Business and Citizen Leaders Honored for Efforts in Public Schools
Wake Education Partnership Presents Annual Awards
WAKE COUNTY –Wake County’s prestigious awards honoring involvement in sustained academic excellence in the public schools were presented Thursday, Oct. 12, 2006, before more than 600 business, government, parent and school leaders during Wake Education Partnership’s Annual Meeting.
Capitol Broadcasting Company President and CEO James F. “Jim” Goodmon was named the 2006 Friend of Education. Barnhill Contracting Company and KB Home received the 2006 Business Partner for Education Awards.
The Friend of Education Award was established by Wake Education Partnership in 1990 to celebrate extraordinary acts of leadership by citizens for public education. Recipients of the award have included many of our most accomplished and respected leaders of industry, government and community.
Often described as “visionary,” Jim Goodmon has challenged the community and its leaders to make school funding a priority and to promise every child a quality education. Former Governor Jim Hunt described Goodmon as “a great education leader” and one of the people “in our state who has done the most to help improve pubic schools and to help the children of North Carolina.”
Goodmon grew up in Raleigh and attended Broughton High School, where he served as class president. His accomplishments through Capitol Broadcasting Company and the A.J. Fletcher Foundation have demonstrated his strong commitment to ensuring success for all students in North Carolina’s public schools. Goodmon is chairman of the Board of the A.J. Fletcher Foundation and The Fletcher Academy School of Achievement. He joined Capitol Broadcasting Company in 1968, and has been its President and CEO since 1979.
“He believes, as a businessman, that early investment makes a lot difference in what is achieved later,” said Karen Ponder, president of N.C. Partnership for Children. “Because of his work, SmartStart children are better brepared for school than ever before.”
The Business Partner for Education Awards, given by Wake Education Partnership and the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, recognize Wake County businesses that provide exemplary leadership and support for Wake’s public schools through sustained commitment of employees at all levels.
Barnhill Contracting Company has been a partner of Wake County Public School System since 1989. Their work has been critical in ensuring that all Wake County students have high-quality learning environments and that our educators have great places in which to teach. Barnhill employees have served on important district committees and in PTA leadership roles, offering their expertise to ensure high standards of quality and effective decision-making for all Wake County public schools. They also work hard to save the district time and money—valuable resources for our rapidly-growing school system—and to ensure that all students in our schools are safe. John Muter, vice president of Barnhill's Building Division, accepted the award.
KB Home believes in the importance of access to a high-quality education system for all families. The company has been generous in its financial donations to support public education, but more importantly in its partnerships with community groups including Wake Education Partnership; the Garner Education Fund; Communities in Schools; the Cary Chamber’s Honor a Teacher award program; and the Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Council. KB Home has instituted an open policy to encourage employees to participate in school activities, in addition to providing special discounts for educators and in-kind donations for Wake County classrooms. They are currently supporting the 2006 bond referendum by having senior personnel involved in strategic planning of the campaign, and mailing thousands of bond information brochures at their own expense. Division President Trish Hanchette accepted the award.