NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:    May 22, 2011

Contact:
Dr. Robin Dorff, IOPL Executive Director (336) 333-9010
The Institute of Political Leadership
% Department of Political Science
UNC-Greensboro
P.O. BOX 26170
Greensboro, NC  27402-6170
dorffr@iopl.org

INSTITUTE OF POLITICAL LEADERSHIP
GRADUATES FORTY-FOURTH CLASS OF FELLOWS

    The Spring 2011 Class of Fellows of the Institute of Political Leadership (IOPL) graduated Saturday, May 21, 2011 on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Greensboro, NC.  It is the forty-fourth class to graduate from the IOPL Fellows Program.

    Dr. Thom Little of the Political Science Department welcomed the graduating Fellows on behalf of the University, and Dr. Robert H. “Robin” Dorff, Executive Director, presided. Mr. Jim Melvin, President of the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation and former City Council Member and Mayor of Greensboro, delivered the graduation address.  Ms. Donna Williams of Raleigh gave the response on behalf of the class, and Mr. Tony McGhee of Wilmington delivered the Invocation.  Mr. Melvin, Dr. Little, and Dr. Dorff awarded diplomas to the fourteen graduates of the Spring 2011 class. 

“The challenges that confront us are great,” Jim Melvin

    Jim Melvin framed his remarks in the context of the difficult challenges we face in our communities, in this state, and in the country.  “The challenges that confront us are great,” Melvin began.  “Our nation is broke.  Our political system is flawed, characterized by citizens who elect representatives to spend their time trying to get more benefits for those who elected them rather than trying to solve our current problems and planning ahead to avoid future ones.  That’s how we’ve gotten to where we are,” he said.  “But all of you—the newest IOPL Fellows—are part of the answer!”  Describing some of the difficult moments he faced personally as an elected official, Melvin challenged the Fellows with this question: “Are you a servant leader or a self-serving leader?”   Melvin went on to add that the solution begins with recognizing that “we can’t keep giving everybody everything” and that “it begins at the local level.”  Set your priorities, seek to apply resources strategically to those priorities, work closely with others, maintaining civility and respect for others, and be determined to solve the problems.  “There will be many who oppose you quite vocally, but many, many more who may remain relatively silent but who deserve the fullest extent of your representation.”   His final words urged the Fellows to tackle all the issues with the same principle in mind: “Do the right thing!”

“Do the right thing!”

 “This was a great class and I thought Jim Melvin did an absolutely first-rate job of placing the challenges confronting us in the context of what these future North Carolina political leaders can and need to do to help address them and to serve the people they will represent ,” said Dorff.  “And Thom Little not only provided the official welcome from the University with whom we are now into our second full year of partnering, he also encouraged these new Fellows to go out and make a difference.  That was great, too.”  Dorff also noted there are now 875 graduates of the IOPL Fellows Program, individuals who have served and continue to serve our citizens all over this state.   He again reminded everyone of the joint support of the John William Pope Foundation and the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation as especially critical to the re-establishment and continuation of the Fellows Program.  But he noted that others have also provided very valuable support: The Cemala Foundation, SynerG of Action Greensboro, the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, the Mary Norris Preyer Fund, and the Julian Price Family Foundation.   “And people need to recognize the very special commitment made by the distinguished members of our Board of Directors: Henry Frye, Florence Gatten, Jim Hunt, Jim Melvin, Art Pope, Craven Williams, and our Chairman Emeritus Bill Friday.  Without them and their enthusiastic support of what we do, IOPL would not still be here today,” he said.   “Once again, we had a very special group of talented individuals who graduated today,” Dorff said, smiling.  “But they are not done yet.  We expect great things from them!” 

The Spring 2011 IOPL graduates are:
   
Benjamin (Ben) J. Ballou, Democrat, Dobson
Nicholas (Nick) K. Byrne, Democrat, Chapel Hill
Jonathan (Jon) P. DeHart, Democrat, Chapel Hill
Loura (Lainey) E. Edmisten, Democrat, Boone
Frederick (Fred) Johnson, Sr., Republican, Raleigh
Michael (Mike) D. Jones, Democrat, Greensboro
Robert (Tony) T. McGhee, Sr., Republican, Wilmington
Bishop A. McNeill, Democrat, Fayetteville
Earl L. Phillip, Republican, Charlotte
Mark E. Schreiner, Independent, Raleigh
Cynthia (Cindy) B. Sinkez, Democrat, Cary
Donna S. Williams, Republican, Raleigh
Jeremy R. Williams, Republican, High Point
Jessica N. Wood, Republican, Durham

For more information contact the IOPL at (336) 333-9010 or visit their website at www.iopl.org.

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