Happy Birthday, Governor Hunt.

Yesterday was The Honorable James B. Hunt's birthday.

For more than five decades, Governor Hunt has shown us that public service isn’t about a title—it’s about impact.

As the longest-serving governor in North Carolina history, he made early childhood education a priority long before it became a national conversation. He raised expectations for what public schools could be: championing higher standards, stronger teaching, and better systems that serve all children.

He believed then what we believe now: education is the door to opportunity. That belief continues to guide everything we do at The Hunt Institute.

Today, that legacy lives on in tangible ways. Our Hunt-Kean Leadership Fellows program—now 263 Fellows strong—includes leaders from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Eleven of them are now sitting governors. That kind of momentum speaks for itself.

And it's not just one program. Through our State Legislators Retreats, Hunt State Policy Fellows, the Governors Advisors Retreat, and more, we support leaders across government and geography. We connect the dots between research and policy, and we help build bipartisan solutions that put students first.

That bipartisan spirit was always central to Governor Hunt’s approach. He knew that lasting change in education doesn’t come from one side of the aisle: it comes from bringing people together, especially when they disagree. That’s the work we’re proud to carry forward.

Happy Birthday, Governor Hunt. We’re grateful for the path you paved—and we’re honored to keep walking it.

Sincerely,
Dr. Javaid Siddiqi
President & CEO

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