Donate to the David Lawrence Professorship fund          
Long-time School of Government professor David Lawrence recently announced his plans to retire at year’s end. A committee has been formed to appropriately honor Lawrence with an endowed professorship established in his name.

The amount needed to endow such a professorship is $500,000. This committee, chaired by Charlotte City Attorney DeWitt (Mac) McCarley, hopes to raise $333,000 with the state matching the remaining $167,000.

“This campaign will both honor David for the great work he has done over the years at the School of Government and provide a way to continue the kind of support David and the Institute have provided to all of us in local government,” said McCarley. “No other person has had the broad and profound impact on North Carolina local government that David has. In his work on public records, open meetings, capital project financing and general law, David has touched just about every local government manager, clerk and attorney in the state. We count on David, and he has always been there for us.”

McCarley is asking for NCCCMA members and other groups to pledge toward this endeavor. (NCCCMA has pledged $25,000 over three years to go toward the professorship.) This campaign began on January 1 and will conclude in December, when Lawrence retires.

McCarley hopes to have “about 225 managers, attorneys, clerks, finance and budget directors and others who have benefitted from David’s work” to make personal gifts or pledges of $1,000.

“This is a great way to show David how much we appreciate his contribution to us and local government in North Carolina and to build the capacity of the School of Government to continue providing that level of service in the future,” said McCarley.

If you are interested in pledging to the David M. Lawrence Distinguished Professorship, please contact Ann Simpson at the School of Government at 919-843-2799. Gifts can be sent to the School of Government, UNC-Chapel Hill, CB#3330 Knapp-Sanders Building, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3330.