Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue named a group of women and African-Americans to her transition leadership after being stung by criticism that her first appointments lacked diversity.

She added:

Howard Lee, chair of the state school board and former senator

Valeria Lee, vice chair of the Rural Economic Development Center and past president of the Golden Leaf Foundation

Linda Carlisle, retired founding president of Copier Consultants and former Bank of America vice president

Hilda Pinnix-Ragland, chair of the State Board of Community Colleges and a vice president at Progress Energy

Howard Lee, Valeria Lee (who is not related) and Pinnix-Ragland are black.

The new appointments followed criticism last week from Rev. William Barber, president of the state NAACP, that Perdue's first three appointments were of politically-connected white men. She initially named three transition leaders: Zach Ambrose, Perdue's campaign manager and former chief of staff in the lieutenant governor's office; Don Hobart, her current chief of staff, and Norris Tolson, former secretary of revenue and former secretary of transportation.

The Golden LEAF Foundation has plans for a $3.6 million building.

In November, the economic-development nonprofit bought four acres off Highway 64 in Rocky Mount for $1.1 million. Since then, it's held meetings in a small cabin on the site and allowed community groups to use it several times a week.

In June, the nonprofit's board of directors signed off on plans for a 10,000-square-foot building by Rocky Mount architectural firm Oakley Collier & Associates. The preliminary estimate is $2.5 million.

"We have not signed off on the final budget," said president Valeria Lee.

The nonprofit, which awards grants from the state's tobacco settlement, currently rents a 4,465-square-foot building in downtown Rocky Mount for $5,911 a month. At the end of June, its endowment was around $700 million.

Lee said it was planning to "really sink its roots" into Rocky Mount.