Meet the Team

Have you ever wondered who is on the other end of the line when you call?

Last Updated: December 18, 2025

Staffing & Training Teams

	Laura Whitley Training Manager Laura started with the Team in January 2018 before moving to the Early Voting Team in August 2021. With her 13 years of election experience, she now leads the Training and Staffing Teams as the Training Manager. Laura earned a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from Catawba College. In her spare time, Laura enjoys relaxing at home or finding new places to go and explore new things.
Staffing Team
	Wil Broadwell Recruitment Coordinator Wil has worked on the Early Voting, Logistics, and Training teams before taking the role of Recruitment Coordinator in August of 2025. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he enjoys spending his Sundays playing in a men's baseball league, reading and discussing philosophy, wasting time in a new video game, and lifting heavy things and putting them back down.
	Luwam Zeray Staffing Specialist Luwam joined The Staffing Team in June 2020, after working with the BOE Voter Registration and Absentee Team since March 2018. Luwam was born in Ethiopia, Africa, and moved to Florida in elementary school. She moved to North Carolina to attend ECU for Hospitality Leadership and a minor in Business Management. In her free time, Luwam enjoys watching movies/tv shows, cooking/baking, thrifting, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family.
	Cameron Burrow Staffing Specialist Cameron started at the Board of Elections in August 2023 as an assistant for the Absentee Team, before joining the Staffing Team in April 2025. Born and raised in Wake County, Cameron loves to spend his free time enjoying the outdoors and chilling with his cat, Bo.
	Grace Chapman Staffing Specialist Grace was born in Appleton, Wisconsin, and moved to Holly Springs, NC in middle school. She graduated from Appalachian State in May 2024 with a degree in Business Administration. In her free time Grace loves spending time with family and friends and working out.
Training Team
	Ethan Henderson Training Coordinator Ethan joined the Board of Elections team as an Election Day Training Specialist in April of 2023 where he hopes to use his BA in Intercultural Studies to take a people-oriented approach in helping Precinct Officials do the best job possible. He grew up in New Hampshire, attended college in Nashville, and moved to the City of Oaks in November of 2020. He loves Fine Arts and is most passionate about film, having an infinitely growing watch-list and collection of theory books that he fears he will never get caught up on. He also loves reading, discovering new music, board games that make him think, and the feeling of snow crunching under his feet.
	Riley Chater Training Specialist - Election Day Riley joined the Board of Elections in July 2019 as an Early Voting Assistant. In February 2021, she transitioned into Early Voting training as a Training Specialist, merging her shared passions for democracy and education. Having grown up between Fayetteville and Asheville, Riley loves calling North Carolina home. She first moved to Raleigh in 2013 to attend NC State University, graduating with a BA in History with a concentration in Education and a minor in English. Riley loves good music, TV shows that make her laugh, traveling, sushi, fuzzy slippers, Oxford commas, all things creative and crafty, and quality time with her family and friends.
	Karmen Goode Training Specialist - Election Day Karmen joined the Board of Elections in October 2025 as an Election Day Training Specialist. She was born in Virginia, but grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, and has always been passionate about helping her community stay informed and engaged. She earned her B.A. in Political Science at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and later moved to Raleigh to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned her M.A. in Educational Technology. Outside of work, Karmen loves watching reality TV, cooking and baking new recipes, taking long walks, and spending time with her friends and family.
	Nick Ruiz Training Specialist - Early Voting Nick started with the Board of Elections as an Assistant to the Training Team in August 2023 for the Municipal Election. He was born in Virginia, but grew up in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and graduated from UNC Wilmington in 2013. Nick likes the Outer Banks, crustaceans (particularly his hermit crabs), time with his two brothers and extended family, and proper BBQ (pulled pork with vinegar sauce). In January of 2024 he moved to a position as a Training Specialist for Early Voting.
	Alexis Brefka Training Specialist - Early Voting Alexis joined the Board of Elections team as an Early Voting Training Specialist in 2025. She previously taught 7th and 3rd grades before earning an instructional design certificate and making the switch from teaching to training. When not at work, she enjoys being outside, reading, cheering on the Wolfpack at sporting events, and cooking/baking.
	Tyler Wyatt Training Assistant Tyler began working as a Training Assistant with the Board of Elections in September 2025 after previously working as an Early Voting Assistant in 2024. His educational path led him to Cape Fear Community College, where he laid a strong academic foundation before transferring to the University of North Carolina Wilmington to major in Film Studies. Outside of his professional life, Tyler has a passion for movies, television, and pop music. Whether he’s discussing the latest blockbuster film and chart-topping hits, or keeping up with the latest celebrity news, Tyler remains engaged with the world of entertainment.
	Lee Harris Training Ambassador - Election Day Lee joined the Training Team in November 2019. He graduated from North Carolina A&T State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Economics, and has retired from the U.S. Air Force and IBM. He has been working for the Board of Elections as a Precinct Official since 1994. Working as a Chief Judge, Training Instructor, and Early Voting Site Supervisor, he has worked all functions in a precinct/early voting site. Lee has a special interest in new Precinct Officials and helping them be the very best. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, ACC sports, and the NFL.
	Dianna Ulak Training Ambassador - Early Voting Dianna joined the Training Team in the summer of 2019 and has been a staff member during Early Voting since the fall of 2014 and even earlier for Election Day. In her early years working Early Voting, Dianna staffed every area of the voting enclosure, ensuring that she understood the importance of every position within the voting enclosure. She then went on to become a table lead for the Application Table, with responsibility for staffing the computer station at curbside and IPR. Dianna has worked as the Assistant Supervisor at an Early Voting site that has at times processed up to 2,000 voters in a day. She enjoys seeing each and every voter given the opportunity to vote and being treated courteously and professionally.

Logistics & Early Voting Teams

	Chris Brown Early Voting & Operations Manager Chris first joined the Early Voting Team in August 2017 before transitioning to the IT Team as an IT Specialist. He returned to the Early Voting Team in 2023 as the Early Voting & Operations Manager. Chris was born in New York, but was raised in Creedmoor, North Carolina for most of his life. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2015. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, watching Duke games and catching up on all his missed TV/Netflix shows.
	Matthew Brethen Early Voting Coordinator Matthew joined the Early Voting team in May 2023 as an Early Voting Coordinator. He graduated from Brevard College in 2020 with a degree in Business & Organizational Leadership. He is also an AmeriCorps NCCC FEMA Corps Alum. Matthew is from Huntersville, NC and enjoys learning, reading, and spending time with family.
	Nicole Lakin Early Voting Coordinator Nicole began working with the Board of Elections in 2020 for Supply Pickup/Remote Sites. She joined the Early Voting Team in September of 2022 as an Early Voting Assistant. In March 2025, she transitioned to the Logistics Team as a Logistics Specialist before returning to the Early Voting Team in November 2025 as an Early Voting Coordinator. Born in Raleigh, Nicole has lived in Wake County her entire life. She attended Campbell University and is on track to complete her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration in 2026. Outside of work, Nicole enjoys staying active by working out, building Legos, taking long walks on the greenway, and spending time with her cats Tupac and Biggie.

Polling Places & Mapping Teams

	Sean Hagerty Polling Place & Logistics Specialist Sean joined the Board of Elections in December 2022 as the Polling Place & Logistics Specialist. Sean was born and raised in Washington State before moving to North Carolina in 2016. In his spare time, Sean enjoys playing golf, hanging out with his kids, and watching football.
	Dustin Moss GIS Specialist Dustin joined the Board of Elections in 2020, initially working with the Voter Registration and Absentee team. He now serves as the Geographic Information System (GIS) Specialist and has led the mapping team since 2021. Growing up in Morganton, North Carolina, just outside Pisgah National Forest, Dustin is the son of two deaf parents, making American Sign Language (ASL) his first language. He earned his BS in Environmental Science, with a Minor in Geographic Information Systems, from The University of North Carolina in 2016. In his free time, Dustin enjoys his many plants, live music, road trips, and hiking the Blue Ridge Mountains.
	Nicholas Payst Mapping Technician Nicholas joined the mapping team at the Board of Elections in 2024 as a Mapping Technician. He grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and graduated from the University of North Carolina in 2024 with a bachelor's degree in Information Science and Mathematics with a minor in Geographic Information Systems. Nicholas enjoys learning math, going for walks, and playing video games in his free time.