Phil Kirk has been speaking to groups, friendly and not so friendly, for more than 30 years. He began his career in government in 1970 as the youngest state senator elected in North Carolina history. He then served as chief of staff for Govs. Jim Holshouser and Jim Martin as well as U.S. Sen. Jim Broyhill. He also served as secretary of the Department of Human Resources for two governors.

In 1989, Phil was named president of N.C. Citizens for Business and Industry (NCCBI), the state's most powerful business lobby and official state chamber of commerce. During his 16-year tenure, Phil was consistently ranked among the top 25 most effective lobbyists in North Carolina. As former Gov. Jim Hunt said about Phil, "If there’s a single person in this state who is more involved and at the center of every issue, I don't know who it is."