John L. Rustin is President and Executive Director of the North Carolina Family Policy Council. A 25-year veteran of North Carolina’s political and public policy arena, John returned to lead the Council in May 2013 after serving four years as Executive Director of the North Carolina FreeEnterprise Foundation, a business-oriented political research organization.
Prior to this, he spent 12 years as Director of Government Relations and then Vice President of the NC Family where he directed the Council’s government relations team, served as editor of Family North Carolina magazine, and produced the Council’s widely distributed Voter Guide. During this time, John was twice recognized as one of the “Most Influential Lobbyists in the North Carolina General Assembly” by the North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research.
John is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and lives with his wife and two children in Raleigh. He is a member of Church of the Apostles where he enjoys running sound for the worship team about once a month. John is an avid cyclist, snow skier, all-around tinkerer, and enjoys spending time with his family.
Jere Z. Royall has served as Director of Community Impact and Counsel for the North Carolina Family Policy Council since 2000. Prior to that, he helped manage his family’s retail furniture business for 17 years and then served as a lay minister with a Raleigh church for 8 years.
Jere graduated from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in business, and earned his J.D. from the Wake Forest University School of Law. He has served in leadership with Bible Study Fellowship, as a board member of the Salvation Army of Wake County and Hospice of Wake County, and as a volunteer in an inner city after-school ministry. Jere enjoys hiking, swimming, biking, and other activities that he can do together with his family.
Heather Greene is NC Family’s new administrator, as of March 9, 2020. Heather manages the Council’s administrative, accounting, and event planning activities. Heather earned a BA from the University of Colorado-Boulder, and worked with the YMCA for several years prior to joining NC Family. Outside of the office, Heather enjoys coaching gymnastics and spending time with her husband and two children.
Calley Mangum works on Communications for NC Family, researching and writing stories, posting to NC Family’s social media accounts, editing our flagship publication Family North Carolina magazine, and assisting at the North Carolina General Assembly when in session. Calley is a novelist, having published four novels and a set of short stories before graduating from high school. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in English and Creative Writing from University of Iowa. In her spare time, she likes to travel, bake, and watch her favorite sports teams.
Traci Griggs is the host of NC Family’s weekly radio show and podcast Family Policy Matters, which airs on over a dozen radio stations across North Carolina. Traci served as NC Family Communications Director for many years, and we are grateful she continues to serve as our radio show host. In her spare time, she travels to enjoy the beaches of Ocracoke, and to visit her daughter in California.
Eileen Brown handles constituent services for the North Carolina Family Policy Council. She joined NC Family in 1998 and served as Administrator till 2012 when she semi-retired and is now working on a part-time basis. She hails from the UK and South Africa, and is now an American citizen who is proud to be able to vote. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her five grandchildren, reading, church activities, walking, yoga, and leisure travel with her New Bern-based sister.
Makenna McCoy joined NC Family in May 2020 as our summer intern, and she continues to help with research, story writing, social media, and was instrumental in preparing our 2020 General Election Voter Guide. She is currently attending The King’s College, studying politics, philosophy, and economics, but she calls Greenville, NC her home. In her free time, Makenna enjoys reading, playing games with her family, and working out.
