RESUME OF
PHILLIP J. KIRK, JR.
Phil Kirk is currently serving as Vice President for External
Relations at Catawba College in Salisbury with special
responsibilities in the Ralph W. Ketner School of Business and
the department of education. He is a member of the President's
Cabinet and represents the four-year liberal arts college across
the state and region.
Prior to his appointment at Catawba College, his alma mater,
Kirk served for 16 years as the President/CEO of North Carolina
Citizens for Business and Industry (NCCBI), the state chamber of
commerce and the state manufacturing association. He was also
the Publisher of the NORTH CAROLINA magazine.
A native of Salisbury, Kirk is a graduate of Catawba College
where he has received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree, the O.
B. Michael Award as the outstanding alumnus, and the Medallion
for Exemplary Lifetime Service. He served on the Board of
Trustees for 26 years and as the President of the Catawba
College Alumni Association. The Phillip J. Kirk, Jr. scholarship
has been endowed in his name in the Department of Education at
Catawba. He has received the I. E. Ready Award, which is the top
award given by the North Carolina Community College System, and
the Holderness-Weaver Award given by the University of North
Carolina at Greensboro for outstanding public service. In 2002
the Boy Scouts named him as the inaugural "North Carolina
Citizen of the Year."
He has held a variety of jobs, including holding the Chief of
Staff's position for Governors Jim Holshouser and Jim Martin and
U. S. Senator Jim Broyhill. He has served as the Secretary of
the Department of Human Resources for two Governors and in 1970
became the youngest State Senator in North Carolina history at
that time. Among his other former jobs are English and
journalism teacher, radio announcer, newspaper reporter, vice
president of a nursing home management firm, and assistant to
the Dean of the College of Management at North Carolina State
University. As a lobbyist in the General Assembly, he was
consistently ranked in the top 20 of the most effective
lobbyists out of 830 registered lobbyists. BUSINESS NORTH
CAROLINA magazine named him as the seventh most influential
North Carolinian.
Kirk has consistently emphasized public education and other
programs for children throughout his career. He is Chairman
Emeritus of the State Board of Education and served for more
than six years in that role, visiting all 117 school districts
and more than 750 schools throughout the state. Among the other
education-related boards he serves on are the Meredith College
Board of Trustees, the UNC TV Board of Trustees, Public School
Forum of North Carolina Board, Visiting International Faculty (VIF)
Board, National Advisory Board of the Friday Institute, N. C.
Center for the Advancement of Teaching Foundation Board and
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Foundation Board. He is
chairman emeritus of the N. C. Center for Public Policy Research
Board, member emeritus of the Nazareth Children's Home Board and
honorary board member for the Eating Disorders Program at the
UNC Hospital, the North Carolina Economic Education Committee
and the Futures for Kids program.
Kirk chaired the working committees for the two largest
successful bond issues in North Carolina history--$2.75 billion
in bonds for schools and roads in 1996 and the $3.1 billion bond
campaign for the UNC System, community colleges, and UNC TV in
2000. He has also received two statewide "Friends of Education"
awards from the Professional Educators of North Carolina and the
North Carolina Association of Supervision and Curriculum
Development. He received the "Power of One" Award from the North
Carolina Communities in Schools program at the North Carolina
Education Ball in 2005. He has been named an "Honorary Alumnus"
of East Carolina University and is a member of the ECU Educators
Hall of Fame. He is the winner of the prestigious Jay Robinson
leadership Award from the Public School Forum of N.C. and the
Razor Walker Award from the University of North Carolina at
Wilmington for his work in public education.
Governor Mike Easley has
named the Rowan County native to the North Carolina Economic
Development Board. In addition, Kirk is a member of the North
Carolina Baptist Hospital Board of Trustees, Capital City Club
Board of Governors, UNC Tomorrow Commission, the Blue Ribbon
Commission and the Watauga Club.
Among the many honors he has received include the Governor's
Winner's Circle for promotion of tourism in North Carolina,
Salisbury Teacher of the Year, Rowan County Distinguished
Citizen of the Year, Leadership North Carolina's Governor's
Award, Tar Heel of the Week from the Raleigh News and Observer,
Most Outstanding Republican Legislator, North Carolina Teen Age
Republican of the Year, North Carolina Young Republican of the
Year and first GOP legislator inducted into the North Carolina
Republican Hall of Fame. He has also received an Honored
Educators Endowed Scholarship at the North Carolina Center for
the Advancement of Teaching at Western Carolina University.
In his native Rowan County, he has been elected to the Salisbury
- Rowan Economic Development Commission, Rowan Regional Medical
Center Board, Salisbury Rotary Club and the
Alliance for Tomorrow.
Former Governor Jim Hunt has said of Kirk, "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."
Kirk is married to the former Margaret Simmons of Newport and
has four daughters and six grandchildren. The Kirks reside in
Raleigh and Salisbury and are active members of Ridge Road
Baptist Church.
Phillip J. Kirk, Jr.
Vice President for External Relations
Catawba College
Salisbury, NC 28144
pkirk@catawba.edu
(704) 637 - 4290 OFFICE
(704) 637 - 4422 FAX