Q: It has been a challenging year for our state. What has been the biggest challenge for you? How would you describe your performance your first year in office?

A: North Carolina has struggled to recover from the global recession along with every other state in the nation. As the unemployment rate reached record levels and our state budget shortfall grew, it became clear that guiding our state through the toughest economic times in recent memory would be my biggest challenge.

It is painful to see how the recession hurts families on an individual level. Thousands lost their jobs, money got tight, people stopped spending, and some families couldn’t pay their mortgage. Jobs had to be my number one priority, and I’ve spent a significant amount of my first year in office working to position North Carolina for job growth, retraining and redevelopment.

I started the JobsNOW initiative to aggressively create jobs and train our work force. The economic recovery dollars helped create thousands of jobs and spur workers to get trained or retrain for new careers in fields that are hiring. Nearly every day, I’m on the phone or meeting with business leaders from around the world, convincing them to bring jobs to North Carolina — and we’ve had a lot of success. I’m proud of the work we’ve done and I’m confident that we are laying the foundation for a strong and sustainable economic future.

The economy didn’t just do a number on the pocketbooks of families in North Carolina—it has strained the financial resources of the state. This year our state faced its toughest budget crisis since the Great Depression. We had a $4.6 billion budget shortfall, and some budget proposals were calling for massive cuts to state services, including education. I worked with the General Assembly to protect the classroom first and avoid an income tax increase on all North Carolinians. In the end, we balanced a budget that continued to provide critical services, and we were named the number one state in the nation to do business by Site Selection Magazine. Our progress may be slow, but North Carolina will recover and move forward.

Q: Which accomplishments during your first year give you the greatest sense of pride?

A: First, I am proud of the work we’ve done to bring jobs to North Carolina. In the midst of a global recession that has strained North Carolina’s workforce, I am constantly talking with business leaders here in North Carolina and around the world about doing business here. That work has paid off. It seems like every week there is a new job announcement.

And the seeds we’ve sewn this year will pay off when North Carolina is poised to come out of the recession better than any other state.

I’m also extremely proud of the fact that we were able to shield our public school classrooms from massive cuts, despite a daunting budget shortfall. Some budget proposals called for an increase in class size of two students per class in all grades and other proposals called for no revenue increases, which would have caused horrific cuts to education and other vital services.

That was not acceptable to me. While the final budget was far from perfect, some important improvements were made. Specifically, children in grades K–3 didn’t see their class sizes increase and K–3 teachers and teachers’ assistants were protected.

Looking back on the year, I am most proud of the steps I’ve taken to bring integrity to this office and all of state government. On my first day in office, I signed a series of executive orders to increase transparency and accountability in government. I continued those reform efforts throughout the year, increasing standards for state employees and appointees to state boards and commissions. And my NC OpenBook project has shed light on state grants and contracts.

Q: What do you think are the most pressing needs of North Carolina’s rural regions around the state?

A: The number one priority is jobs. Some of the highest unemployment rates are found in our rural counties. That’s why my JobsNOW initiative is working all over North Carolina to create jobs and provide training to put folks back to work quickly or retrain

them for career changes.

We’ve announced job-creating projects in rural counties from the mountains to the coast. The 12-in-6 career training program in community colleges is giving folks the skills they need to find jobs quickly. And we’ve invested billions of federal recovery dollars in rural North Carolina—putting those dollars to use to move North Carolina

towards a faster recovery.

Q: If you could do anything you would like to do for rural North Carolina, what would you do?

A: I would guarantee that every child in rural North Carolina would graduate career ready—ready to succeed anywhere in the world in the 21st century economy. The

smartest investment we can make for rural North Carolina’s future is in our children’s education. It’s the bedrock of our economy.

And I’m already working on it. One example is the power of virtual learning. The NC Virtual Public School gives students, anywhere in North Carolina, access 24/7 to high-quality courses that might not be available at their local schools. Equal access to

education means equal opportunity. If we give rural students an equal opportunity

to graduate career ready, then those areas will not fall behind.

Q: Cooperatives have always helped educate rural families and businesses about energy efficiency and the energy business in general. What do you consider the most pressing energy issues facing the state as a whole? What are your priorities for addressing these pressing energy issues?

A: While energy prices continue to rise, North Carolina must find “green” solutions to control our costs. That means energy efficiency, a smart grid and renewable energy

to decrease our reliance on energy imports. That means we’ve got to invest in new green technologies and work with existing energy leaders to find solutions to our common goals.

Q: What is your assessment of the state’s progress on alternative and renewable energy?

A: Today, North Carolina and America are in a race with the rest of the world to develop new green technologies. During my recent economic development trip to Asia, I saw that China has already taken big steps toward building a green economy.

We are making progress here in North Carolina. Two years ago I started the Green Business Fund and we’ve already awarded 27 grants worth $2 million to support green innovation at small businesses across the state.

And the NC Employment Security Commission was recently awarded $1 million in recovery funds to survey the green jobs available in North Carolina and study what skills those jobs require.

But we must do more. In November we held the first meeting of a reenergized

Energy Policy Council. That council must do some big thinking on what it will take to develop North Carolina’s green economy.