NC COMMERCE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Managing Director of Trade
Job Titles:
- Grants Manager for the Office of Science
Chris joined the Department of Commerce in spring of 2022 and serves as Grants Manager for the Office of Science, Technology & Innovation (OSTI). In this role, she manages all aspects of OSTI grant programs, notably the One NC Small Business Program. This includes making annual solicitation guideline recommendations; intake, review, and processing of grant applications; managing action between grantees and the Division of Fiscal Management; and ensuring program and State compliance. Her experience in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors provides valuable knowledge and resourcefulness needed to manage and administer grants from the State to private businesses that often collaborate with nonprofit institutions to see their projects to fruition.
Prior to working with the Department of Commerce, Chris served as a Grants Administrator and Grants Manager for the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. In addition to administering State and Federal funding programs to all 100 counties across the State, she was as a grant seeker for the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation.
Chris, a Raleigh native, graduated from Appalachian State University with a Bachelor of Science in Recreation and Park Management with a minor in Business Administration. She can be reached at 919-814-4668 and chris.schmidt@commerce.nc.gov.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director of Trade
Job Titles:
- Director of Policy and Strategic Planning
Heather Horton was named Chief Fiscal Officer for the Department of Commerce in May 2015.
Prior to joining the Commerce leadership team, Heather served as Internal Audit Director for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources where she began her state government experience in 2013. Heather enjoyed success in private industry for 15 years working with two large regional public accounting firms of McGladrey & Pullen and Dixon Hughes Goodman. While in public accounting she worked with a variety of clients, including small business owners, non-profit organizations and governmental units.
Heather has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the Kenan Flagler Business School at UNC Chapel Hill. She also holds a master's degree in Accounting from East Carolina University. She has been a licensed CPA in the state of North Carolina since 2000.
Heather leads the Fiscal Management team at the Department, which is responsible for accounting, budgeting, and purchasing functions and provides financial guidance to business leaders in the Department's various operating divisions. The unit also administers and monitors certain legislative grants.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director of Trade
Job Titles:
- Executive Director for the North Carolina Board of Science
John Hardin is the Executive Director for the North Carolina Board of Science, Technology & Innovation, which is staffed by Office of Science, Technology & Innovation in the North Carolina Department of Commerce. He was appointed Acting Director in spring 2008 and Executive Director in fall 2009. From 2003 to 2008, he served as the Board's Deputy Director and Chief Policy Analyst.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director of Trade
Job Titles:
- Managing Director of Trade
Job Titles:
- North Carolina STEM Policy Fellow
Natalie joined the Office of Science, Technology & Innovation (OSTI) in August 2025 and will be with the OSTI team through July 2026.
Natalie is originally from Delaware, Ohio and recently received her PhD in Chemistry from Duke University. Her PhD research focused on how metals from your diet interact with proteins to make your body function well.
When she wasn't in the lab, Natalie helped lead an interdisciplinary Bass Connections research project to investigate reproductive healthcare service availability in the state of North Carolina. She also spent 2 yrs as a Senator for the Trinity College of Arts and Science, where she helped lead discussions with legislators at the state and federal levels on wide range of issues.
As a North Carolina STEM Policy Fellow, Natalie is hoping to use data visualization and science communication to clearly present problems and solutions that benefit North Carolinians. She hopes to gain more experience in working with multiple interested parties to come up with feasible solutions to provide opportunities that drive the North Carolina economy.
Natalie will be working on several key OSTI initiatives, including an update of the biennial Tracking Innovation Report and developing new ways to track and communicate to statewide stakeholders the impact of science, technology & innovation on the economy. She can be reached at natalie.schulte@commerce.nc.gov and 740-816-1420.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director of Trade