N.C. For The People Action

Staff Members

Melissa Price Kromm, North Carolina For The People Action Executive Director

Melissa Price Kromm is the Executive Director of North Carolina For The People Action, where she has served as its lobbyist and leader of the statewide pro-democracy coalition for the past twelve years. The coalition coordinates advocacy in structural democracy, voting rights, campaign finance reform, government ethics, and transparency, redistricting reform, judicial independence, the right to protest, and election crisis prevention. Kromm led efforts to pass campaign finance disclosure reform, voting rights reform, and stop attacks on judicial independence. Recently, Kromm led the coalition to stop bills promoting campaign finance secrecy, attacking the freedom to vote, limiting the right to protest, and spearheaded pioneering legislation to prevent election subversion. Before joining North Carolina Voters for Clean Elections, Kromm was part of a successful effort to pass same-day voter registration at early voting sites in North Carolina and pre-registration of 16 and 17-year-olds.

Beatrice Beaubrun, North Carolina For The People Action Deputy Director

Beatrice Beaubrun is the Deputy Director at N.C. For The People Action and has over a decade of experience in political organizing, nonprofit management, and communications. As the Deputy Director, she leverages her expertise to build coalitions, drive civic engagement, and advance digital security in the fight for equitable policies. A Jersey native and proud Haitian-American, Beatrice’s journey in advocacy began with her work on the 2008 election doing GOTV alongside her mom knocking on doors in the streets of Philly. Her passion for elevating marginalized voices led her to pursue a B.A. in Political Science from North Carolina Central University and an M.A. in Communications from Queens University of Charlotte. In 2020, Beatrice honed her digital organizing skills during the Census, a turning point that inspired her to launch BeaPixel Studio—a branding and web design firm tailored to political nonprofits. Through her diverse roles, Beatrice remains committed to amplifying underrepresented voices and expanding opportunities for growth and change in the communities she serves.

Board Members

Logan Smith, Chair

Logan Smith is the former Media Relations Manager at Bend the Arc and the former Communications Director for Progress North Carolina and has worked in progressive politics in Raleigh since 2013. During his time in North Carolina, he has helped coordinate campaigns against the 2013 voter suppression law, racial gerrymandering, partisan court-packing, and the ongoing attacks on our state’s judicial system. Logan is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, where he studied journalism and political science.

Carolyn Smith, Vice Chair

Carolyn Smith has 30 years of work experience as a Seasoned political, campaign, and grassroots operative with extensive statewide and national experience in leadership positions that have capitalized on skills in organizational management, strategic planning, legislative advocacy, training, coalition-building, fundraising, large-scale organizing, and community outreach. Before coming to work with Democracy North Carolina, she worked with the National League of Conservation where she served as the Vice President of Building Grassroots Power,  Organizing Together 2020 NC, where she serves as Political Director,  Chief of Staff with the National Black Worker Centers Project, Strategic Campaigns Director with Working America Community Affiliate AFL-CIO, Deputy Treasurer with the North Carolina Office State Treasurer, Deputy District Director for Congressman Etheridge and Director of Community Affairs with Passage Home. Serves on Progress NC Board and the Governor’s Complete Count Commission. She has a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters of Public Administration from North Carolina Central University.

Adam Svolto – Secretary/Treasurer

Adam Svolto serves as the Director of Policy and Engagement with the North Carolina Justice Center. His advocacy work with the Center is focused on ensuring every household has access to the resources, services, and fair treatment needed to achieve economic security. An Air Force veteran, Adam brings a wealth of management and leadership experience to his role. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the US Air Force Academy and a Master of Public Administration from North Carolina State University.

Cheryl Carter

Cheryl is a mother of three: Charles, Eric and Kayla plus their husky pup Miley. She’s the Co-Executive Director at Democracy NC, with responsibility and oversight for the programmatic teams: advocacy, communications and organizing. Prior to her interim role, she was the Organizing Director at Dem NC, where she trained and led the statewide Organizing Team. In addition, Cheryl oversaw and developed implementation of Organizing Team’s, base building, and voter engagement work, in the fight for voting rights across NC. Through this work and her day to day commitments, Cheryl advocates for racial justice and the dismantling of oppressive systems that impede our collective liberation. In the two decades prior to joining Democracy NC, Cheryl taught in the public school system and worked in human services. It was during those experiences where she saw the plight of those who were disenfranchised and often forgotten. After continued exposure to these inequitable systems, Cheryl committed her career to advocating for and alongside marginalized people. In 2008, Cheryl channeled her energy into the healthcare reform movement. Her conviction for healthcare reform was catalyzed by her personal experience, having a son be denied critical health coverage. She ascended through the ranks of multiple leadership positions in Organizing for America/Action, starting as a volunteer and moving up to the position of State Coordinator. In the State Coordinator role, Cheryl led staff and volunteers across North Carolina into a new era for OFA. Cheryl’s contributions furthered OFA’s efforts as a nonpartisan nonprofit organization, working on multiple issues: health care, gun violence prevention, immigration reform, climate change, women’s rights, minimum wage,and Medicaid expansion. Cheryl has a range of experience in community engagements, including serving as a volunteer peer counselor for The Women’s Center in Raleigh leading initiatives as a member of Southern Wake Concerned Citizens and member of the NC Association of Educators. Cheryl is a proud alumna of the University of Virginia and holds a BA in Sociology. She loves cooking for her family, gardening, fishing when she finds time and is an avid college sports fan! She’s affectionately called Mama Cheryl or Auntie by many and believes in leading with love.

Chavi Koneru

Chavi Khanna Koneru is co-founder and current Executive Director of North Carolina Asian Americans Together (NCAAT) and, the affiliated organization, NCAAT in Action. Chavi leads the NCAAT’s efforts to remove barriers to civic participation and to increase visible representation for the AAPI community in North Carolina. She attended the University of North Carolina for college and later for law school, where her concentration was in voting rights law. Her prior professional experience includes stints at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, the DOJ Civil Rights Division, and Naral NC.

Jane Pinsky

Jane Pinsky has been director of the NC Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform since 2007. The coalition, in which Common Cause NC is a key player, works to make government at all levels more open and accessible to the citizens of North Carolina. Since 1978, Pinsky has worked for nonprofit organizations focused on civil rights, women’s rights, family issues, tax reform, highway safety, children’s health, and as her husband says – changing the world. She has worked with such groups as NARAL, the American Nurses Association and the National Women’s Employment Project.