Melvin “Skip” Alston was recently appointed to the Commission by Governor Roy Cooper. Mr. Alston is the owner and founder of The Alston Realty Group, Inc. in Greensboro, NC, which has been in continuous operation serving the greater Greensboro area for over 42 years. A recipient of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, Mr. Alston has served as a leader in his community, across North Carolina and the nation since 1987. He has served in numerous capacities and on several Boards, including serving on the Guilford County Board of Commissioners for over two decades, as President of the North Carolina Association of Black County Officials and for the Board of Directors of the National Association of Black County Officials serving in the capacity of Treasurer. He is also a Diamond-Life Member of the NAACP and has served on their local, state and national levels for over 25 years.

He is the Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors for Sit In Movement, Inc. a nonprofit corporation formed for the purpose of purchasing and renovating the Historical Woolworth Building in downtown Greensboro into an International Civil Rights Center and Museum, which opened February 1, 2010.

Mr. Alston previously served on the North Carolina Real Estate Commission, appointed in 2003 by the NC House of Representatives and elected Chairman of the Commission in 2007 and again in 2008.

A Durham native, Mr. Alston attended North Carolina Central University, with a major in Business Administration. He has been licensed as a broker since 1982. Mr. Alston, his wife Gwendolyn and their adult sons, DeSean and Ryan, are based in Greensboro.

Patrick Bell was also appointed to the Commission by Governor Cooper. Bell serves as Vice President of Land Acquisitions for the Carolinas at the Kolter Group. He has practiced real estate brokerage and investment in the Carolinas for over 18 years.

Mr. Bell has served in several capacities for his communities, including as a Co-Chair and Executive Director for the North Carolina Commission on State Property, as well as Chairing the Sponsorship Committee for the Charleston, SC Heart Ball. He also has served as a board member for Operation R&R, a nonprofit charity that offers opportunities to “reconnect and reintegrate” to military families.

Mr. Bell has a particular fondness for aviation and received a degree in Aviation Management from the Florida Institute of Technology. In addition, he holds a Commercial Real Estate Designation from the CCIM Institute. Mr. Bell resides in Raleigh.