March 2002

Names in the News
Commission on Modernizing State Finances holds first meeting
The Governor’s Commission on Modernizing State Finances held its first meeting on Tuesday, March 5. The commission, named by Gov. Mike Easley in February, is chaired by Tom Ross, Executive Director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation in Winston-Salem. The commission was charged by the governor to look at the state’s current tax system to see if it is fair to the citizens and businesses of North Carolina and to see if the current tax structure is designed to meet the needs (state and local) of the new economy. In establishing the commission, Easley said that “the basic structure of North Carolina’s revenue and finance laws was created over seven decades ago. The commission’s job is to modernize these laws, ensuring a stable, fair and reliable revenue stream while maintaining the state’s economic competitiveness.

The commission, which has been divided into three subcommittees, will make an interim report to the 2002 session of the General Assembly and a final report prior to the 2003 legislative session. The subcommittees’ topics and members are as follows:

Intergovernmental Finance
Chair: John Sanders, former director of the NC Institute of Government
Members: Mary Ann Black, Chairman of the Durham County Commissioners; Sen. Dan Clodfelter of Mecklenburg County; Charlie Mercer, an attorney for Moore & Van Allen in Raleigh; Jim Talton, a retired KPMG accountant of Raleigh.

New Economy
Chair: Ben Russo, an economics professor at the University of NC at Charlotte
Members: Rep. Gordon Allen of Person County; Lucy Allen, former mayor of Louisburg; Michael Hannah,of Deloitte & Touche in Raleigh; Sen. David Hoyle, of Gaston County.

Tax Simplification
Chair: Jack Cummings, an attorney with Alston and Bird in Raleigh and former chairman of NCCBI's Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee.
Members Frank Emory, a corporate attorney in Charlotte; Kay Hobart, Assistant Attorney General for the NC Department of Revenue; John Medlin, former CEO of Wachovia from Winston-Salem; Rep. Wilma Sherrill of Asheville.

Commission to Promote Government Efficiency also gets organized
The Governor’s Commission to Promote Efficiency in Government is scheduled to hold its first meeting in Raleigh on March 7. The goals of the commission are to reduce spending without impacting the quality of service, eliminate outdated programs inconsistent with agency core missions, modernize operating practices and ensure that government structure makes sense. The commission will review current laws, regulations, and practices throughout state and local government in order to recommend necessary changes that will increase efficiency., The commission will examine facility management, technology, personnel practices and areas of service duplication with special attention.

Jim Hyler, vice-president of First Citizens Bank and NCCBI’s incoming chairman has been named by Governor Easley to Chair the Commission. In addition to Hyler, Governor Easley has named the following members to the Commission:

North Carolina Magazine hires new advertising director
Stephen Wissink has joined the staff of North Carolina magazine as advertising director, responsible for all sales and marketing functions. Wissink, 44, has worked in the media for 22 years and comes to the magazine after nearly four years as publisher of Spectator magazine in Raleigh. Before that he worked several years in editorial and marketing positions at the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and in the start-up of the paper’s South Florida Parenting magazine in Miami. Wissink, a native of Michigan, also worked at the Sun Tattler newspaper in Hollywood, Fla.; and the Morning Sun in Mount Pleasant, Mich.

“North Carolina has had six decades of success, and I intend to continue that tradition in our quest to provide an even better publication for NCCBI members and our broader audience,” Wissink said. “We have an extremely qualified staff whose dedication to continuous growth and quality is exceptional. I look forward to helping all of our customers, including readers and advertisers who continuously want their message to reach our lucrative readership market.”

He reports to Steve Tuttle, vice president of communications for NCCBI, and editor of North Carolina, and replaces Ruth Doherty, who left for a management position with the News and Observer newspaper in Raleigh.

As advertising director, Wissink is responsible for all advertising and marketing efforts for North Carolina. He oversees two account executives, Steve Johnson in the Triad, and Walter Saville, in the Charlotte and western North Carolina region. Wissink also is responsible for selling advertising from the Triangle to the coast. “Our readership demographics are the best in North Carolina, and I am very pleased to help our advertising clients reach this highly-coveted audience,” Wissink says.

Wissink is a 1980 graduate of Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Mich., where he studied communications, political science and public relations. He grew up in Battle Creek, Mich., and lived in south Florida for 17 years before moving to North Carolina four years ago.

Wissink can be reached directly at NCCBI’s offices, 919-836-1403, or by email, swissink@nccbi.org.


NCCBI members E. Greer Cawood of Winston-Salem and Michael C. Miller of Asheboro were elected to the board of directors of the N.C. Center for Public Policy Research. Phillip R. Dixon of Greenville, who is an NCCBI board member, was elected board chairman for 2002. Other NCCBI members elected as officers include Betsy Justus of Cary, vice chair; Rann Carpenter of Raleigh, secretary; and Russ Stephenson of Wilson, treasurer.

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