Another name has surfaced for the critical Commerce Secretary job.

Edgar M. Roach Jr. of Chapel Hill is reportedly under consideration by Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue's transition team for the Cabinet post, which leads the state's efforts to recruit and retain businesses.

Roach is the retired chief executive officer of Dominion Delivery Companies as well as Virginia Power and North Carolina Power.

In 2005, Gov. Mike Easley appointed him to the 15-member board of the Golden Leaf Foundation, which distributes money from the tobacco settlement. 

Current Secretary Jim Fain has said he will not continue in the post. Charlotte businesswoman Crandall Bowles, Sen. David Hoyle, retiring Rep. Jim Harrell and former deputy Tony Copeland are also rumored to be in the running.

Rep. Bill Owens, another person who has been mentioned for the job, has said he is not under consideration.

Names have risen and fallen like the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

But with no Cabinet-level appointments made yet by Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue, the guessing game on her administration continues.

(Perdue has named a transition team, a chief of staff and the head of a public campaign finance project, however.)

Here's the latest rundown:

Transportation: State Sen. Clark Jenkins chairs the Appropriations committee on transportation. Gene Conti is a former assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Lanny Wilson is vice chairman of the N.C. Turnpike Authority and has Senate leader Marc Basnight's backing. David Joyner is a transportation expert and head of the turnpike authority. Nina Szlosberg, a Board of Transportation member appointed to oversee environmental issues, has the support of transit advocates, women political leaders and environmentalists.

Correction: Crime Control Secretary Bryan Beatty is reportedly under consideration.

Crime Control: Scott Thomas is the district attorney for Carteret, Craven and Pamlico counties and served in the state Senate from 2000 to 2005.

Juvenile Justice: Linda Hayes has chaired the Governor's Crime Commission since 1995 and is a past chair of the national Coalition for Juvenile Justice.

Commerce: Senate Finance Committee chairman David Hoyle is well known as an advocate for business in the legislature. Rep. Jim Harrell helped pass incentives bills. Former deputy Tony Copeland now works in the private sector.

Revenue: Former state Sen. Oscar Harris served as Perdue's campaign treasurer.

Legislative Liaison: Former Senate budget analyst Andy Willis is vice president of government relations for the University of North Carolina system.

Health and Human Services: Perdue may conduct a national search for this post.

Environment and Natural Resources: Current secretary Bill Ross has served since 2001 and is reportedly interested in sticking around.

Administration: State Rep. Alma Adams filmed a TV ad for Perdue in the primary, but later criticized her transition team for its lack of diversity.

Cultural Resources: Adams, an art professor, may also be considered for this department.

Charlotte Office: Crandall Bowles is the former chair of Springs Industries and wife of UNC system president Erskine Bowles.

Rep. Bill Owens says he's not in the running for a Cabinet position.

The Pasquotank County Democrat told Dome this morning that reports that he was under consideration for the state secretary of Commerce under Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue are "a false rumor."

"Economic development is my love," he said. "And I certainly support her getting a great secretary of commerce — not that (current) Secretary (Jim) Fain hasn't done a great job — but I'm not under consideration for any job."

Owens, who was spotted going into the lieutenant governor's office yesterday, said he met with Perdue and talked with her about "a number of issues."

"She's a dear friend," he said.

But he said he's just looking forward to going back into session, re-electing Rep. Joe Hackney as speaker and getting to work. 

Fain has said he will not continue in the post. Charlotte businesswoman Crandall Bowles, Sen. David Hoyle, retiring Rep. Jim Harrell and former deputy Tony Copeland are also rumored to be in the running.

Jim Fain will not remain secretary of commerce under Gov-elect Beverly Perdue.

A member of Gov. Mike Easley's so-called "Iron Cabinet," the longest-serving secretary of the state Department of Commerce is moving on after the end of the Easley administration, according to a department spokeswoman.

"Secretary Fain has no plans to continue with the new administration," said Kathy Neal.

She said that she does not know his future plans yet, but she said she does not think he's retiring for good, but more likely looking for a new challenge.

"I don't think it's in his nature" to retire, she joked.

Fain was appointed Commerce secretary in 2001. The position is key to the state's efforts to recruit and retain businesses and is heavily involved in the use of state incentives.

Perdue's transition team has not made any announcements on Fain's replacement, although state Reps. Bill Owens and Jim Harrell, Sen. David Hoyle, Charlotte businesswoman Crandall Bowles and former deputy Tony Copeland have been rumored to be under consideration.

One member of the Iron Cabinet may stay — in a different position.

One bit of speculation among the well- and sometimes not-so-well-informed in the state capital is that Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue may keep Bryan Beatty on board.

Beatty has served Gov. Mike Easley since 2001 as secretary of Crime Control and Public Safety and is reportedly interested in staying. However, Perdue may shift him to the Department of Correction, where fellow "Iron Secretary" Theodis Beck is retiring.

In other news, Rep. Bill Owens, a Pasquotank County Democrat who was ranked among the most effective in the House in 2007, may be up for the secretary of Commerce position. (N.C. Spin had previously related this rumor.)

Other names that had been discussed for that position included Crandall Bowles, Sen. David Hoyle, retiring Rep. Jim Harrell and former deputy Tony Copeland.

Asheville Citizen-Times reporter Jordan Schrader writes on his Capital Letters blog that current Commerce Secretary Jim Fain doesn't expect to remain in the post.

Update: Owens was spotted visiting the lieutenant governor's office on Blount Street this afternoon.

N.C. Spin has heard some of the same gossip as Dome.

The weekly politics newsletter seconds some of the names we've heard tossed around for Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue's administration.

(Those would be Bryan Beatty and Scott Thomas for Crime Control; Crandall Bowles at Commerce; Clark Jenkins, Gene Conti and Lanny Wilson at Transportation; and Dempsey Benton, Bill Ross and Britt Cobb to stay.)

They also toss out some new names:

Cultural Resources: Kay Myers, wife of former state transportation board member and Democratic fundraiser Gordon Myers of Asheville.

Education: Howard Lee to remain chair of the board of education and J.B. Buxton to remain advisor to the governor on education.

Commerce: Former deputy Tony Copeland, now working for Longistics in Raleigh.

Environment and Natural Resources: Current assistant secretary Robin Smith, Richard Rogers and former UNC-Wilmington chancellor Jim Leutze.

Administration: Rep. Alma Adams of Greensboro.

Employment Security Commission: Current head Harry Payne to remain.

Office of State Personnel: Rep. Linda Coleman of Knightdale.

The usual caveat applies that the above names are just gossip. The Perdue transition team says the governor-elect has not made any decisions.