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GREENSBORO - Two Piedmont Triad residents are going to Raleigh to lead state departments in charge of bringing business to North Carolina and preserving the state's treasures.

Gov.-elect Bev Perdue continued naming leaders of state departments, which on Monday included Linda Carlisle of Greensboro as secretary of cultural resources and Asheboro's Keith Crisco as secretary of commerce.

Perdue also named Gene Conti, former chief deputy in the Department of Transportation, as that agency's new secretary.

Carlisle, 58, sat on the board of trustees for UNCG and served on the state's education lottery commission. Despite that experience with state agencies, she sees her role initially as a Raleigh outsider.

"It's a little daunting to be from outside the beltway," she said, adding that she hopes to "bring a broader perspective."

Carlisle, who will oversee the state's archives and libraries, is scheduled to earn $117,142.

Crisco, 65, is an Asheboro councilman and president of Asheboro Elastics. With an MBA from Harvard and experience as a former national accounts manager with Burlington Industries, Crisco has been around economic development in some way since the late 1960s. Crisco was unavailable Monday afternoon.

He was also a White House Fellow during the Nixon administration as an assistant to the commerce secretary.

The secretary of commerce often leads efforts to bring major industry to the state. The salary is $120,383.

"His plant is international and he does sales all over the world," John Ogburn, Asheboro's city manager, said of Crisco. "And he's right there in the global marketplace."

The city based some of its health policies on Crisco's business practices, Ogburn said.

"He's a good leader and a good listener, and he really gives all sides," Ogburn said.

Conti was the second top official at the Department of Transportation from 2001 to 2003.

During three years as an assistant U.S. transportation secretary, Conti helped oversee a presidential order to promote mobility and drop pollution in Washington.

"It's far too early for promises (but) I want to assure the people of North Carolina that we will be open and honest at DOT," Conti said at a news conference.

Perdue reiterated her mission for each secretary: to name five goals in each agency within 60 days of office.

"I take it very seriously and I think it will be a great deal of fun," Carlisle said, "and I look forward to being a part of enhancing our wonderful state and to focus on creating new jobs."

Perdue has named six of 10 Cabinet-level positions ahead of her inauguration Saturday. Perdue on Monday also named Moses Carey Jr. to lead the Employment Security Commission, which manages unemployment benefits for the state.

Her first three secretary announcements were Friday.

Information from the Associated Press is included. News researcher Diane Lamb contributed.

Contact Gerald Witt at 373-7008 or gerald.witt@news-record.com