John L. Rustin is President and Executive Director of the North Carolina Family Policy Council. An over-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 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 in Raleigh. They are the proud parents of two grown children. He is a member of Church of the Apostles in Raleigh and is co-leader of the church’s mission team to Guatemala. John is an avid cyclist, snow skier, all-around tinkerer, and enjoys spending time with his family.
Mitch Prosser is a passionate leader with a vision to build relationships with others and equip them to make a difference in the culture. Mitch is a gifted communicator with a strong voice for biblical values.
He has been involved in local, state, and federal election campaigns for nearly 25 years. Mitch served as the Director of Political and Policy Advancement for Frontline Policy Alliance of Georgia and Director of Public Policy and Interim President at Palmetto Family Council in South Carolina before joining the North Carolina Family Policy team in 2024.
Mitch possesses a unique perspective concerning faith and political engagement since he has served as both a pastor for nearly two decades and a political advisor. His experience connecting these two spheres of influence give him an enhanced awareness and appreciation of the intricacies in the realm of family policy.
He graduated from Carolina University in Winston-Salem and was ordained into Christian Ministry in 2008. Mitch married his college sweetheart, Christina in 2007. They have three boys: Ethan, Connor, and Graham. He enjoys spending time outdoors, watching college football, and reading.
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.
AnnaScott Cross oversees Communications for NC Family by researching and writing stories, managing NC Family’s social media accounts, editing our flagship publication Family North Carolina magazine, and producing our Family Policy Matters radio show and podcast. She graduated from Campbell University with degrees in Public Relations and Health Communication, and then decided to stay at Campbell to get a Masters in Public Health and a Masters in Business Administration. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, photography, and traveling to new places.
Heather Greene is excited to engage with NC Family supporters as the Director of Strategic Partnerships. Having spent many years growing membership for multiple businesses and as the Director of Member Services at the A.E. Finley YMCA, she also managed the Administrative Services Department for the Kerr YMCA. After marrying her husband, Rob, she left the full-time workforce for 10 years to start and raise a family. Since returning to the business world, Heather has worked for NC Family, in faith education for her church, and as the Member Services Director for The Classical Station – WCPE in Wake Forest.
Heather is a proud CU Buffs fan (University of Colorado, Boulder) and received a B.A. in History there. She loves being a wife and a mother to her two very active children. When she isn’t running her children around to their many sports and activities, she enjoys spending time with her husband and tending to her butterfly/pollinator garden.
Tom’s primary role at NC Family is to further engage churches, pastors, and leaders at the local level. He has been a pastor for 38 years, serving in churches in Georgia, Oregon, California, and North Carolina. Tom has been active in political affairs and public policy for years, serving in various community volunteer roles and, recently, in a two-year engagement with Family Research Council. He has a passion to connect and engage church leaders, particularly pastors, in their communities.
Tom has also worked in the private sector as a commercial contractor and construction management consultant. He is a graduate of Colorado State University and Gateway Theological Seminary. He is an active member of Aberdeen First Baptist Church and lives in Pinehurst. He has directed several mission trips to Cuba and the Dominican Republic, and is a volunteer with First Tee golf for kids. He and his wife Lindalyn have seven grandchildren.
Adamo Manfra joined NC Family as the Director of Research and Education to lead our research and analysis efforts and help facilitate our Salt and Light Seminars.
After 6 ½ years of active-duty service in the Marine Corps, followed by graduate theological studies, Adamo worked in development for a faith-based leadership training and support nonprofit based in Pennsylvania. Since then, he has taught middle school and high school students at a local private school. Having a passion for the vision, mission, and work of the Council, Adamo has written numerous point-of-view pieces for NC Family and is enthused to join the full-time team.
Adamo earned his B.S. in psychology with a minor in mathematics from The University of Texas at Austin. After active-duty service in the Marine Corps, he completed graduate theological studies in Washington, D.C. He and his wife live in Youngsville with their three children. Most of their time is spent with their new baby and chasing after their other two small children.
Sharon joined NC Family as Government Relations Associate beginning with the 2023 Legislative Session. Previously, she worked as a legislative assistant and committee clerk at the N.C. General Assembly. In 2018, Sharon received a nursing degree from the Watts School of Nursing and fulfilled a lifelong dream of becoming a registered nurse. Sharon has been practicing as a nurse in Wake County hospitals for the past five years and is eager to use the knowledge she has gained through her work as an RN on important health legislation at the General Assembly.
Sharon graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies before settling down and raising a family. She is the proud mom of three grown children and looks forward to every opportunity she has to spend time with them. In addition, Sharon enjoys traveling, college football, Canes Hockey, and a good book.
Shortly after graduating with a BA in Psychology from North Carolina State University, Lucy Sergeant joined the North Carolina Family Policy Council as our Administrator. She handles the financial matters at NC Family including accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll and banking. She also handles all incoming and outgoing mail, keeps things in the office running smoothly, and manages the front desk as our receptionist.
Lucy is a member of Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church in Raleigh. In her free time, Lucy loves to spend quality time with her husband, Shawn, and her son, Blaise. She has a passion for the arts and loves to spend her time immersed in creative projects of all kinds.
Traci DeVette 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.
