UNC Liaison Lobbies Legislature
By Jessica Floyd

Most Carolina students recognize the names of James Moeser and Erskine Bowles. But there’s someone else who has a vital role in maintaining Carolina’s reputation.

Kevin FitzGerald serves as UNC’s liaison to the state legislature. His job is to communicate the needs of the University to lawmakers in Raleigh. FitzGerald sums up his job with an analogy.

“I’m the eyes and the ears of Carolina here at the General Assembly,” he said.

UNC is awarded more than 400 million dollars annually from the legislature. That’s more than double the revenue brought in by tuition. FitzGerald said one aspect of improvement that comes from that money is apparent to anyone who walks through UNC’s campus—construction.

“Anywhere you look at Carolina there is a crane and something’s getting built. We’re in the middle of a 1.8 billion dollars worth of construction. Every one of those projects were either approved or funded by the state,” said FitzGerald.

Although FitzGerald doesn't get to spend much time enjoying the campus improvements he lobbies for, he said he’s happy with the role he plays.

“What I find is that you’ve got your hand on the very essence of the challenges for the State and when you’re working on good stuff—it’s fun to go to work,” he said.

FitzGerald said he’ll continue to work with lawmakers to keep Carolina ranked among the top public institutions in the country.