Anna Stein

About

First Lady Anna Stein was born in Elkin, North Carolina, the Surry County town where both of her parents were raised. She is the daughter of David Harris and Patty and Ron Brown and the big sister of John Harris, Sara Brown Gardner, and the late Laura Brown.
She moved to Greenville as a baby while her parents attended East Carolina University, and later at age seven settled in Winston-Salem. Anna attended R.J. Reynolds High School and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, obtaining both a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Juris Doctor.

Anna met her husband, Josh, in 1993 while the two were summer legal interns for Attorney General Michael Easley. After graduating from law school, Anna clerked on the NC Court of Appeals for Judge Joe John and then joined Robin Hudson in private practice, later clerking for Hudson at the NC Court of Appeals as well.

After having her three children, Sam, Adam, and Leah, Anna returned to graduate school to obtain her master’s in public health from UNC-Chapel Hill. From 2011-2024, she worked as an agency legal specialist for the Chronic Disease and Injury Section at the NC Division of Public Health, developing specialization in policy surrounding legal substances such as tobacco and alcohol and illicit substances. It was growing up in rural North Carolina and her background in public health and law that have formed her goals as First Lady of North Carolina: ending the stigma around substance abuse disorder and mental health, supporting reentry programs for prisoners, and promoting rural tourism.

In her spare time, Anna likes to spend time with her husband, kids, and dogs Lila and Harper.