In the past two years, criticism has been raised by student groups about the political activities of the members of the UNC-system Board of Governors. As a result, View from the Hill will have a series of installments profiling the political activities of the Board. This is the first installment.
Peter D. Hans
Position on the Board: Hans serves as Chairman of the Board of Governors.
Connection to the System: Hans received a B.A. in Political Science from UNC-CH 1991.
Term: 2011-2015
Political Activity: Hans is a public policy adviser to the law firm Nelson Mullins. In the past, Hans worked for then-U.S. Rep. Richard Burr, R-NC, now a U.S. Senator, as well as Sen. Lauch Faircloth and Sen. Elizabeth Dole. Hans has also donated $7,300 to Republican candidates like Gov. Pat McCrory, as well as making a $50 dollar donation to Democrat A.B. Swindell.
Frank Grainger
Position on the Board: Grainger is the Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors.
Connection to the System: Prior to serving on the board, Grainger was a member of N.C. State University College of Education and Psychology Advisory Board and the NCSU Parks Scholarship Board.
Term: 2011-2015
Political Activity: Along with being the owner and founder of Fair Products Inc., a tobacco care company, Grainger has been heavily involved in Republican politics. In 2012, Grainger donated $6,800 to the North Carolina Republican Party, $900 to elections for the N.C. General Assembly and $1,000 to Republican Presidential nominee Gov. Mitt Romney. Grainger also co-signed an open letter to Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives, urging them to act on immigration reform.
Ann Goodnight
Positions on the Board: Goodnight is Secretary of the Board and serves on the Educational Planning, Policies and Programs Committee.
Connection to the System: Goodnight received her B.A. in Political Science from N.C. State University in 1968. She also was a trustee of NCSU and was an adviser to the William and Ida Friday Institute at the same university.
Term: 2011-2015
Political Activity: Goodnight has donated to candidates from both parties. In 2012, Goodnight donated $2,500 to the Romney campaign, as well as $4,000 to N.C. Senate President Pro Tempore Sen. Phil Berger, R-Guilford, and $4,000 to N.C Sen. Tamara Barringer, R-Wake. But that same year, Goodnight donated to Democratic candidates, including $8,000 to then-Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, $1,000 to Liuetenant Gubernatorial candidate Linda Coleman and $500 to N.C. Rep. Rosa Gill, D-Wake.
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