Message from the President, April 2017

For our meeting on Thursday evening, April 20, 2017 at Starmount, former Judge and UNC President Emeritus Tom Ross will deliver a presentation on Non-Partisan Redistricting – How to Strengthen Democracy.  As part of his work at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University and in conjunction with Common Cause NC, Judge Ross and a group of former members of the North Carolina judiciary (including our own Justice Frye and Justice Exum) met on a volunteer basis and simulated use of a non-partisan redistricting process to draw fair and compact districts.

Judge Ross is currently President of the Volcker Alliance, a New York City-based non-profit focused on restoring trust in government through improving its operational effectiveness.   He also serves as the Sanford Distinguished Fellow in Public Policy at the Duke University Sanford School for Public Policy.  Judge Ross is President Emeritus of the 17-campus University of North Carolina having served as President from 2011-2016.

Prior to becoming President of the UNC System, Judge Ross served as President of Davidson College, executive director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, director of the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts, a Superior Court judge for 17 years, chief of staff to U. S. Congressman Robin Britt, a member of the Greensboro law firm of Smith, Patterson, Follin, Curtis and James, and an Assistant Professor of Public Law and Government at UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Government. Judge Ross holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Davidson College (1972) and graduated with honors from the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law (1975).

Judge Ross has received numerous awards and accolades for his public service and professional achievements.  His many contributions have been recognized through the William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence (2000), given annually to one state judge in the nation and Governing Magazine’s National Public Official of the Year Award (1994).  He has also been honored with an award of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Public Service Award (2016), and the University Award presented by the UNC Board of Governors for distinguished service to higher education (2016).

Please mark your calendars and join us for this timely presentation.