Kristi is proud she chose to go to one of North Carolina’s great HBCUs, North Carolina Central University. It has proven to be the foundation she needed to thrive. Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, she attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law where she earned a Juris Doctor of Law. Both esteemed North Carolina public universities prepared her professionally.
In 2001, Kristi joined Roy Cooper, who had just been elected NC Attorney General. She later became his Chief of Staff. In addition to helping Cooper accomplish his mission of fighting crime and protecting NC consumers, she was responsible for oversight of agency administration including personnel, budget, and general operations. She served in this role at the North Carolina Department of Justice for 16 years.
In 2017, after being elected Governor, Roy Cooper appointed Kristi as Chief of Staff for the Office of Governor, making her the first African American female to serve in this role in North Carolina and one of very few in the nation. She is responsible for executing the Governor’s vision and mission by working with cabinet secretaries, agencies, staff, communities, and corporations to improve the lives of all North Carolinians. Kristi is honored to work with Governor Cooper daily to move North Carolina forward, as is evidenced by its recent rating as the #1 state to do business in by CNBC, for the second year in a row!
She feels blessed to call North Carolina home.
