Reactions to Margaret Spellings’ hiring
“Laura and I congratulate our dear friend Margaret Spellings on her unanimous election as President of the University of North Carolina System. Margaret is a strong leader, a role model, and a tireless champion for America’s students. She has been among my most trusted confidants for nearly 20 years, including as my chief domestic policy advisor at the White House and as our Nation’s eighth Secretary of Education. She has done a spectacular job here in Dallas as President of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, and our loss is the UNC System’s gain. Laura and I, along with everyone at the Bush Center, are deeply grateful for her energy, smarts, and good humor. We will miss her and we wish her the very best when she heads to Chapel Hill next March.”
From former President George W. Bush, Spellings’ current boss
“Secretary Spellings is an extremely qualified individual who has the experience needed to lead the UNC System into the next era of distinction. UNC System stands head and shoulders above its peers worldwide, and Secretary Spellings has proven she possesses the level of determined leadership required to tackle the challenges that face higher education today. Secretary Spellings’ commitment to college affordability, accessibility, and accountability is precisely the right set of priorities that will allow our university system to thrive.”
U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis
“Margaret Spellings will make an outstanding president of the University of North Carolina system. Her years of commitment to college access and completion, particularly for traditionally underserved populations, and knowledge of the nexus between graduate success and job placement rank her amongst our country’s best education leaders.”
U.S. Sen. Richard Burr
“Margaret Spellings is an experienced leader who helped set a national higher education agenda around affordability and accountability, issues that continue to drive much of the postsecondary policy discussion in Washington today. She now brings that experience to the University of North Carolina, where she will be able to make new contributions to the dialogue around these and other important matters facing colleges and universities. We welcome her voice as part of the higher education community.”
Molly Broad, president of the American Council on Education and former UNC president
“We congratulate Margaret Spellings on her election as president of the University of North Carolina system, welcome her to our great state and look forward to meeting her. She has been a leader in public education at the highest level, and we trust she shares our passion for making our university system the best in the nation.”
Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore in a joint statement
“As governor I welcome Margaret Spellings to North Carolina and look forward to a great working relationship to further connect our students to unlimited educational and career opportunities so they can each fulfill their potential in our great state.”
Gov. Pat McCrory
“We are deeply troubled that Margaret Spellings has been selected as UNC system president. Public universities should be spaces where LGBT youth feel welcomed and accepted. However, Ms. Spellings has been a vocal opponent of the gay and transgender community. Our schools’ administrators are responsible for creating safe environments for our students to learn without distractions. This starts at the top. Spellings does not have the needs of North Carolina’s LGBT students in her interests. In order to help keep the Tar Heel State’s public universities safe, we encourage Margaret Spellings to take a hard look at what it means to be a gay or transgender student in the South.”
Equality NC Executive Director Chris Sgro
This story was originally published October 23, 2015 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Reactions to Margaret Spellings’ hiring."