, and received her law degree from UNC Chapel Hill in 1992. Ms. Stubbs is a certified specialist in Family Law and a member of the Family Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association. She has previously served on the Litigation Section Council, the Board of Directors of Meredith College's Paralegal School, the Wake County Bar's continuing education committee, and the Women's Executive Mentoring Coalition.
John M. Tyson
Appointed by: General Assembly, upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the House
Term: 1/1/13 - 12/31/16
John M. Tyson was appointed by the General Assembly, upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the House on January 1, 2013, to a term expiring on December 31, 2016. Mr. Tyson served as an elected Judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals from 2001 until 2009, and continued to serve as a Recall Judge on the NC Court of Appeals and as an Emergency Superior Court Judge until 2013. He has taught law at Campbell University's Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law since 1987. He also serves as a frequent continuing legal education author and presenter, having published seven scholarly articles and presented 35 legal education manuscripts and seminars. He earned the designation of Board Certified Specialist--Real Property Law--Business, Commercial, and Industrial Transactions by the North Carolina State Bar in 2001 (re-certified in 2007 & 2012), and is the only North Carolina judge so certified. He holds an AV Preeminent peer reviewed rating from Martindale Hubbell - Lexis/Nexis. He earned a Master of Laws in Judicial Process (LL.M.) from the University of Virginia School of Law (2004); a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) from Duke University (1988); a Juris Doctor (J.D.) with honors from Campbell University School of Law (1979--Member of the Charter Class); and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (1974). He is admitted to practice and is a member of the North Carolina and Virginia State Bars, the United States Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and District Court bars. He serves as a Certified Mediator and Arbitrator, and served as a member of the North Carolina Property Tax Commission, and was elected Chairman of both the Cumberland County Joint Planning Board and the Cumberland Soil and Water Conservation District. His more than 33 years of other professional experience includes the private practice of law, senior level corporate real estate development and counsel positions with three national corporations, and service as a North Carolina Probation/Parole Office and Public School Teacher. He has been married to his wife, Kirby, since 1975. They are proud parents of four children and three grandchildren.