"A child in the far reaches of our state who does not have access to rigorous course work is at a significant disadvantage; a virtual school can help rectify this."

Howard Lee
Executive Director of the NC Education Cabinet

Howard N. Lee was appointed to the State Board of Education by Governor Michael F. Easley on May 15, 2003, to fill an unexpired term. Board members unanimously elected him Chair of the Board. Lee, a former mayor of Chapel Hill and a former state senator, was the first African American to hold the post. During his tenure in the Senate, he gained a reputation as an education advocate, leading efforts to improve school safety, school accountability, and teacher quality. Most notably, Lee shepherded legislation through the General Assembly that established the ABCs Accountability Program and the Excellent Schools Act.

Chairman Lee received his BA in Sociology from Fort Valley State College and his Master's Degree in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is active on the Southern Regional Education Board and the Education Commission of the States. In addition to owning several businesses, Lee is a member of the North Carolina Utilities Commission and a former Senior Advisor with the Jim Hunt Institute for Public Policy. March 2009, Senator Lee was appointed by Governor Beverly E. Perdue as the Executive Director of the North Carolina Education Cabinet. 

Contact Information for Senator Lee:

20301 Mail Service Center

Raleigh, NC 27699-0301

Phone:  919-733-3044

Assistant:  Sandra Lilly