Hollingsed appointed to state DWI task force

Jan. 26--One of Haywood County's law enforcement leaders will soon be helping to give the western part of the state a voice when it comes to driving while impaired laws.

Waynesville Police Chief Bill Hollingsed was recently appointed by Gov. Pat McCrory to a statewide Impaired Driving Task Force.

Ellen Pitt, MADD representative said she recommended Hollingsed for the job and is excited about his appointment.

"Western North Carolina is traditionally underrepresented on this task force and we need a really strong voice to bring our point of view to the table," Pitt said.

The governor created the task force in July 2013 through an executive order. Members of the task force will examine existing laws and develop a statewide impaired driving plan to provide a strategy for preventing and reducing impaired driving behavior.

Hollingsed is the only police chief on the task force. Other members include:

The Honorable James H. Faison III (New Hanover County) -- Faison is a district court judge for the 5th Judicial District. Faison received an undergraduate degree and law degree from North Carolina Central University. He has been a drug treatment court judge since 2002 and DWI treatment court judge since 2010. He will serve as chairman of the task force.

Don Nail (Wake County) -- Nail is the director of the Governor's Highway Safety Program. He received an undergraduate degree from Western Carolina and a master of business administration from UNC-Greensboro.

LaNica Allison (Wake County) -- Allison is the deputy secretary of intergovernmental affairs and budget coordination for the Department of Transportation. She oversees the Governor's Highway Safety Program along with many other duties. Allison holds an undergraduate degree from UNC-Chapel Hill.

The Honorable Steve Bizzell (Johnston County) -- Bizzell has served as Sheriff of Johnston County since 1998. He is a board member of the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association. Bizzell attended Coastal Plains Law Enforcement Academy.

William Hollingsed (Haywood County) -- Hollingsed is the chief of police for the Waynesville Police Department. He received an undergraduate degree from Columbia College and a master of public administration from Troy State University.

Mike Billips (Guilford County) -- Billips has been a criminal magistrate for more than 20 years and currently serves as one of the criminal magistrates for Guilford County. He attended Wingate University.

Michael Plemmons (Buncombe County) -- Plemmons is the executive director for First Step Farm</org>, which is a unique rehabilitative center that helps individuals recover from chemical dependency. He received an undergraduate degree from Western Carolina.

Robert G. Greene (Wilkes County) -- Greene is a senior partner at the Law Office of Robert Greene in Wilkesboro. He attended UNC-Chapel Hill for undergrad and earned a law degree from Campbell University School of Law.

Garry Frank (Davidson County) -- Frank is the district attorney for Davidson and Davie counties. He received his undergraduate degree from Davidson College and law degree from Wake Forest School of Law.

Gail Mills (Durham County) -- Mills is the chief financial officer and co-founder of the Durham Rescue Mission. The mission was founded in 1974 and now houses around 375 men.

The Honorable Matt Osman (Mecklenburg County) -- Osman is the lead criminal court judge in Mecklenburg County and the lead judge in the DWI treatment court. He received his undergraduate degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and law degree from Regent University School of Law.

Troy Butler (Wake County) -- Butler is the director of highway patrol training at North Carolina State Highway Patrol. He graduated from North Carolina Wesleyan College with a bachelor of science in criminal justice. He also attended the FBI academy.

Dr. Robert Foss (Orange County) -- Foss is the senior research scientist and director for the UNC Highway Research Safety Center. He graduated from the University of New Mexico and received a Ph.D in social psychology from the University of Nevada-Reno.

The Honorable Greg Newman (Henderson County) -- Newman is the district attorney of Henderson County. He earned an undergraduate degree from UNC-Asheville and a law degree from Dayton School of law.

James L. Allard Jr. (New Hanover County) -- Allard is a senior partner and attorney at Hewlett, Collins and Allard L.L.P. He attended UNC-Wilmington for undergrad and earned a law degree from Campbell University School of Law.

LaRonda S. Scott (Wake County) -- Scott is the state executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. She received an undergraduate degree from UNC-Charlotte.

Eduardo Sosa (Granville County) -- Sosa is a senior officer specialist for the Federal Bureau of Prisons in the U.S. Department of Justice. He graduated from Turabo University in Puerto Rico with a master's degree in political affairs.

Bob Durkin (Mecklenburg County) -- Durkin is the president and owner of Bar Management Group. He received an undergraduate degree from the University of Albany.

The Honorable Donald Wade Street (Mitchell County) -- Street is the Sheriff of Mitchell County. Currently, he serves on the Mitchell County Safe Place Board. He earned an associate's degree in criminal justice from Mayland Community College.

Kimberly Sides (Stanly County) -- Sides is the compliance manager for the NC Division of Health Service Regulation in the Office of Emergency Medical Services.

Margaret Griffin (Durham County) -- Griffin is the co-owner of Insurance People Inc. She earned an undergraduate degree from the UNC-Greensboro.

The Honorable Coy Reid (Catawba County) -- Reid has been the Catawba County sheriff for 20 years. He has completed numerous law enforcement training and certification courses over the years.

William F. Powers (Mecklenburg County) -- Powers is an attorney and partner at Powers McCartan, PLLC in Charlotte. He was named lawyer of the year DUI/DWI in Charlotte by Best Lawyers in America. He attended N.C. State for his undergraduate degree and Campbell University School of Law for his law degree.

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