Board of Commissioners

The leaders on our board of commissioners are much more than business professionals. They are much more than government appointees or physicians — they are neighbors. They are members of our community. These commissioners, living in the community, themselves using the health care system they govern, have an insider's view of area health care needs. It is much more than reading reports — they encounter our customers every day.

The UNC Health Nash Board of Commissioners is a volunteer board appointed by the Nash County Board of Commissioners. Each board member is appointed for one 3-year term. Commissioners may be reappointed to serve two additional terms, for a maximum of three terms. In addition, there are three voting, ex-officio members of the board. These ex-officio members include the president of the medical staff, the president-elect of the medical staff, and the president of UNC Health Nash.

The UNC Health Nash Board of Commissioners meet on the first Thursday of each month.

 

Bill Lehnes, Chairman

Bill Lehnes graduated from the University of South Carolina in Spartanburg with a business degree and put his entrepreneurial skills to work in Rocky Mount as the owner of the Chick-fil-A franchise. Lehnes was born in New Jersey and spent his early years in Greenville, SC until moving to Rocky Mount 28 years ago to open the restaurant. 

Lehnes has been a very active volunteer in the community, serving the Tar River Civic Club, the Rocky Mount Chamber of Commerce, the American Red Cross, Meals on Wheels, and the Boys and Girls Club. 

“I want to help because the hospital has such a powerful impact on the community, both economically and in the impact it has on the health of our local citizens,” Lehnes said. He and his wife, Kim, have three daughters and attend Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church.

Kenneth D. Arrington, Vice Chairman

Kenneth Arrington is a lifelong resident of Rocky Mount and has served as the administrative manager of H.D. Pope Funeral Home in Rocky Mount for the past eight years, having served hundreds of families during their most vulnerable times.

He previously worked in Wilson County Public Schools and has served in various community service roles, including mentorship, motivational speaking, and faith-based leadership roles with Truth Tabernacle Ministries.

Terri Sharpe, Treasurer

Terri Sharpe is a Rocky Mount native and Certified Public Accountant at Bunch & Company, LLP. She has worked in public accounting for more than 36 years. During this time, she has served as treasurer and ambassador for the Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce. She currently serves on the board of trustees for North Carolina Wesleyan University.

 

 

Kristen Brabble, Secretary

Kristen Brabble is a native of Ahoskie, NC and has lived in the Rocky Mount area for more than 11 years. She has worked in banking for 14 years and is currently the Chief Operating Officer at First Carolina Bank.  Brabble is engaged in many civic groups in the community, including the Rotary Club and West Mount Ruritan Club. She created the popular community event Tackle the Tar, which raises scholarship funds for local students, and serves on various other boards throughout the community.

Brian Brantley

Brian Brantley served as Nash County Emergency Services director for 36 years before retiring in 2021. He is a lifelong resident of Spring Hope.

He has also served in many community roles, including Spring Hope Fire Department, Spring Hope Planning Board, Spring Hope Golf Association, and Englewood Baptist Church.

 

Sheila Wallace

Sheila Wallace is the Director of Federal Programs with Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools. She manages federal grants and is responsible for assuring adherence to federal guidelines and laws while making certain that identified schools have needed resources. 

Wallace has served in various leadership capacities with the local school system and as Principal and Assistant Principal of several elementary schools in the district. She is the recipient of the Teacher of the Year award and has twice appeared in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.  She has served on numerous boards in Eastern North Carolina, including Martin County Community Action, Carol Caldwell Scholarship, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. 

She is married to Ellis Wallace and they have two sons. The Wallaces are active members at Union Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Nashville, NC where she is on the Board of Trustees and serves as Youth Advisor.

Sue Leggett, Nash County Commissioner

Sue Leggett grew up in Rocky Mount and graduated from Rocky Mount High School in 1997. She obtained her Bachelor's degree in Agronomy Soil Science from NC State University in 2001 and graduated from The Executive Program for Agricultural Producers at Texas A&M University in 2015. 

Currently, Sue lives in Nash County and works full time at Leggett Farming Partnership in Nashville, NC growing crops, fruits, and vegetables with a focus on handling the finances of the business. She is also a part of several agricultural organizations. She is involved in the Nash County Farmers Market advisory board, is a leader in our local 4-H program, and is a member of White Oak Grove Methodist Church. 

Sue and her husband, Brent, have two children. 

Mike Johnson, OD

Dr. Mike Johnson is a native of Whitakers, NC, and continues to live in Nash County. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated from East Carolina University in Greenville in 1979. After earning his Doctor of Optometry degree from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in 1983, he returned to begin practicing in Rocky Mount and co-founded Medical Park Eye Associates. He has continued his practice in Rocky Mount to this day, currently with MyEyeDr.

Dr. Johnson has been an active community volunteer throughout his life. He has been a member of the Lions Club for 35 years, serving as President several times; he has served on the Nash County Board of Health (now the Nash County Human Services Board) from 1991 to 2001 and 2007 to today, acting as Charmain since 2008; he currently serves as a Director on the Northeast Region Advisory Board of Truist Bank (formerly Branch Bank and Trust); and he regularly works with the non-profit Whitakers Revitalization and Preservation.

Professionally, Dr. Johnson is a member of the American Optometric Association, the North Carolina Optometric Society (where he is a past President). He has served on the N.C. Board of Examiners in Optometry since 2012, currently serving as President.

He is a member and current Deacon at Englewood Baptist Church. He and his wife, Doris, formerly a nurse at UNC Health Nash for 33 years, have one adult son.

Kevin Jones

A native of Rocky Mount, NC and graduate of North Carolina A&T State University, Kevin is the founder of the BAC Scholarship Fund and a Transportation Specialist for the US Department of Transportation. With more than a decade of public policy experience at the local, state and Federal levels, Kevin’s experience includes urban planning, government relations and contract oversight.

Since founding the BAC Scholarship Fund in 2014, Kevin has utilized a network of resources to create more than $200,000 in college scholarships, technology resources and educational programming for children throughout Nash and Edgecombe Counties.

Kevin is also a small business owner where he focuses on job creation and community development throughout the Rocky Mount region.

A first-generation college student and once a teenage parent, Kevin has dedicated his life to affecting change through service to others. He lives in Rocky Mount with his high school sweetheart and wife, Talia along with their two daughters.

David Browder, MD

Dr. David Browder was born and raised in Weldon, NC and graduated from high school at Woodberry Forest School in Virginia. He has been a partner physician at Boice Willis Clinic for the past 25 years.

He earned a B.S. in Biology from North Carolina State University in 1988, graduated from UNC Chapel Hill medical school in 1993 and completed residency training in Internal Medicine at Ohio State University in 1996. After residency, he began his outpatient practice in Rocky Mount at Boice Willis Clinic and also had an inpatient practice at Nash General Hospital until 2011. He has served multiple terms on the Boice Willis Executive Committee and is a medical director for Community Hospice of Rocky Mount as well as research medical director for Accellacare of Rocky Mount.

Browder and his wife, Lesley, have two sons and three daughters. They are members of Lakeside Baptist Church where he serves as a deacon.

Tamica Gray

Tamica Gray, a native of and currently residing in Rocky Mount, has lived in Nash County for 30 years. She currently serves as the Town Clerk of Whitakers and has several years of experience in customer service and administration. She is actively involved in the community through New Covenant Church of Deliverance, is a graduate of East Carolina University, and is currently working on her Masters of Business Administration at NC Wesleyan College.

 

Dean High

Dean High, a Wilson County native who currently resides in Bailey, has worked in agriculture for his entire career.  He currently operates High Farms with his son and served on the Silver Lake Growers Cotton Gin board for 23 years. An active member of the community, High has also held leadership and volunteer positions with Southern Bank, Stanhope Volunteer Fire Department, and Englewood Baptist Church.

 

Gwen Wilkins

Wilkins, a resident of Nash County for more than 25 years, has an extensive public service record. She currently serves as a Nash County Commissioner, a position she has held since 2021. Wilkins has also served on countless community, public and political boards and committees over the years, including the Strategic Twin Counties Education Partnership (STEP) board, the NC State MLK Jr. Commission (appointed by then NC Governor Beverly Purdue) and the My Sister’s House board.

In addition to her public service, Wilkins has also had an extensive professional career that includes experience with Fortune 500 companies such as The Washington Post, IBM, Kennemetal Inc. and Collins Aerospace. Wilkins is a graduate of NC Wesleyan University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Justice Studies.

Allen Corbett III

Corbett is Senior Vice President and Area Manager for Southern Bank, where he has dedicated his entire 15-year banking career. A Wilson County native, he graduated from Hunt High School in 2005 and earned a B.S. in Business and Sports Management from Barton College in 2009, where he also played baseball. In 2022, he completed the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University.

Now residing in Middlesex, Corbett has been a Nash County resident for seven years and is active in community service, including his role as an Elder and Finance Committee member at MidPoint Church.

Stephen Barnes

Stephen Barnes, a Rocky Mount native and 1977 graduate of Rocky Mount Senior High, earned a BSBA in accounting from UNC-Chapel Hill. He began his career with Ernst & Whinney (now EY), where he passed the CPA exam and gained experience auditing hospitals, colleges, and financial institutions. In 1983, he joined Harrison & Judge, CPA, which later merged into RSM US LLP, a leading accounting and consulting firm. Over his 37-year tenure at RSM, Barnes served as an assurance partner, Rocky Mount office leader, and Southeast Employee Benefit Plan Leader, retiring in 2022 as a CPA-Retired.

Throughout his career, Barnes provided assurance, tax services, and business advice to various industries, including healthcare, government, and nonprofits. His expertise includes third-party reimbursements, cost reporting, and benefit plan compliance. Active in his community, Barnes has held leadership roles with the Rocky Mount Chamber of Commerce, United Way, and Nash-Rocky Mount Rotary Club. He is currently a deacon of finance at Christ Covenant Church. Married to Cindy Dixon Barnes, he has two adult children and four grandsons. His late mother, Kathleen Barnes, was a longtime LPN at Nash General Hospital and a dedicated volunteer.