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.
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.
Tom recently joined NC Family 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.
Trisha Ruckart is NC Family’s Director of Operations. She manages the Council’s business and development activities, ensuring that the organization is running smoothly while continuing to grow. Trisha earned a BS in Law and Policy from Liberty University and worked for the North Carolina Judicial Branch prior to joining NC Family. Outside of the office, Trisha enjoys outside adventures with her family, reading, playing the piano, and entrepreneurship.
Adamo Manfra has joined NC Family as the new 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.
Lucy Conley joined NC Family in August of 2023 as our new Administrative Assistant. She runs the front desk here at the office and assists in managing NC Family’s administrative tasks, including accounting, event planning, and overall office functionality.
In May of 2023, Lucy graduated with a BA in Psychology from North Carolina State University. Lucy is a member of Saint Joseph’s Catholic Parish in Raleigh and volunteers there as a member of the choir and as a leader for youth bible study. In her free time, Lucy enjoys reading, traveling, painting, playing the piano, and spending time with her family.
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.
Jaden Grimes serves as NC Family’s Legal Intern. In this role, Jaden contributes to the NC Family blog and researches legislative, legal, and policy matters. He joins the team with prior experience in legislative advocacy with the Center for Responsible Lending. Jaden is a 2021 graduate of Campbell University with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science pre-law. He’s currently continuing his education at Campbell Law School in Raleigh. He attends Church of the Apostles in Raleigh and enjoys hiking, camping, and golfing in his free time!
