Legislation offered in Senate regulating
size, purpose of future state bond issues

North Carolina has no plan for managing its debt or for prioritizing its long-range capital needs, State Treasurer Richard Moore said in pointing out that the state’s debt has risen 75 percent over the past five years and debt service has almost doubled. In a groundbreaking Debt Affordability Study he issued, Moore said the state’s debt load now stands at $3.29 billion and annual debt service payments at $302.3 million. While those figures remain relatively low compared to other states, their rapid rise means the state should put in place systems for better managing debt, Moore recommended.

In his white paper, Moore said that the state’s current debt load doesn't include $3.3 billion in bonds approved by voters but not yet sold. Most of that -- $2.5 billion -- is the remaining portion of the higher education bonds. The figure also doesn’t include road bonds that are paid from dedicated taxes. Assuming the remaining education bonds are sold as scheduled by 2006, the state's annual debt payments will rise to $540 million, Moore said. If the General Fund budget stood at $16 billion by then (compared to $14.3 billion today), debt payments would account for just over 3 percent of state spending, he added.

Sen. David Hoyle (D-Gaston) responded by introducing S. 464 An Act to Create the Debt Affordability Advisory Committee and the Capital Projects Priority Committee. The legislation, which was referred to the Appropriations Base Budget Subcommittee, calls for a target debt-service-to-tax-revenue ratio of 4 percent, with an absolute ceiling of 4.75 percent. Under this formula and predictions of revenue growth, the state could only take on another $350 million in total debt before reaching the target number. NCCBI voiced its support for the legislation in a note to the state Treasurer.

By passing the legislation, ”we can plan for North Carolina’s future with a long-term perspective,” Moore said, adding: “Implementing a best practices model for state capital planning is not only prudent as we continue the trend of increasing our debt load, but will also send a positive signal to our credit rating agencies that we are always looking for better ways to manage our state.”

Even with all the bonds sold by the state in the past five years, North Carolina’s debt ratios remain below median levels both for all 50 states and for a peer group of eight Triple AAA rated states, Moore said. Expected future debt issuances over the next four years total $3.3 billion, with $2.55 billion or 77 percent issued for higher education purposes.

See charts below giving a breakdown of the state’s outstanding debt.

Majority in House backs major medical malpractice reform bill
A bipartisan majority of House members is co-sponsoring a bill filed Thursday to protect patient access to health care by tackling the professional liability insurance crisis facing North Carolina’s doctors and hospitals. Lead sponsors of H. 809 Ensure Health Care Access include Reps. David Miner (R-Wake), Edd Nye (D-Bladen), Joe Kiser (R-Lincoln) and Jim Crawford (D-Granville). In all, the legislation has 72 co-sponsors. The legislation establishes a $250,000 cap on non-economic “pain and suffering” damages, allows periodic payments of future damages, places reasonable limits on trial lawyers’ contingency fees and bars the use of nursing-home inspection records in medical malpractice lawsuits. The bill is more far-reaching than similar legislation introduced last month in the Senate.

As detailed in a January cover story in the North Carolina magazine, hospitals here have experienced increases of 400 to 500 percent in three years in their professional liability insurance premiums. Doctors in key specialties, including those with no past claims history, had insurance premium increases of more than 50 percent last year. Many rural hospitals are losing money and some may be forced to close and some insurers have stopped writing coverage in North Carolina. “Patients in Alleghany, New Hanover and other counties are already facing access issues because increasing professional liability insurance premiums are forcing their doctors to make hard decisions,” said Dr. Joseph Jenkins, chair of the N.C. Medical Society’s Professional Liability Task Force. “Without reasonable reforms, will they be able to continue to perform high-risk procedures, or even stay in practice.”

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has concluded that a leading cause of the national insurance crisis is the recent dramatic increase in jury awards and settlements. The federal agency cited North Carolina and Nevada as states with the most “mega” malpractice awards in recent years.

House panel debates new controls on Medicaid drug costs
The best way to control spiraling costs of the state Medicaid program is to require that recipients receive only generic rather than name-brand drugs, according to proposed legislation debated Wednesday by the House Ways and Means Committee. Under the bill offered by Rep. Paul Miller (D-Durham), H. 233 (Miller) Medicaid Prior Approval/Prescription Drugs, state health officials would have to give their approval before any Medicaid recipient is prescribed a brand-name drug. The committee, which did not vote on the bill, heard testimony on three initiatives already in place that officials said have saved the state $24 million in Medicaid drug costs: The state requires doctors to obtain prior approval before prescribing more than a dozen expensive drugs. The Department of Health and Human Services capped the reimbursements it will pay on some drugs. HHS also is working with pharmacists to encourage the use of generic drugs.
 

Bill to appoint state superintendent again surfaces in Senate
The Senate is again considering legislation to amend the constitution to make the state superintendent of public instruction an appointive rather than an elective position. Sen. Wib Gulley (D-Durham), who introduced S. 568 Superintendent of Public Instruction Appointed, this week, said now is a good time to make the change because incumbent Mike Ward has announced he won’t seek re-election. The bill calls for a referendum in November on allowing the governor to appoint the state superintendent. Similar bills have passed the Senate on at least four other occasions only to die in the House. Gulley said the many new legislators this session gives him hope that the House will approve the bill this time. NCCBI has long supported the appointment of the state superintendent, as does Ward, Gov. Mike Easley and several education groups, including the Education: Everybody’s Business Coalition, the N.C. School Boards Association, the Public School Forum, the N.C. Association of School Administrators, the Business Committee for Education and the Council of Local Chambers of Commerce. The N.C. Association of Educators opposes the change.  

Legislative Actions

 The Senate on Wednesday gave second- and third-reading approval to S. 338  (Queen) Remove Sunset/Municipal Electric Service and sent the bill to the House. The action came a day after the House passed a similar bill, H. 356 (Tolson and LaRoque) Remove Sunset/Municipal Electric Service, and sent it to the Senate.

 The House voted 116-1 on Tuesday to repeal a state law that allows involuntary sterilizations of the mentally ill. H. 36 (Womble, Luebke, Weiss and Insko) Repeal Involuntary Sterilization now moves to the Senate for consideration.

 The Senate Judiciary II Committee on Tuesday favorably S. 353 (Bingham) Charitable Solicitations/Require Disclosure, a bill that would require paid solicitors to immediately disclose when asked how much of the money they raise for charities actually goes to the charities. Current law now requires solicitors to provide that information within 14 days

 The House Health Committee on Tuesday debated but took no action on H. 346 (Moore) Emergency Generators/Nursing And Adult Care Homes a bill that would require North Carolina's adult care homes to have backup power generators. Discussion indicated that committee members were surprised by how much it would cost to require the nearly 1,400 facilities to acquire the generators. Bill Warren, head of the construction section for the state Division of Facility Services, said installing generators and rewiring buildings to accept alternative power sources would cost $5,000 to $8,000 for small adult care homes and $50,000 to $75,000 for larger facilities.

 The House on Wednesday gave third-reading approval to H. 320 (McComas) Internal Revenue Code Update and sent the bill to the Senate.

 The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday favorably reported S. 51 Close Franchise Tax Loophole and S. 100 State Govt. Sales Tax Exempt.

Bills of Interest Introduced This Week

 H. 636 (Munford) Modernize Judgment Docking Laws - An act to give effect to electronic judgment dockets by modernizing laws regarding judgments and reestablishing the effective date of civil judgment liens and the date from which interest accrues on judgments.
 H. 637 (Munford) Amend Special Powers/Settlor of Revocable Trust - An act to permit the settlor of a revocable trust to relieve the trustee of duties, restrictions and liabilities imposed by the Uniform Trusts Act.
 H. 640 (Clary and Barnhart) Phase Out County Share of Medicaid - An act to phase out the county share of the nonfederal share of medical assistance program costs.
 H. 641 (Clary and Barnhart) Phase Out County Share/State-County Special Assistance - An act to phase out the county share of the costs of the state-county special assistance program.
 H. 642 (Wood) Conscience Protection/Contraceptives - An act to provide effective conscience protection in insurance law pertaining to coverage for prescription contraceptive drugs or devices and for outpatient contraceptive services.
 H. 643 (L. Allen) Railroads To Pay Some Nonbetterment Costs - An act to require railroad corporations to pay some nonbetterment costs for the movement of utilities.
 H. 649 (Wood) International Home Furnishings Market - An act to appropriate funds for capital improvements and transportation needs of the International Home Furnishings Market.
 H. 654 (Alexander) Mental Health/Chemical Dependency Parity - An act to require parity in health insurance coverage for mental illness and chemical dependency.
 H. 659 (Nye) Funds To Increase Adult Care Home Rates - An act to appropriate funds to increase the rate paid to adult care homes under the state-county special assistance program.
 H. 664 (Insko) Local Option Tax Menu - An act to authorize additional revenue options for local governments.
 H. 668 (Wright) New Hanover County Occupancy Tax - An act to modify the city of Wilmington and New Hanover County beach towns occupancy tax acts.
 H. 669 (Wright) Hospital Licensure/Critical Access Hospital - An act to amend the definition of a "primary care hospital" to reflect federal requirements.
 H. 674 (Luebke) Durham Northern Loop Corridor - An act to amend the Highway Trust Fund Act description of the Durham Northern Loop.
 H. 677 (Rayfield) Reduce Sales Tax on Funerals - An act to reduce the sales and use tax on funeral expenses.
 H. 678 (Glazier) Eliminate High School Exit Exam - An act to eliminate the high school exit exam and restrict the State Board of Education from developing any further standardized tests that are not required to fulfill the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 or other Federal Law.
 H. 679 (Weiss) Raleigh/Wake Clear-Cutting - An act authorizing the city of Raleigh and Wake County to limit the clear-cutting of trees in buffer zones prior to development and allow for the protection of specimen trees during the development process.
 H. 684 (Crawford) Psychiatric Hospital Bonds - An act to provide a statutory framework for the financing of capital facilities by the state, to authorize the issuance of special indebtedness to finance the construction of a new psychiatric hospital in Butner, and to authorize the issuance of special obligation bonds for the construction of the new psychiatric hospital.
 H. 687 (Culpepper) BOG Nominations - A house resolution to establish the procedure for nomination for election of members of the board of governors of the University of North Carolina.
 H. 689 (Glazier) Conform Evidence Rule 103 - An act conforming Rule 103 of the North Carolina Rules of Evidence to the corresponding federal rule.
 H. 692 (Mitchell) Auto Auctioneers-No Dealer License Needed - An act to provide that license auctioneers conducting auctions for motor vehicle dealers do not need motor vehicle dealer licenses.
 H. 698 (Gibson) Monroe Prepared Food Tax - An act to authorize the city of Monroe to levy a prepared food tax.
 H. 726 (Rayfield) Establish Mountain Island State Forest - An act to appropriate funds for the capital and operational costs of establishing the Mountain Island Educational State Forest to be located in Lincoln and Gaston Counties.
 H. 729 (Gorman) Stoplights on U.S. Highway 70 - An act to prohibit the Department of Transportation from installing any additional stoplights on certain portions of U.S. Highway 70.
 H. 736 (Miller) Durham Auto Tax - An act to authorize the city of Durham to collect a general municipal vehicle tax of up to $10 on vehicles resident in the city.
 H. 738 (Miller and Hunter) Clean Water Management Trust Fund - An act to amend the laws regarding the Clean Water Management Trust Fund by including in the list of eligible grant applicants certain nonprofit corporations whose primary purpose is the promotion of health, welfare and safety or socio-economic improvement of economically distressed communities and by modifying qualifications, powers and duties of the trustees of the fund. (=S. 551)
 H. 740 (C. Wilson) Job Growth Accountability Act - An act to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the Economic Development Board in the formulation of the state's economic development policies and to provide for greater transparency and accountability on the state's efforts to create jobs for North Carolina citizens.
 H. 744 (Hackney) Managed Care Patient Assistance - An act to require insurers to inform covered persons about assistance available from the Managed Care Patient Assistance Program.
 H. 749 (Owens and Justice) Local Option Tax Menu - An act to authorize additional revenue options for local governments.
 H. 753 (Culpepper) House Joint Resolution - A House resolution providing for election of members of the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina.
 H. 787 (Mitchell) Reporting By Federal PAC - An act to establish equity in reporting requirements between federal political committees and North Carolina political committees.
 H. 804 (Insko, Luebke and Womble) Earned Income Tax Credit - An act to create a state earned-income tax credit.
 H. 806 (Tolson) Rebate And Grant Program For AFVS Rebate - An act to establish an alternative fuel and alternative fuel vehicle rebate and infrastructure grant program.
 H. 814 (Luebke, Bordsen and Insko) Increase Alcohol Excise Tax - An act to restore the previous rate of excise tax on liquor; to allow for sales of higher-alcohol content malt beverage; to raise beer and wine taxes; and to direct a portion of the proceeds of these tax increases to substance abuse treatment.
 S. 520 (Dalton) Revenue Laws Property Tax Study - An act to require the property tax subcommittee of the Revenue Laws study committee to study the valuation of partially improved, undeveloped lots in subdivisions.
 S. 524 (Rand) Aggregates & Asphalt Tax Uniformity - An act to equalize the sales tax on aggregates and on asphalt and concrete.
 S. 527 (Hartsell) Death By Vehicle - An act to create the offense of "Death by Vehicle" and to provide that the offense shall be punished as a Class I felony.
 S. 534 (Dalton) Just Comp/Local Government Taking - An act to require local governments to pay just compensation for removal of lawfully erected buildings, structures, outdoor advertising, or personal property and to authorize local governments to enter into relocation and reconstruction agreements with owners of nonconforming properties.
 S. 536 (Hoyle) Small Business Ombudsman Office - An act to establish the small business ombudsman office in the Department of Commerce.
 S. 537 (Rand) Amend Public Enterprise Customer Billing Privacy - An act to exclude airports from the public enterprise billing information privacy law.
 S. 539 (Rand) State Bar Amendments - An act amending the law governing the limited practice of out-of-state attorneys-at-law and the operation of the Council and Disciplinary Hearing Commission of the North Carolina State Bar.
 S. 540 (Hartsell) APA Rules/Economic Impact Review - An act providing for a separate process requiring agencies to review the economic impact of proposed rules on small businesses before publishing the proposed text of the rule in the North Carolina Register.
 S. 556 (Hoyle) Regulate Ticket Brokers - An act to regulate persons seeking to engage in business as ticket brokers and to apply the privilege tax on amusements to services provided by ticket brokers.
 S. 560 (Rand) Amend Real Estate License Laws - An act revising real estate licensing examination procedures, clarifying continuing education requirements for real estate licensees and enabling the Real Estate Commission to permit limited commercial practice by nonresident real estate brokers.
 S. 566 (Rucho) Limit Covenants Not To Compete - An act to provide limitations on agreements or contracts that limit the rights of persons to do business or obtain employment in the state.
 S. 572 (Clodfelter) District Judge 8-Year Terms - An act to amend the North Carolina Constitution to provide eight-year terms for the District Court Judges.
 S. 573 (Clodfelter) Managed Care Patient Assistance - An act to require insurers to inform covered persons about assistance available from the Managed Care Patient Assistance Program.
 S. 574 (Clodfelter) Earned Income Tax Credit - An act to create a state earned-income tax credit.
 S. 589 (Kinnaird) Livable State Minimum Wage - An act amending the Wage and Hour Act to raise the state minimum wage to a livable wage.
 S. 590 (Kinnaird) Moratorium On Soft Drink Contracts/Schools - An act to place a moratorium on the authority of local boards of education to enter into contracts for the sale of soft drinks to students in public schools, and to appoint an independent study commission to study the public health issues and make recommendations regarding whether certain foods, including soft drinks, should be made available to students in public schools.
 S. 593 (Albertson) Extend Swine Moratoria - An act to extend the moratoria on construction or expansion of swine farms.

State Government

After eight months, budget surplus continues edging up
Tax collections continue running a little ahead of budget, with the General Fund now $27.3 million ahead of projections after eight months of the fiscal year. The surplus grew by $10.6 million in February alone. However, non-tax revenue was $56.4 million less than expected in February, which drops the budget surplus from $83.7 million to $27.3 million. The surprisingly strong performance of corporate income taxes is a major reason for the surplus. After eight months of the fiscal year the state has collected $431.7 million in corporate income taxes against a budget of $327.0 million. Franchise taxes also are stronger than expected, at $231.0 million vs. a budget of $201.1 million. Total tax and non-tax revenues through eight months amounted to $9.29 billion against a budget of $9.27 billion. See the chart below for a detailed look at the General Fund.


Economic Development

Study cites weak leadership in economic development policy
Just days after Site Selection magazine ranked North Carolina No. 5 in the nation in new corporate location projects, a study by the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise was released that faults the state’s economic development efforts as fragmented and suffering from poor leadership. The study, requested last year by the General Assembly, concludes that there is little coordination or teamwork between the state Department of Commerce and the seven regional economic development partnerships. Regardless of magazine rankings, “there is a widespread concern within the state that we can do better,” according to the study, which was authored by Dr. Michael Luger and Leslie Stewart of the Kenan Institute in Chapel Hill. “On a scale from one equals exemplary to four equals weak,”: the authors said, “the mean rating N.C. practitioners gave to the consistency of recruiting marketing messages across the state was a 3.2.”

The study, entitled “Improving North Carolina’s Economic Development Delivery System,” directs a good bit of criticism at the Department of Commerce. After conducting dozens of interviews, the authors concluded that “the perception… is (Commerce) has not performed as a strong lead agency.” Elsewhere, the study said “a common sentiment among all groups we interviewed is that North Carolina does not have the strength of leadership (in economic development) it needs.” Mostly this affects just the attitude of those in the economic development community, the authors said: “In short, the evidence about North Carolina’s performance in industrial recruitment and expansion is mixed.” For its own good, the state should pay much less attention to magazine rankings, the study said. “Many practitioners criticize the methodology for this ranking as being driven by interests in the commercial real estate profession rather than by the needs of industry CEOs. Site selection consultants still see North Carolina as having an attractive product but insufficient incentives relative to other states. On a per capita basis, our record of announcements shows us well behind South Carolina and Virginia.”

Bank unveils major investment in loan processing facility
BB&T Corp. said it would create 300 new jobs over the next three years in Eastern North Carolina and invest $12 million in Wilson County with the construction of a new loan-processing facility. The bank is planning a 100,000-square-foot facility that will create jobs averaging $32,000 in salary per year. The company will begin construction in spring 2003 and plans to occupy the new building in early 2004. BB&T Chairman and CEO John Allison said “part of our mission at BB&T is to help make the communities where we work better places to live. We’re certainly excited to be creating jobs in a slow economy and growing in the city we called home for nearly 125 years.” BB&T has $80.2 billion in assets and operates more than 1,100 branch offices in the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Indiana and Washington, D.C. It is the 14th largest financial holding company in the United States and the largest mortgage lender in the Carolinas. The state invested $300,000 in the project through the One North Carolina Fund. BB&T worked with the Wilson County Economic Development Council, the City of Wilson, Wilson County and the N.C. Department of Commerce Eastern Regional Office on the agreement.

NCCBI News

Kirk urges Greensboro leaders to lobby their legislators
Speaking to the governmental affairs committee of the Greater Greensboro Area Chamber of Commerce, NCCBI President Phil Kirk urged the group to keep in close touch with their area legislators as he discussed the major issues facing this session of the General Assembly. Kirk said he is cautiously optimistic that the co-speakers arrangement in the House will work more efficiently than if a single speaker had been elected by one or two votes. "I am optimistic that there are enough good people in both parties who want to do the right thing," he said.

He said that NCCBI had endorsed the key parts of the governor's legislative agenda -- the line item veto, spending reductions of nearly $900 million, session limits, implementation of the Efficiency Study Commission recommendations, and had agreed not to oppose a two-year extension of the half-cent state sales tax and higher income tax on upper-income individuals.  "We have not endorsed a tax increase," Kirk said. He also discussed medical malpractice liability reform, transportation, budget reform, and enrollment funding increases for education. Kirk was introduced by Jim Kelley of Duke Power. NCCBI board members attending were Watts Carr, Tom Beard, and Pat Sullivan.

In another recent speech to the Bank of America Entrepreneurial Schools banquet in Greenville, Kirk challenged the audience to continue to support high stakes accountability as a way to improve public education. He praised teachers and administrators for their hard work on a daily basis and also lauded the business partners in their audience for their support of money and time in improving the public schools in Pitt County. He was introduced by Larry Seigler, the vice chair of NCCBI's education committee. The Pitt County Board of Education, Pitt County Education Foundation, and the Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce presented Kirk with a plaque saluting him for his service as the chairman of the State Board of Education.

Board members win prizes for membership recruitment
Several members of the NCCBI board won prizes for their work over the past year to recruit new members for the association. The drawings were held during the Chair’s Reception held at the N.C. Museum of Art the evening before the Annual Meeting. Below is a list of the donors, the prizes and the winner. NCCBI wishes to thank the donors.
 Angus Barn: $80 Gift Certificate & Free Local Limousine Services by Midtown Express ($100). Gordon Myers
 Belk: Waterford Crystal Vase. Kelly King
 Biltmore Inn: 3 pack of Biltmore Winery & Certificate for 2 for a 2 nights stay at the Inn on Biltmore that includes tickets to tour the Biltmore House, Biltmore Gardens & Biltmore Winery. Glenn Ketner
 Blue Cross & Blue Shield of N.C.: 4 Luxury Box tickets to the Carolina Hurricanes game, VIP parking included. Russ Stephenson
 Capel Inc.: $100 Gift Certificate good at any Capel Rug Outlet. Bradley Thompson
 Classic Gallery: Certificate for one Ultra Suede covered chair. Horace Johnson
 Council Tool Co.: 2 five-pound Dayton pattern Velvicut axes, 1 Ground Hog Cultivator Mattock, all forged from American steel and made in Lake Waccamaw. Bruce Biggs, Steve Miller
 Duke Energy: 2 Umbrellas. John Forlines
 First Bank: $200 Savings Bond. Bob Lowe
 First Citizens Bank: $100 Savings Bond. Will Spence
 T.W. Garner Food Co.: Texas Pete gift box. Steve Stroud
 Grandfather Mountain: Log Cabin weekend stay. Harold Wells
 Hatteras Yachts: $100 Gift Certificate for Hatteras Merchandise. Avery Thomas
 Lowe’s Motor Speedway: 2 tickets to the 2003 Winston, 2 tickets to the 2003 Winston pole night and Hardees 200 Craftsman Truck Series Race. Jim Nance
 Martin Marietta: One-week stay at a house in Sea Pines, Hilton Head. David Huskins
 Miller Brewing Co.: Miller Girl-in-the-Moon Clock ($50 value). Barry Eveland
 News & Observer: 4 tickets to a Carolina Panthers game. Smedes York
 Owen Manufacturing Co.: 1 blanket. Bill Johnson
 Pepsi Bottling Ventures: Sierra Mist golf bag. Jim Hyler
 Shelco: 3 pack of Shelton Vineyards Wine. George Little
 Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens: 2 adult gift certificates. Pat Corso
 U.S. Trust Co. of North Carolina: Mont Blanc pen. Linwood Davis
 Weyerhaeuser: Golf shirt, golf umbrella, golf balls, wooden golf cart. Joe Thomas


Names in the News

Four named to N.C. State Board of Trustees
The UNC Board of Governors approved the following appointments and reappointments to the board of trustees of N.C. State University. Appointed to a first four-year term: Robert B. Jordan III of Mount Gilead, the former lieutenant governor who is a 1954 graduate of State. He is president of Jordan Lumber & Supply and serves as a member of the College of Management Board of Advisors. He replaces Ed Hood, who served two four-year terms on the board. Cassius S. Williams of New Bern, a State Farm agent who is a 1969 graduate of State. He has served two terms as president of the board of directors of the Alumni Association, and currently chairs the Alumni Association's Building Committee. Williams had been appointed by the Board of Governors at its February meeting to fill the unexpired term of Vernon Malone, who resigned his seat on the board after his election to the state Senate. Reappointed to a second four-year term: Ann B. Goodnight of Cary, a 1968 graduate of State who handles community relations at SAS Institute, founded by her husband, Dr. James H. Goodnight. She serves on State's Capital Campaign Executive Committee and also played a leadership role in the Campaign for N.C. State Students. Wendell H. Murphy of Rose Hill, a 1960 State graduate who founded and is chairman of the board and CEO of MurFam Enterprises LLC. He previously served as a trustee in 1993 but resigned to accept an appointment to the Centennial Authority.

 Rosemary DePaolo, president of Georgia College and State University, was confirmed as the new chancellor for UNC Wilmington by the UNC Board of Governors. She will assume the post on July 15, succeeding the retiring James R. Leutze. DePaolo, a native of Long Island, has a bachelor's degree from City University of New York and master's and doctoral degrees in 18th century English literature from Rutgers. DePaolo served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Western Carolina University before moving to her current job in Georgia.

 Courtney Crowder of Raleigh was elected president of the Young Democrats of North Carolina Club, the first African-American to hold the post. Crowder, 26, managed Cong. Bob Etheridge’s campaign last year.

 Pamela Thorpe Young of Cary was appointed by Gov. Mike Easley to the North Carolina Industrial Commission, effective May 1. She will fill the seat currently held by Renee Riggsbee. Young is currently deputy secretary for the arts and libraries and legal counsel for the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. She served on the Industrial Commission staff from 1996-2002.