Allred chosen to fill office

Student Body President Matt Calabria named sophomore James Allred as the new student body secretary Sunday, ending a three-week search for the post.

Calabria tapped Allred, a Morehead Scholar and an executive assistant to Calabria, to replace out-going secretary Bernard Holloway, who resigned Sept. 19 because of family concerns.

Allred possessed an attitude that set him apart from the other highly qualified candidates, Calabria said.

"He's passionate about being an ambassador to the student body," he said. "That's essentially the job of the secretary."

Allred said his main goal is to serve as a spokesman for student government.

"I really want to make sure that the student body in general knows about all of the opportunities that exist for them in student government," he said.

Allred was chosen from a group of five applicants vying for the position - the most qualified group to date, officials said.

A selection committee composed of student government officials narrowed the group to three after a thorough review of the applications and personal interviews with each applicant. Calabria then chose Allred from that group.

Student Congress still must approve the nomination at its meeting Oct. 19.

The timing of the selection occurred early enough for Allred to compile the October Report - one of the main responsibilities of the student body secretary.

The report summarizes the administration's accomplishments during its first six months in office. Student government officials began work on it shortly after Holloway's resignation.

"The main thing I'm worried about right now is the October Report," Allred said. "It should be done in two weeks."

Besides the report, Allred also will play a critical role in defining the new duties of the student body secretary.

This year's addition of an office manager changed the secretary's traditional role. Previous secretaries were burdened with logistical and troubleshooting work that took a significant amount of time.

"(Allred) gets a greater opportunity to think about better ways to communicate with the other branches and the student body in general," said Tre Jones, chief of staff.

Before his resignation, Holloway extended his responsibilities to include garnering support from state and national politicians and promoting increased communication with media sources and student groups.

Allred promised to continue to search for ways to serve the University community. "I grew up around this University, and I want to make sure I give back to this community that I love so much."

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.