Feeling emboldened, NC agencies taking ASAP approach to DEI efforts

by Lucas Thomae, Carolina Public Press
February 7, 2025

State departments and agencies have begun to scale back their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts — some openly, others quietly.

State Auditor Dave Boliek and Labor Commissioner Luke Farley, both freshly-elected Republicans, announced their intentions to eliminate DEI from their internal policies in late January press releases.

Their announcements came on the heels of President Donald Trump issuing several executive actions that take aim at DEI efforts in the federal government. Nationwide polling suggests that Americans are about evenly divided on the issue. However, surveys from the Pew Research  Center in 2023 and 2024 show that public support for DEI initiatives might be waning.

Additionally, a number of top companies and major colleges have scrapped DEI programs despite making significant investments to establish them just years earlier.

Taking cues from the national party leadership, some Republican state officials like Boliek and Farley have taken aim at DEI since coming to power after the 2024 elections.

In a late January press release, Boliek argued that “the negative effects of DEI are backed by years of research and studies.”

“DEI is divisive and brings little-to-no return on investment of time and resources. My goal in the Auditor’s Office is to establish a professional workplace where individuals are valued and measured based on merit. Corporations across the country are abandoning DEI, as are colleges and universities, and it’s time for the government to do the same,” the release read.

But skepticism about DEI is not solely a Republican trait it seems.

Other agencies that fall under the umbrella of the executive branch — even those led by Democratic appointees — seem to have gotten cold feet over their diversity initiatives, which in some cases included hiring DEI-specific personnel.

The Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Public Safety and Health and Human Services have all taken steps to distance themselves from DEI with little fanfare, Carolina Public Press has learned.

‘Diversity’ cut from the list

Both the Office of the State Auditor and the Department of Labor said they will no longer consider DEI as a performance measure for their employees.

Performance assessments for state government employees are structured according to a system created by The Office of State Human Resources. Each year, agencies must select certain values to use as a guideline to assess workers. Those values are derived from a list provided by the state.

“Diversity, equity and inclusion” was one of 22 included on the list from last year’s assessment cycle.

So when Boliek and Farley — who declined requests to be interviewed — announced they were eliminating DEI as a performance measure, it meant that “diversity, equity and inclusion” will not factor into upcoming employee reviews.

There’s no indication that either agency’s actions will affect the job status of any of their staff members. A spokesperson from Boliek’s office confirmed that there is nobody on staff with DEI-specific duties.

However, Boliek said in his press release that his office would be conducting an “internal review” in order to identify and scrub diversity, equity and inclusion standards across the department.

Party lines

Other Republican-run state agencies are following suit or already have been.

An official from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which has been led by Commissioner Steve Troxler since 2005, said that the agency also planned to drop DEI from its performance assessments.

The change, which mirrored the actions of the Department of Labor and Office of the State Auditor, was not publicly announced.

Meanwhile, spokespeople from the Department of Insurance and the Office of the State Treasurer told CPP that their internal policies had no DEI initiatives to eliminate.

“I applaud the actions taken by Auditor Boliek and Commissioner Farley,” said State Treasurer Brad Briner in a statement. “I am grateful to be in a position in which we are not forced to remove unfair performance evaluation metrics and can instead focus on valuing employees for the important contributions they make to our state.”

What’s in name?

State agencies headed by Democratic leadership, both elected and non-elected, have generally been more open about their efforts related to diversity and inclusion practices at their workplaces.

That may no longer be the case, as illustrated by the Departments of Health and Human Services and Public Safety removing references to DEI from within their offices beginning last year.

In 2024, the state health department changed the name of its DEI office to the “Office of People, Culture and Belonging.” The reason for the change was to “allow for a greater understanding and flexibility in viewing the work of the office,” the department explained in its annual Equal Employment Opportunity plan.

CPP requested interviews with top leaders, but was told by a spokesperson that “staff are not available.”

Additionally, the department did not respond when asked if it intends to continue operations at the Office of People, Culture and Belonging for the foreseeable future.

Similar changes are taking place at the Department of Public Safety. Since 2022, one of the department’s top leaders, Sherry Hunter, had been the deputy secretary for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Law Enforcement. Her job was to “help DPS achieve the departmental goal of reflecting and representing North Carolinians from all walks of life.”

In August, however, Hunter’s title was changed to “Deputy Secretary for Law Enforcement and Strategic Relations” although her job description remained the same.

She recently began a new role as “Deputy Secretary of Professional Standards” — a change which has yet to be announced publicly or reflected on the department website.

Spokeswoman Laura Hourigan told CPP that Hunter will be leading an entirely different section of the department in this new job. 

The department does not intend to hire a replacement for her previous DEI-specific position.

This article first appeared on Carolina Public Press and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Today’s round of questions, my smart-aleck replies, and the real answers:

Question: Employees were told this week that the Asheville VA will close by the end of year. This is considered one of the best VA’s in the country. It is thought this is another scare tactic. What is your scoop? Thanks!

My answer: From here on out I think we can expect solid rumors on every single federal agency in our area possibly shutting down. President Musk, ahem, Trump, is on the prowl, you know.

Real answer: The rumor mill is indeed running overtime.

“These allegations are unfounded,” Charles George VA Medical Center spokesperson Kathie Ramos said via email. “There has been no official communication disclosing the closure of our VA facility. The Western North Carolina VA Health Care System will continue to provide excellent care to all patients.”

Ramos said the VA’s executive leadership team did conduct an employee town hall meeting last week “to discuss the recent federal policy changes and address questions employees may have.”

“The Western North Carolina Veterans Affairs Healthcare System is considered one of the best VA medical centers in the country, thanks to the dedication and commitment of every member of our organization,” Ramos said.

Question: What is going on with the work on a lot at the Hendersonville Road entrance to the Southchase neighborhood in Fletcher? A lot of grading work and fill dirt coming in and being spread out. What’s it going to be? And did the property owner have to do any kind of study on what impact all that fill dirt might have on future flooding?

My answer: I’m thinking of changing my Answer Man slogan from, “Answering your burning questions since 1999,” to, “Answering your dirt-moving questions since the dawn of time.”

Real answer: This topic has come up several times over the past few weeks, as the grading is on a highly traveled section of U.S. 25 through “downtown” Fletcher.

For the time being, it’s just grading.

“There is no proposed development of this site at this time,” Teresa Ralya, a planning technician with the Town of Fletcher, told me via email. “A couple of years ago permits were approved for Dodge’s Convenience store; however, they did not move forward with development. It is my understanding that they have cleared the property of old structures and are preparing/grading the land to advertise it for sale.”

On the flooding front, Ralya said, “There is no study required, as the property is not in an area of special flood hazard.

“Once sold, a new owner will have to present a development plan and structural designs for review/approval by the Town’s Planning Board, because the parcel is in the Heart of Fletcher overlay district,” Ralya continued. “Future development will also go through staff review. The Henderson County Engineering Department will review for stormwater and drainage design of the site when building permits are applied for.”

Question: In light of the recent announcement from HUD awarding $1.4 billion to North Carolina in 2025 — with $225 million specifically for the City of Asheville, what other western North Carolina cities and towns have funding designated for them? What are these amounts?

My answer: It may be wise to double check on this federal funding to make sure it’s still there and hasn’t been rerouted to video game purchases by some of Elon Musk’s teenaged Treasury trolls.

Real answer: Republican U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, who represents NC District 11, announced Jan. 6 that western North Carolina will receive $1.65 billion in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds to help communities rebuild after Helene. The lion’s share of the funds will be administered to most of western North Carolina through the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Edwards noted in the news release.

Asheville will receive and administer $225 million in separate CDBG-DR funds.

Maria Kim, Edwards’ communication director, said Asheville received its own grant “as it already does business directly with HUD and has the infrastructure in place to administer that money.

“The rest of WNC will receive $1.43 billion, 80 percent of which, by law, must go to the most-distressed/most-impacted ZIP codes,” Kim said. “HUD gives those funds to the state of North Carolina to administer, and the state will disburse those funds to the affected counties after the counties come up with an approved spending plan.”

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Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. Got a question? Send it to John Boyle at jboyle@avlwatchdog.org or 828-337-0941. His Answer Man columns appear each Tuesday and Friday. The Watchdog’s reporting is made possible by donations from the community. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/support-our-publication/.

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Original article

The post Charles George VA Medical Center to close, or is that just a rumor? Upcoming development in Fletcher? Will other towns get HUD funds? • Asheville Watchdog appeared first on avlwatchdog.org

SUMMARY: North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler reflects on a challenging year as he enters his 21st term, marked by Hurricane Helene, flooding, forest fires, and avian flu. Troxler noted the hurricane’s devastating impact, causing over $1 billion in crop losses and affecting transportation for harvesting, especially for Christmas trees. The Department of Agriculture had to manage flooded grocery stores and provide relief for those displaced by disasters. Despite the challenges, including staffing shortages, Troxler remains committed to his role, emphasizing the importance of supporting people through agricultural services in difficult times.

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The post Tumultuous year challenged agriculture in North Carolina | North Carolina appeared first on www.thecentersquare.com