Gov. Roy Cooper names key team members

Gov. Roy Cooper has announced several of his first appointments to his administration.

On Monday afternoon, his team released a statement saying:

"To administer the state budget Cooper has appointed Charlie Perusse as State Budget Director."

Perusse has experience administering state budgets and writing them as head of the Office of State Budget and Management. He leaves his job as chief operating officer for the University of North Carolina system to join Cooper's team. Previously, he has worked as state budget director and as a lead fiscal analyst for the state General Assembly.

Cooper has appointed Barbara Gibson to direct the Office of State Human Resources to work on behalf of the state's thousands of employees. Gibson is one of the longest-serving state personnel directors and has led the state Department of Justice Human Resources Department for 16 years.

Cooper has appointed William McKinney to serve as his legal counsel and advise on legal affairs. McKinney served as special counsel to Cooper in the state attorney general's office, and prior to that worked in private practice in South Carolina and for the U.S. State Department.

Serving in the governor's press office will be Noelle Talley, who brings years of state government communications experience to the job. Talley most recently was public information officer for the state Department of Justice.

"We are putting together a deeply talented team and I'm excited that these experienced leaders with proven results will help me move our state forward," Cooper said.

Cooper, a Democrat, has already seen signs he may not have much of a honeymoon period with the Republican-led General Assembly.

Davidson political science professor Susan Roberts points to two examples.

First is the so-called bathroom law.

"The deal he brokered on HB2 fell apart visibly and dramatically," she said.  Second, Cooper's suing the Legislature for passing the law limiting his power over the state board of elections.  "I don't want to be a pessimist going in, but I think it's going to be very difficult for him to work with the state Legislature," she said.

She does expect them to see eye-to-eye on education, but few other issues, especially voting rights.

And, after the drawn-out fight over the election results, Cooper has a late start with one of the more routine first steps for new governors:  choosing a cabinet.

Cooper's team has already let go dozens from outgoing Gov. Pat McCrory's administration.

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