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Blog
Destiny in life is what the Great Spirit chooses for us – and we cannot be more grateful for the selection of outstanding State Government Interns who worked on important issues with us this summer.
The Commission of Indian Affairs was fortunate to have two such interns assigned to our office: Kristen Richardson of Clayton, who worked on the Indian Child Welfare Project, and Susan Angela Ramer of Hendersonville, who worked on the American Indian Health Report.
Additionally, four law school students worked this summer for the Attorney General’s Office on projects of interest to North Carolina’s tribal communities: Matt Autry of Fayetteville assisted in matters related to the Indian Cultural Center in Pembroke; Andrew Norton of Hillsborough and Lisa Valdez of Charlotte collaborated in researching the Meherrin court case; and Ashley Worrell of Virginia performed legal research regarding the potential state recognition of the Tuscarora Nation.
The Commission hosted a farewell pizza lunch today in honor of these students, who received thanks and best wishes from Administration Secretary Moses Carey and Deputy Secretary June Michaux. As Carey told them, “I hope you got as much out of your experience as we got from you. You’ve done your share to make this place a little bit better than when you came.”
It was gratifying to hear the students each talk about their experiences and the impact their work had on them. “It’s really been fulfilling for me to visit tribal communities, hear their concerns and be able to say we are working on solutions,” said Ramer, who has accepted a job at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland. “’I’m grateful for the opportunity as it has made me even more confident of my career choice.”
Photo (from left): Matt Autry, Ashley Worrell, Susan Angela Ramer, Secretary Moses Carey, Kristin Richardson, Lisa Valdez and Greg Richardson.
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The employees in the Fiscal Management Division of the Department of Administration are highly focused on monitoring limited state resources and ensuring that every penny of our budget is used as intended. Indeed, they are so good at what they do that I am no longer surprised when they catch errors or make suggestions that save money.
I was surprised, however, when I learned that one of my staff saved a life this week. Accountant Tracy Howell had been in Durham for an evening activity. She recalled passing a gentleman on the street who seemed to be trying to stay out of the sun. After the meeting, she observed him again – unconscious and sprawled on the sidewalk.
Accompanied by her father, they approached the man, who was unresponsive. She called 911 and was asked to check if he had a pulse, which he did not. Police and Fire & Rescue soon arrived and performed CPR for about 10 minutes, finally reviving him.
After the fellow was taken by ambulance for additional treatment, Tracy was told that had she not taken the time to stop and call 911, the man likely would not have survived.
On behalf of Tracy’s colleagues at Fiscal Management and all of the Department of Administration, we thank her for demonstrating the humanity and care to which we all should aspire.
Facility Management is dealing with a classic good news/bad news scenario – but in this example, I’m sure most everyone will agree that the good news more than balances the bad.
Starting Friday and continuing through Aug. 17, we will be shutting down the Central Heat Plant, more commonly known as the steam plant, to perform scheduled maintenance. Because of this, about 30 buildings in the Downtown State Government Complex will not have hot water during this time.
While we appreciate that this poses an inconvenience for employees, here’s the good news: Since we will not be generating steam during that time, buildings will experience cooler temperatures than normal.
Given how hot it has been these last few weeks, this unplanned benefit should bring relief not only to hundreds of office workers, but also to our hard-working Facility Management crew – who have struggled in hot and humid conditions to keep state government workplaces comfortable during the extended heat wave.
Bob and I have spent much of this week visiting small Western North Carolina towns in Buncombe, Madison, Yancey and Mitchell counties. We visited small businesses, restaurants and county courthouses while talking to local officials and regular people about their concerns and what they believe my priorities should be for state government.
We’ve met hundreds of people and seen dozens of sights in the last few days, but a few in particular stick out.
 We stopped to view the construction of Highway 19E – a collaborative project between DOT and DENR to create a green highway that is now in the application process to become a scenic byway. The locals were excited about the project because it will be the first four lane highway to Yancey County and that means more business, tourism and ultimately jobs for the folks here.
I remember Mr. Candler in Mars Hill. His ‘‘knowledge college’’ was a great place for the old-timers to hang out and swap stories about the good ole days and he was proud to show me his wedding photo from 53 years ago.
Finally, I was very excited about visiting EnergyXchange in Burnsville. EnergyXchange has created a viable industry out of capturing methane gas from an old landfill. They have turned the energy into fuel for a studio for glass artists and they grow food in their greenhouse. The ability to use alternative energy and convert it into a sustainable business is a model for the nation. I’m proud they call North Carolina home.
Bob and I are going to more Western North Carolina towns later this week and I’ll have plenty more stories to share.
North Carolina is known for having great festivals and the Sneads Ferry Shrimp Festival is one of the best in the East! Not only is this year the 40th Anniversary but there are going to be even more activities to do than ever before! Nearly 20,000 people from all over the state go to Sneads Ferry to take part in this annual festival. Some of the many activities include: a Shrimp Heading Contest, the Queen’s Ball, an Amateur and Professional Shrimp Cooking Contest, Decorated Cake Contest, Arts and Crafts booths, Live Entertainment, Saturday night fireworks, Saturday morning parade that has Wells Fargo Horses and Swamp Loggers from Discovery Channel and much, much more!
This year’s festival will be held on the 14th and 15th of August, from live music to a parade with horses and loggers this year’s festival is going to be a weekend to remember! Do not miss this awesome festival; it will give you a great excuse to visit our beautiful coast!
Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to represent North Carolina at a Congressional staff briefing in Washington, DC on states’ initiatives to strengthen early childhood systems. North Carolina was one of just three states featured on our panel.
As part of the discussion, I urged active involvement at the federal level in addressing the pressing needs of young children and their families, highlighted some of North Carolina’s excellent programs—some of which are national models—and described our plans to work together even more closely and effectively for better outcomes for children.
The vehicle for that collaboration is the Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC), established by Gov. Perdue, and which recently held its first meeting. The work of the ECAC will get start in earnest this fall with the implementation of a strategic planning process. As the ECAC progresses, we will continue to look for ways to partner with the federal government on our shared goal of assuring that all our young children are healthy and ready to learn.
Recognizing the importance of leadership in our public schools, Gov. Perdue recently announced the creation of a new leadership program geared toward turning around rural schools in northeastern North Carolina. Data from our state’s Teacher Working Conditions survey proves that leadership is critical for strong schools.
The N.C. Principals and Assistant Principals Association(NCPAPA) is also working to enhance school leadership. Executive Director Shirley Prince and Wake County Principal Muriel Summers are developing a program called Distinguished Leadership in Practice. This program, sponsored by NCPAPA, the Department of Public Instruction and Learn NC, will further enhance the leadership skills of talented principals from across the state.
The North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE), a nonprofit consortium of business leaders in Governor Perdue’s office, has partnered with Dr. Prince and Ms. Summers in this effort. NCBCE member companies SAS, Progress Energy, RBC, GlaxoSmithKline, BB&T, and WakeMed hosted principals in their workplaces as part of the new program.
Following the principals’ visits, I participated in a debriefing session that helped to identify many of the lessons learned such as: the importance of a mission and values; the importance of behaviors tied to values; the value of communication skills; keeping the customer first; having a culture that decreases the likelihood of mistakes; leadership participation in new employee orientation; recognizing staff for outstanding work; the power of leaders to change business culture; and the difficulty in motivating employees when there is failure to reach a goal.
It’s clear there is great value to connecting education leaders with business leaders. While there are differences in the issues, many of the leadership qualities valuable in business, work for school leaders as well. We must keep that conversation going.
When we created Celebrate North Carolina last year, we knew there were so many places and wonderful people in our state to appreciate and enjoy. What we hadn’t realized is that much of it was literally the land right under our feet.
In 1916, North Carolina became the first state in the southeast and one of the first in the nation to establish a state park (at Mt. Mitchell). Since then we’ve secured more than 200,000 acres to protect and enjoy.
This weekend we celebrate our state parks! July 23-25, at parks and recreation areas from the peaks of Mt. Mitchell to the sands of Jockey’s Ridge, park rangers will be offering a wide variety of free and fun programs. Kayaking, hikes, and great environmental education like “Turtle Talk” or “Backyard Pharmacy” are among the hundreds of offerings.
We invite you and your family to visit a state park near you, “to take a closer look,” and to share in the wonder and beauty of North Carolina.
Visit www.celebrate.nc.gov for a complete list of activities.
Last Thursday in Greenville, I had the great honor to represent the N.C. Council for Women at a historic moment that many of us who work as advocates for survivors of domestic violence have long dreamed about: The signing by Gov. Bev Perdue of legislation requiring DNA samples to be taken from those charged with felony crimes.
Surrounded by fellow advocates, law enforcement officials and legislators whose hard work made this day possible, I could not help but marvel at the magnitude of the occasion. It was a great feeling to watch the Governor affix her signature and know that the collection of DNA from criminals – those “21st century fingerprints” the Governor referenced – will help all statewide programs that provide services to those who are victims of crime.
So much is taken from victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, especially when the suspect is unknown. Using DNA to identify criminals – and many in this category are repeat offenders – will at least give a survivor the knowledge that a dangerous person has been taken off the street.
A less celebrated but equally important aspect of the legislation is the addition of more lab analysts who can test rape kits and other evidence more quickly. On behalf of crime survivors and families of victims, we thank the Governor and our legislators for standing firm on their pledge to make our communities safer.
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