For Release: 10:30 a.m. Thursday, February 18, 1999

Contact: Public Affairs

RALEIGH -- Thirty-seven of North Carolina’s biggest names in business, education, government, community action and philanthropy have joined forces to lead a statewide effort to boost statewide support for the North Carolina Community College System.

Lt. Governor Dennis A. Wicker, chair of the State Board of Community Colleges, today (Thursday) introduced J. Gregory Poole, Jr. of Raleigh as the new chairman of the Board of Directors of the reorganized North Carolina Community Colleges Foundation.

"Greg Poole and his colleagues on the board represent a spectacular combination of business leadership, understanding of the importance of workforce education and commitment to volunteer service," said Wicker.

Poole is president and CEO of Gregory Poole Equipment Company in Raleigh. His fellow board members include Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. and all three living former governors. Also on the board are presidents, CEOs and board chairs from the state’s major employers, including statewide banks, textile companies; health care; furniture manufacturers; tobacco processing; construction; publishing; travel companies; and the non-profit sector. (The full list is attached below).

Poole said, "I am personally delighted that so many outstanding North Carolinians from Wilmington to Asheville and all points between have signed on to support our community college system. We’ll strive to establish a base of funds that will be used to enhance the development of the entire system -- state-wide programs of instructor teaching and leadership development, program development, technology enhancement, marketing, research and development, advocacy, and industrial support networks."

Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. joined Wicker and Community College System President H. Martin Lancaster in recruiting Poole, charging him with building a top-notch board committed to strengthening the community college system.

According to Governor Hunt, "When people across North Carolina see the quality and commitment of these board members, they will start thinking about the value of community colleges and giving to community colleges on a much bigger scale. When this campaign succeeds, it will have lasting benefit for the whole system and for each community college."

The North Carolina Community Colleges Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 1986 to encourage corporate, foundation and individual support statewide for community colleges. System officials have been working with representatives of local community colleges and the business community to reorganize the Foundation and focus its fundraising on a major capital campaign to create an endowment of at least $5 million. The Foundation’s board, which held its organizing meeting the afternoon of February 18, will set the final goal. The campaign begins immediately and should end within a year. The endowment’s income will support projects of statewide benefit and impact.

"The new focus for our Foundation gives us the opportunity to attract support from industries and foundations that have never given to North Carolina’s community colleges," according to President Lancaster.

The North Carolina Community College System serves more than 710,000 students in

59 institutions, making it one of the three largest systems in the country. The System is the primary agency for delivery of job training, literacy and adult education in North Carolina.

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J. Gregory Poole, Jr., President and CEO, Gregory Poole Equipment Company, Raleigh

The Honorable Dennis A. Wicker, Lieutenant Governor, Chairman, State Board of Community Colleges

H. Martin Lancaster, President, The North Carolina Community College System

Herbert L. Watkins, Vice President of Manufacturing & General Manager, MSL, Charlotte

Member, State Board of Community Colleges

The Honorable James B. Hunt, Jr., Governor of North Carolina

The Honorable James E. Holshouser, Jr., Attorney, Southern Pines

The Honorable James G. Martin, Vice President, Research, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte

The Honorable Robert W. Scott, Distinguished Educator in Residence, NC State University, Raleigh

Dwight Allen, President, Mid-Atlantic Operations, Local Telecommunications Division, Sprint, Wake Forest

Allen Andrew, President, U. S. Label Artistic, U. S. Label Corporation, Greensboro

Hunt Broyhill, Broyhill Asset Management LLC, Lenoir

Robert E. Barnhill, Jr., President, Barnhill Contracting Company, Tarboro

Mary R. Cecil (Mimi), Businesswoman, community leader, Biltmore Forest

Frank Daniels, Jr., Retired Publisher, The News and Observer, Raleigh

Edward C. Dolby, President, NationsBank Carolinas, Charlotte

William C. Friday, President, William R. Kenan, Jr. Fund, Chapel Hill

J. H. Froelich (Jake), Market Square Partnership, High Point

Samuel P. Hunter, President, T. A. Loving Company, Goldsboro

Kelly S. King, President, BB & T, Winston-Salem

Lynn M. Lail (Mrs.), President, Piedmont Designs, Hickory

Thomas W. Lambeth, Executive Director, The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, Winston-Salem

John B. McKinnon, Retired President, Sara Lee Corporation; Retired Dean, Babcock Graduate School of Management, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem

John G. Medlin, Jr., Chairman Emeritus, Wachovia Corporation, Winston-Salem

Henry E. Miller, Jr. (Gene), Chairman of the Board, Miller Building Corporation, Wilmington

Thomas C. Parrish, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Dimon International, Inc., Farmville

Tommy Payne, Senior Vice President for External Affairs, RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company,

Winston Salem

Abdul Rasheed, President and CEO, NC Community Development Initiative, Inc., Raleigh

Marshall A. Rauch, Businessman, Gastonia

J. Billie Ray, Jr., President-North Carolina , BellSouth, Charlotte

Lou Russell (Ms.), Executive Assistant to the President/Foundation Executive Director, Durham Technical Community College, Durham

Cecil W. Sewell, Jr., Chairman and CEO, Centura Bank/Centura Banks, Inc., Rocky Mount

Harley F. "Buck" Shuford, Chairman of the Board, Shuford Industries Inc., Hickory

Sherwood H. Smith, Jr., Chairman of the Board, Carolina Power and Light, Raleigh

Asa T. Spaulding, Jr. , Executive Vice President , Galaxy Travel Group Inc., Raleigh

Winifred J. Wood, Businesswoman, community leader, Camden

Ramon Yarborough, Publisher, Fayetteville Observer-Times, Fayetteville

Stephen P. Zelnak, Jr., Chairman, Board of Directors and CEO; Martin Marietta Materials, Inc., Raleigh

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