NC FBLA Welcomes Seven New Board Members and Clarifies Interim Leadership Structure for 2026-2027
A NOTE ON OUR RECENT LEADERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT
On August 28th,2026 NC FBLA announced that Michelle Brooks, Jennifer Adcock, and Noah Estes had been appointed to three newly created leadership roles: State Adviser, Assistant State Adviser / State Officer Liaison, and State Leadership Conference Director. NC FBLA would like to provide additional context about this structure for chapters, advisers, and stakeholders.
These are interim appointments for the 2026-2027 school year, redistributing responsibilities previously held by a single State Adviser across three specialized roles. This approach allows each leader to focus on a specific area of the organization's work, such as DPI and board relations, chapter and officer support, or conference operations, rather than placing the full scope of NC FBLA's operations on one individual. The Board believes this distributed model strengthens responsiveness to chapters and advisers, improves financial and administrative oversight, and provides the organization with the leadership capacity it needs while a permanent structure is thoughtfully determined.
Following the 2027 State Leadership Conference, the Board will review the effectiveness of this interim structure and conduct a traditional hiring and search process for permanent leadership positions, with permanent appointments expected to take effect beginning August 1, 2027.
WELCOMING NEW BOARD MEMBERS FOR 2026-2027
NC FBLA is also pleased to welcome seven new members to its Executive Board, strengthening both regional representation and the organization's connection to the business community.
Regional Representatives
Scott Haddock - Eastern Region
Scott Haddock joins the NC FBLA Executive Board representing the Eastern Region. Serving as D. H. Conley’s head FBLA adviser for 9 years now. At the school, he teaches Business Ethics and Law I and II, Business Management I and II, and Game Art and Design. He was NC FBLA adviser of the year in 2025 and has served as the Eastern Region adviser multiple times. During his time as adviser, D. H. Conley has been one of the largest chapters in North Carolina.
John Owens - Southeast Region
John Owens joins the NC FBLA Executive Board representing the Southeast Region. He is currently the FBLA Advisor at Pine Forest High School in Fayetteville. He is working on his Ed.D. in Education Administration from Liberty University. He holds an MBA in Marketing from University of Phoenix and a Bachelor's degree in Sports Management and Social Sciences from Campbell University. He currently teaches Sports Marketing I, II, III, CTE Advanced Studies, CTE Internships, and AP Business. In 2025-2026, he was recognized as a finalist for State CTE Teacher of the Year. He was also the recipient of FBLA New Advisor of the Year in 2025. He has served twice as the Southeast Regional Advisor. In his four years at Pine Forest, he has overseen club growth from ten members to over 120 members. He serves on the state PBM team for Sports Marketing and as Cumberland County School Pathway Lead for Sports Marketing. He also serves as Pine Forest National Technical Honor Society Advisor and as the Boys and Girls Swimming Coach.
Heather Johnson - Triad Region
Ms. Johnson brings over a decade of dedicated educational experience to her expanded board role. Currently in her tenth year teaching Business Education at Northwest Guilford Middle School (NWMS), her career in education spans 11 years, following success as a collegiate softball coach and university adjunct professor.
A proven leader within the Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) network, Ms. Johnson established the inaugural FBLA chapter at NWMS in 2018. Under her leadership, the chapter experienced continuous growth, earning the distinction of Largest Middle School Chapter in the Triad Region. Most recently, at the FBLA National Leadership Conference (NLC), the NWMS chapter was named a Champion Chapter, securing the second-highest point total among middle schools nationwide.
In her new capacity, Ms. Johnson will focus on strategic growth, chapter support, and regional advocacy across the Triad area.
Heath Treadway - Western Region
Heath Treadway joins the NC FBLA Executive Board representing the Western Region. Heath is currently serving his 4th year as the Mountain Heritage co-adviser. He has served as the athletic trainer at Mountain Heritage for the past 10 years. Heath was a member of HOSA throughout high school and college where he served as a state officer, assistant to the state adviser and as a member of the international HOSA board of directors for 4 years.
Ashley Faulkner - Middle School Division
Ashley Faulkner joins the NC FBLA Executive Board representing the Middle School Division. She has served as the FBLA adviser at Coats-Erwin Middle School for the past five years and has 18 years of experience as an FBLA adviser. Ashley holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Law and a Master of Business Administration, both from Western Carolina University. Her involvement with FBLA began as a student, where she was a four-year member of FBLA throughout high school.
Business & Industry Representatives
As part of its broader governance improvements, the NC FBLA Executive Board has added two new Business & Industry (B&I) Representative seats. This addition reflects FBLA's mission of connecting students directly to the business community and brings a dedicated private-sector perspective to the Board's financial oversight, strategic planning, and partnership development.
Keton York - Business & Industry Representative
Keton York joins the NC FBLA Executive Board of Directors as Business and Industry Representative, bringing over a decade of organization involvement alongside professional expertise in emerging technology. Currently serving as an AI Project Manager in the Office of AI & Policy at the North Carolina Department of Information Technology (NC DIT), he holds an MBA and a BBA in Management and Marketing. A former Triangle-East Region Vice President, 2020 NC FBLA Who's Who recipient, and top competitive event finisher, Keton leverages his background in IT management and digital strategy to advance FBLA's mission across North Carolina.
Jon Marino - Business & Industry Representative
Jon Marino joins the NC FBLA Executive Board as a Business & Industry Representative. Jon Marino is a Staff Information Systems Auditor II with the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in accounting from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Jon was a member of NC FBLA all throughout his middle and high school career, holding multiple chapter officer positions and winning first place in Website Design at the State Leadership Conference.
TIMELINE AND NEXT STEPS
The interim leadership team (State Adviser, Assistant State Adviser / State Officer Liaison, and State Leadership Conference Director) is appointed through July 31, 2027, covering the 2026-2027 program year.
The seven new Board members announced above take effect immediately for the 2026-2027 program year.
Following the 2027 State Leadership Conference, the Board will review the effectiveness of the interim leadership structure and conduct a traditional hiring and search process for permanent leadership positions.
Permanent leadership appointments are expected to take effect beginning August 1, 2027.
