Today Governor Josh Stein and the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC) announced the addition of three western North Carolina-based regional recovery coordinators to the recovery team. Each coordinator will serve a designated region impacted by Hurricane Helene, bringing extensive knowledge of the area and direct experience in disaster recovery. These new team members will assist local governments, non-profit organizations, businesses, and individual residents in accessing essential local, state, and federal recovery resources.
“As we work in communities across western North Carolina, we recognize the urgent need for more capacity to support local governments and residents impacted by Helene,” said Matt Calabria, Director of GROW NC. “Our regional recovery coordinators bring disaster recovery expertise as well as deep ties to the region. By expanding our staff based in western North Carolina, we’ll increase our impact and directly connect folks with the resources they need to rebuild their communities and recover from damages caused by the disaster.”
Brittany Duncan will support counties in the High Country regional councils of government (COGs) area. Duncan previously served on the Governor’s Advisory Committee on WNC Recovery and helped organize and lead response efforts to Hurricane Helene in Ashe County.
Steve Garrison will support counties in the Foothills and Western Piedmont COGs region in addition to Henderson County and Transylvania County. Garrison served as the Rutherford County manager for more than a decade, helping lead the county’s recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Millie Smith will support Swannanoa and eastern Buncombe County as well as Mitchell and Yancey counties. In her previous roles with the Southwestern Commission and Hometown Strong, she supported local governments with developing projects and grant applications to support them.
Additionally, Drew Christy moves into a regional recovery coordinator role, supporting western Buncombe County, Haywood and Madison counties, and counties in the Southwestern Commission region. Christy joined the GROW NC team in January 2025 after previously serving as director of Governor Cooper’s western North Carolina office.