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Story
Turning 60
As it first did in 1942, the
Annual Meeting continues to call us toward leadership and service
By Kevin Brafford
The
date was Dec. 11, 1942. The site, as it has been every year for
the 59 years since then, was Raleigh. Earlier in 1942, a small group
of citizens from throughout North Carolina had met informally and
decided that state government needed a watchdog.
Word got out — yes, there were means of communication even way back
then — and others became interested. So on a cold winter’s day
just two weeks before Christmas, a large group banded together for a
common goal.
They likely got together in time for lunch. They probably worked
through dinner. By the end of the day they had conducted what would
become the inaugural meeting of the North Carolina Citizens
Association.
We think there’s been an Annual Meeting each year since then, but
records from the 1940s and 1950s are incomplete.
Number 60 for the association, now NCCBI, is set for March 20 at the
Raleigh Convention and Conference Center. While much has changed since
1942, this day hasn’t — it’s when the best and brightest
business and political minds in North Carolina come together for what
many consider the most important business meeting held in the state
each year.
A thousand or more prominent people in business, politics, education
and the judiciary are expected to convene in downtown Raleigh for a
full day of events that includes meetings, seminars and the NCCBI
Expo, the association’s largest-ever trade show.
“This Annual Meeting is an historic occasion marking 60 years of
service by the association to the state’s business community,”
says NCCBI President Phil Kirk. “We believe we have planned a
special day worthy of such an occasion.”
The keynote luncheon address will be delivered by Ken Thompson, the
president and CEO of Wachovia Corp. in Charlotte, the nation’s
fourth-largest bank holding company. The dinner program will feature
“An Evening With Four Governors,” a rare roundtable discussion
with the state’s four living former governors — Jim Holshouser,
Jim Hunt, Jim Martin and Bob Scott. William Friday, president of the
University of North Carolina System from 1956 through 1986, will serve
as moderator.
“The merger of Wachovia and First Union was one of the biggest
business stories in the country last year,” says Kirk. “We are
honored that Ken Thompson has agreed to speak at our luncheon. And we
are just as honored — and thrilled — that the four governors have
agreed to take time away from their schedules to get together for what
promises to be a memorable night.”
In keeping with its time-honored tradition, NCCBI will bestow its
highest awards on two individuals who have made valuable, lasting
contributions to the state. The Citation for Distinguished Citizenship
will be awarded at lunch to Jim Goodmon, president and CEO of Capitol
Broadcasting in Raleigh. Then at dinner, the Citation for
Distinguished Public Service will be awarded to Russell Robinson II of
Charlotte, a founding partner with the firm of Robinson, Bradshaw
& Hinson.
“In honoring Jim Goodmon and Russell Robinson, we are paying tribute
to two men who have had an indelible impact on North Carolina for many
years,” says Kirk.
Goodmon comes by his renowned devotion to his community naturally. His
maternal grandfather, A.J. Fletcher, started Capitol Broadcasting as
well as the A.J. Fletcher Foundation, and Goodmon’s uncle, Fred
Fletcher, who also worked in the family business, was a respected
patron of local causes.
Called a visionary by friends and competitors alike, Goodmon has
helped position his company as the cutting-edge pioneer of
high-definition television in not only the Southeast but also the
world. Six years ago, WRAL-TV, a CBS affiliate, became the first
station ever to broadcast in HDTV. Yet despite his success as a
commercial broadcaster, Goodmon is passionate about public television
and its mission to be accessible and useful to citizens. He serves on
the board of trustees of UNC-TV and is a ready adviser to its
director, Tom Howe.
Perhaps most importantly, Goodmon is a steadfast advocate for
children, leveraging the power of his company and his family’s
foundation to promote causes that serve their education, safety and
welfare. He was also the founding chairman of the N.C. Partnership for
Children, the organization that created the award-winning
early-childhood education initiative known as Smart Start.
Says former Gov. Jim Hunt, a friend for 30 years and the chief
supporter of the Smart Start program:
“No man in modern history has personified the North Carolina
spirit of progress better than Jim Goodmon. No one has done more for
the children of North Carolina than Jim Goodmon.”
Robinson is by all accounts one of the most successful business
attorneys in the state. Much of his public service has come in the
form of incalculable hours spent volunteering on committees tasked
with reviewing and creating state business laws, namely the Business
Corporation Act Drafting Committee of N.C. General Statute Commission.
Robinson served on that committee for 11 years between 1968 and 1991.
He was the ideal lawyer to serve on that committee, having achieved
acclaim in the mid-1960s for writing what is considered the business
law bible in North Carolina, “Robinson on North Carolina Corporation
Law,” now in its sixth printing. He also is active in civic and
educational circles, including the United Way of Central Carolinas, an
organization whose campaigns he has twice chaired; UNC-Charlotte,
where he was chairman of the board of trustees for eight years; the
John Motley Morehead Foundation, for which he has been counsel since
1965; and the Duke Endowment, where he was just named chairman of the
board of trustees.
Longtime friend C.D. Spangler is among those who are not surprised
Robinson is being honored by NCCBI. “Russell is dedicated to the
profession of law,” says Spangler. “He loves his native state and
is diligent in his work to help improve it.”
The speakers and awards
are just part of the Annual Meeting, of course. Members of the Small
Business Advisory Board are asked to arrive for a 9:30 a.m. meeting
that will begin the day. The board of directors meeting had been held
in the morning in the past, but this year has been pushed back to 3:15
p.m.
The Chairman’s Luncheon begins at noon. Gordon Myers, NCCBI’s
outgoing chairman and the vice president of Asheville-based Ingles
Markets, will welcome members and guests in one of his last official
duties.
“Gordon has been a tremendous leader for NCCBI during what’s been
an important year in shaping our state’s future,” Kirk says.
“His commitment to attending and speaking at 22 area meetings last
September and October was vital to the association’s continued
growth.”
The afternoon’s executive seminars both look back and look ahead at
key legislative issues. The first, held from 2:15 to 3:15, is entitled
“Politics After Redistricting.” John Davis, executive director of
NC FREE, assesses the winners and losers in legislative, gubernatorial
and congressional politics following redistricting.
The second seminar, entitled “Why Session Limits Makes Sense,”
runs from 3:45 to 5 o’clock and is a panel discussion featuring Sen.
David Hoyle (D-Gaston), the sponsor of a session limits bill that has
passed the Senate; Rep. Gene Arnold (R-Nash), a five-term legislator
and retired business man who is not seeking re-election; Rep. Andy
Dedmon (D-Cleveland), the House Majority Whip; and Gerry Cohen,
director of the legislature’s Bill Drafting Division. Leslie
Bevacqua, NCCBI’s vice president of governmental affairs, will
moderate.
The popular members’ reception begins at 5 p.m. with the Annual
Meeting Dinner set for 6 p.m. Following the dinner, Myers will hand
over the gavel to incoming chairman Jim Hyler of Raleigh, the vice
chairman and COO of First Citizens Bank.
Throughout the day, attendees will enjoy the improved NCCBI Expo,
which begins at 11 a.m. and lasts until 6 p.m. Participation this year
has more than doubled, as 73 businesses and organizations have already
committed to exhibit their products and/or services.
“Businesses now more than ever are carefully considering where to
spend their marketing dollars,” says Julie Woodson, NCCBI director
of govermental affairs and exhibitor coordinator. “When business
leaders attend the NCCBI Annual Meeting they see that their exposure
is maximized at this trade show. These exhibitors will be in contact
with more than 1,000 business leaders from across the state.”
NCCBI staff, including Membership Director Kela Lockamy, has worked
diligently to enhance the exhibit floor by improving the entrance area
and making the trade show more aesthetically appealing and
“exhibitor friendly.”
A highlight this year will be an area of the exhibit dedicated to
Goodness Grows in North Carolina — a program through the N.C.
Department of Agriculture that identifies and promotes North Carolina
specialty foods and agricultural products.
A few Expo booths remain available but space is filling fast. If your
business or group would like to exhibit at the NCCBI Expo, please
contact Woodson at 919-836-1402. Cost per booth space is $300 for
members and $450 for non-members.
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