Beverley Purdue

Governor Bev Perdue’s commitment to learning and collaboration have been a guiding principle in her life. She has led a 25-year career in public service that reached its zenith in 2008 when she was elected the first female governor of North Carolina. She was also elected to two terms as Lieutenant Governor and seven terms in the North Carolina Senate and House. She helped build public-private partnerships to help integrate 21st-century technology into classrooms throughout North Carolina. Her legacy includes the creation of a statewide broadband education network for public schools, which is now recognized nationally as the model to emulate due to its unparalleled success. By the end of her second term, North Carolina’s graduation rate was over 80% for the first time in history.