June Atkinson
American politician / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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June St. Clair Atkinson (born August 19, 1948) was elected North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction on November 3, 2004, in a race that was decided by the North Carolina General Assembly on August 23, 2005. She was re-elected in 2008 and 2012.
June Atkinson | |
---|---|
North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction | |
In office November 3, 2004 ā January 1, 2017 | |
Governor | Mike Easley Bev Perdue Pat McCrory |
Preceded by | Patricia Willoughby |
Succeeded by | Mark Johnson |
Personal details | |
Born | (1948-08-19) August 19, 1948 (age 75) Moneta, Virginia, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | William Gurley |
Education | Radford University (BS) Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (MS) North Carolina State University (EdD) |
As State Superintendent, Atkinson organized and managed the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI), and was secretary and Chief Administrative Officer of the North Carolina State Board of Education.[1] She was also an ex officio member of the North Carolina Council of State.
Atkinson was narrowly defeated in her bid for a fourth term by political newcomer Mark Johnson, losing the 2016 general election in North Carolina by about 1.2 percent,[2] and left office on January 1, 2017. Atkinson was the longest-serving state superintendent in the country when she left office and she was also the first woman to be elected to that post in the State of North Carolina.[3]