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