Board of Transportation

Gov. Beverly Perdue has named four Democrats and two Republicans to the state Board of Transportation. Five of her six picks, including both Republicans, gave money to the Democratic governor's campaign last year. Perdue submitted the new names recently for review by a legislative oversight committee, as required by state ethics laws. Charles D. Watts Jr. of Durham, a lawyer and insurance executive, was tapped to represent Division 5, including Durham, Wake and five other counties. Watts will succeed Ken Spaulding of Durham, who stepped down in March. Election records show that Watts, a Democrat, has not contributed campaign money to Perdue.

Charlotte developer John Collett, a Republican, was named to the five-county Division 10 seat. Collett, 52, has given $6,000 to Perdue campaigns since 2007. Hugh Overholt, a New Bern lawyer and retired Army general, will represent the eight-county Division 2 seat. Overholt, 75, a Republican, has given Perdue $12,500 since 1998. Leigh Harvey McNairy of Kinston succeeds Kinston businessman Cameron McRae as the board's at-large member for ports and aviation. McRae resigned in May after The News & Observer reported that he failed to disclose flights he had provided former Gov. Mike Easley. McNairy, who was a Democratic candidate for Congress in 2000, has given Perdue $8,000 since 2005.

Ralph H. Womble, a Winston-Salem investor, was named to the five-county Division 9 seat. Womble, a Democrat, has given $10,805 to Perdue since 2006. Wanda J. Proffitt, 67, a Burnsville real estate executive, will take the seven-county Division 13 seat. Proffitt, a Democrat, and her husband have given $6,266 to Perdue campaigns since 2004. Since Perdue took office in January, the transportation board has stopped voting on bridge replacements, highway repairs and other DOT contracts. Such spending decisions have been shifted to Gene Conti, Perdue's transportation secretary. Perdue has yet to replace four other Easley appointees. (Bruce Siceloff, THE NEWS & OBSERVER, 7/10/09).