Challenges and Changes in Politics, Lobbying, Government and Education Phil Kirk UNC Institute of Politics Fellows Program, Fall 2019 All seminars will be held in Graham Memorial 035 from 5:30pm to 6:45pm. Mr. Kirk’s office hours will be from 4:00pm to 5:30pm, also in Graham Memorial 035, on the same days as his seminars. Office hours are offered on a drop-in basis, but to guarantee time with Mr. Kirk you may make an appointment by emailing [email protected]. September 18th: The 10 Governors I Have Known ​ IOP Fall 2019 Fellow Phil Kirk will share humorous stories about each of the Governors of North Carolina he has known, including leadership strengths and weaknesses of the Chief Executives of North Carolina. He will also introduce the highlights of his career in politics, government, education and business over the past 55 years. September 25th: The Politics of Campaigns ​ ​ Mr. Kirk will be joined by Paul Shumaker and Morgan Jackson, consultants for both of North Carolina’s US Senators and for Governor Roy Cooper, respectively. October 2nd: Education Governance ​ ​ Special guests Dr. June Atkinson and Dr. Mike Ward, both former State Superintendents of Public Instruction, as well as Bill Cobey, former Chairman of the State Board of Education and US Congressman, will join Mr. Kirk to discuss education governance and other K-12 issues in North Carolina. Dr. Atkinson is a former UNC Institute of Politics Fellow from the Spring 2018 semester. October 9th: Effective and Ethical Lobbying ​ Lobbyists Dana Simpson, Brenda Berg, and Cecilia Holden will sit on a panel to discuss the dynamics of lobbying for and against legislation and regulations. October 23rd: Chiefs to the Chiefs ​ ​ Phil Kirk invites Nancy Temple, Ed Turlington and Dean Myers, former Chiefs of Staff to Governor Jim Martin, Governor Jim Hunt, and Senator Richard Burr, respectively. October 30th: From Want of Aquaintance ​ ​ John Davis, non-partisan political analyst, will join Mr. Kirk to speak on "From Want of Aquaintance," which will cover state and national trends which are predictive of likely winners in federal and state races in 2020. November 6th: Challenges in Higher Education: Costs, Access, and Leadership ​ ​ A panel on higher education will feature Dr. Jo Allen, President of Meredith College; Dr. Stelfanie Williams, former President of Vance-Granville Community College and current Vice President for Durham Affairs for Duke University; and Dr. Ken Peacock, Chancellor Emeritus of Appalachian State University. November 13th: Media Matters ​ ​ A panel of news media figures featuring Ned Cline, retired news reporter for the Greensboro Daily News and Charlotte Observer, and Jim Jenkins, retired editorial columnist for the Raleigh News and Observer. Mr. Phillip J. Kirk Phil Kirk has spent the last 50 years in education, politics, and business, as well as in the non-profit world. A native of Salisbury and a graduate of Catawba College, Kirk was elected to the State Senate at the age of 25 and at that time was the youngest in the state's history. In government, he has served in a number of capacities, including Chief of Staff for Governors Jim Holshouser and Jim Martin and U. S. Senator Jim Broyhill. He was Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services twice and also served as the Chair of the State Board of Education and as the Vice-Chair of the State Board of Community Colleges. He has served on more than 150 boards, commissions, and task forces, primarily in education, travel and tourism, and economic development. In 2000 he chaired the Higher Education Bond campaign which provided more than $500 million for capital improvements at UNC Chapel Hill. He was also a member of the UNC Tomorrow Commission and the UNC TV Board of Trustees. He has also worked as a middle and high school English and journalism teacher, a newspaper reporter, radio announcer, in energy services, and in higher education administration. He now serves as the President of the Kiwanis Club of Raleigh and as a member of the Meredith College Board of Trustees, and on the boards of the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching Foundation and Participate (formerly VIF International). At Ridge Road Baptist Church in Raleigh, he is a deacon, Sunday School teacher, and President of the Seekers Class. For his service to the State he has received the North Carolina Award for Public Service and was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine from three different Governors. He is most proud of his four daughters and nine grandchildren and his reputation for being able to work with people from across the political spectrum. Governor Jim Hunt, a Democrat, said of Kirk, a Republican, "If there is a person who is more involved in the issues, I don't know who it is." .