Stephen Neuman, senior adviser to Gov. Bev Perdue, is leaving that post Friday to work for a federal PAC started by the governor of Maryland.
The Washington Post reported that Neuman will be senior adviser to the O Say Can You See PAC that Gov. Martin O’Malley started. O’Malley is chairman of the Democratic Governors Association. Politicians often start federal PACs when they’re considering runs for national office, and O’Malley has been mentioned as a possible candidate in 2016.
Neuman was North Carolina chief of staff for Barack Obama’s winning North Carolina campaign in 2008.
Jon Romano, Perdue’s communications director, is leaving to work for the “Fix the Debt” campaign founded by Erskine Bowles and former GOP Sen. Alan Simpson.
Bowles worked in the White House for former President Bill Clinton as his chief of staff and later served as president of the UNC system.
Romano will be the campaign’s vice president for communications.
The campaign seeks to build support for a plan to curb the national debt. The co-chairmen are former GOP Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire and former Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania.
Neuman has worked for Perdue since mid-2011. Romano joined her office in late 2011.
“Steve and I have been honored to work for this governor who has worked so hard to improve opportunities for children in North Carolina and who has dedicated herself to preserving and enhancing North Carolina’s well-earned reputation as among the best states in the country to live, invest, and grow a business,” Romano said.
UNC advisory group named
UNC system leaders have formed a broad advisory group that will help shape the future of the state’s public universities.
Serving on the planning group are UNC chancellors, UNC board members, education leaders, business leaders and GOP leaders in the legislature, House Speaker Thom Tillis and Senate Pro Tem Phil Berger.
The appointments were announced Thursday by UNC President Tom Ross and Peter Hans, chairman of the UNC Board of Governors.
Among the business leaders are Art Pope, CEO of Variety Wholesalers, a key Republican donor and sometime critic of the university system. Other business people on the panel are Bob Ingram, retired executive with GlaxoSmithKline, AT&T President Cynthia Marshall and Lew Ebert, president of the North Carolina Chamber.
Education leaders include retired UNC President Bill Friday and N.C. Community College System President Scott Ralls.
Others are State Treasurer Janet Cowell and Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco. Four chancellors will serve on the committee, including UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Holden Thorp.
A separate fact-finding group is led by Fred Eshelman, a Wilmington pharmaceutical executive and member of the UNC board. A report by his group will be presented to the UNC board in January. “We are going to be brutally critical of the data,” Eshelman said.
Ross said his goals are: set degree attainment goals for the universities; improve academic quality; serve the people of North Carolina; maximize efficiencies; and ensure an accessible and financially stable university system.
Ralph Reed to stump for Forest
Former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed will be in North Carolina next month to help GOP lieutenant governor candidate Dan Forest raise money.
Reed, founder of the Faith & Freedom Coalition, will headline a fundraiser for Forest’s campaign on Oct. 5 in Burlington. Tickets start at $100.
Forest, a first-time candidate, is running against Democrat Linda Coleman, a former legislator and director of the Office of State Personnel.
Staff writers Lynn Bonner, Jane Stancill
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