Secretary Larry D. Hallof The North Carolina Department of Military & Veterans Affairs

Larry D. Hall is currently serving as the Secretary for the North Carolina Department of Military & Veterans Affairs.  Secretary Hall represented Durham County, North Carolina’s 29th District in the House of Representatives, since 2006 and he led House Democrats since 2012. Born and raised in his district and a student of public schools, Secretary Hall earned a B.S. with Honors in Political Science and Business from Johnson C. Smith University and a J.D. from the School of Law at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Upon undergrad graduation, he was commissioned as an Officer in the United States Marine Corps. A decorated officer, Secretary Hall served 16 years in the United States Marines and Marine Corps Reserves and served in the support of the Operations in the Middle East in Lebanon and Iran. Secretary Hall has been awarded the Navy Achievement Medal, the Marine Corps Reserve Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, and a Meritorious Unit Citation from the United States Marine Corps. He served as a Rifle Platoon Commander, Weapons Company Executive Officer, Training Officer, Battalion Area Security Officer, Staff Judge Advocate, Communications Security Officer and Logistics Officer. Secretary Hall also served as Legal Officer and was formerly Commandant for the Marine Corps League Detachment, which assists Marines transitioning from activity duty to civilian life in locating employment, housing and educational opportunities for their families.

Secretary Hall is an active member of the community. He has served as an Executive Committee Member and Economic Committee Chairman of the Durham Branch of the NAACP, as Secretary and Chairman of the Durham Business and Professional Chain, and served on the Durham Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.  He has also served as Executive Officer of the Young Marines Program, Board Chairman of the Durham Companions Mentor Program, and as an instructor and training officer teaching youth leadership, discipline, custom, courtesies, and traditions of the Marine Corps.

Secretary Hall’s service to North Carolina continues to be merited, receiving the NAACP’s President’s Award, Equality in Legislation Leadership Award, and Excellence from the Courtroom to the Capital Community Service Award. Secretary Hall has been featured multiple times in Governing magazine and has been honored as a Champion of NC Working Families, a 100% Environmental Champion, and a Defender of Justice for his commitment to safeguarding voting rights, expanding opportunities throughout the state for individuals and communities of low incomes, and protecting vulnerable families and members of the military from predatory lending.

As House Democratic Leader, Secretary Hall served on the state’s Economic Development Board, the state’s Innovation Council, The North Carolina Courts Commission—Chairperson, The Duke Medical Center Advisory Board, the Homeland Security, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee—Chairman, and has been inducted as a Toll Fellow by the National Conference of State Governments. He was elected to the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) 2015 Board of Directors to devise and execute nationwide election strategy in state legislatures. Secretary Hall also is Chair of the North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus Foundation.

Secretary's Direct Support Staff

Assistant Secretary for Veterans Affairs

James E. Prosser

Master Sergeant (USAF Retired) James E. Prosser was born in Shelbyville, Illinois and entered military service in 1975. He served at various bases around the world in his 27-year career with the US Air Force, both in a reserve capacity as well as active duty. In January of 1991, he deployed to Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm as part of the 1702^nd Contingency Hospital, 1702 Aerial Refueling Wing (Provisional), in Seeb, Oman.  He became a First Sergeant in 1997, and was transferred to Rhein-Main AB, Germany in 2000 as First Sergeant, 469^th Air Base Group where he retired from active duty on October 1, 2002.

Upon retirement, Mr. Prosser worked for the Veterans Administration in medical administration at the Salisbury VA Medical Center and later, the Charlotte Community Based Outpatient Clinic.  In 2008, he became a Veterans Service Specialist with Mecklenburg County, NC and moved into the position of Director, Veterans Services Division in May 2011.  As Director, he managed the largest Veterans Service Office in the state, responsible for ensuring that the more than 58,000 veterans that reside in Mecklenburg County were aware of their benefits and helped them apply for and maintain those benefits. He served as the President of the North Carolina Association of County Veteran Service Officers 2015-2016. He assumed his current position as Assistant Secretary for Veterans in May of 2016 and is responsible for ensuring services are provided to the more than 775,000 veterans that call North Carolina home.