Update from the North Carolina Industrial Commission
Commissioner Myra L. Griffin Reappointed to Serve Second Term at the Full Commission
Gov. Roy Cooper reappointed Commissioner Myra L. Griffin to serve a second six-year term as a Commissioner beginning July 1, 2022. Her reappointment is subject to confirmation by the North Carolina General Assembly. Griffin, who is designated vice chair of the Commission by Gov. Cooper in February 2019, has been with the Commission since 1998 serving as an Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Commission, the Executive Secretary’s office, Deputy Commissioner and Full Commission.
Anne Harris Appointed to Serve as Deputy Commissioner
Anne R. Harris was recently appointed as a Deputy Commissioner. Ms. Harris has represented injured workers in workers compensation claims for 29 years and has over six years of legal experience in the areas of elder law and estate planning. She is going to hear cases primarily in the Triad region of North Carolina.
Michele Denning Appointed to Serve as Deputy Commissioner
Michele Denning was also recently appointed as a Deputy Commissioner. Ms. Denning has worked in various capacities at the IC and other state agencies that interact with the IC for the past 16 years. In 2006, Ms. Denning joined the commission and for nine years served in multiple roles including Full Commission Law Clerk, Legal Counsel to the Chairman, and Special Deputy Commissioner. In 2015, Ms. Denning joined the North Carolina Department of Justice as an Assistant Attorney General where she represented the IC and noninsured cases and penalty enforcement matters. She later represented the North Carolina Department of Public Safety and Worker’s Compensation litigation and in 2018 became assistant General Counsel to DPS. She returned to the IC as General Counsel in 2019. Ms. Denning will be in charge of noninsured cases throughout the state.
Revised Deputy Commissioner and Full Commission Hearing Procedures
The IC resumed in person hearings effective March 1, 2022 for both Deputy Commissioner hearings and Full Commission hearings. However, the parties may file a motion for a video conference hearing with the Deputy Commissioner. In addition, the parties may consent to a video conference hearing at the Full Commission and individual parties that wish to appear remotely may file a request with the Full Commission to appear via telephone.
Bruce Hamilton is a Partner in Teague Campbell’s Raleigh office. He is the legal advisor for the NCASI and, for the past 30 years, his practice has focused exclusively on workers’ compensation defense.