VGCC Hosts Panel Debate TV Program; Local Community Invited to Observe

NC SPIN, considered the state’s leading public policy television program, will be hosted at Vance-Granville Community College on Tuesday, May 2.

A round table discussion from the panelists will begin in the Civic Center at 7:30 p.m., one hour after a reception in the building’s lobby to which the public is invited.

Believing there is a lack of in-depth, balanced presentation of North Carolina issues, NC SPIN was created to fill that void. Each week four panelists representing a range of political philosophies engage in an unrehearsed 30-minute program dealing exclusively with issues like education, taxes, politics, race, transportation, and the economy that affect the people of North Carolina.

Vance-Granville Community College is the first community college to host the show.

Tom Campbell is the creator, executive producer and moderator of NC SPIN. He will lead the panel discussion at VGCC.

Panelists for the show filming May 2 will be Phil Kirk, Kennon Briggs, Chris Fitzsimon and Theresa Kostrzewa.

Kirk is vice president of Catawba College. He has served in both the North Carolina and United States governments, and he is the former chairman of the N.C. State Board of Education. Kirk served 16 years as president of North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry.

Briggs is vice president for Business and Finance for the N.C. Community College System. He has been a senior budget analyst in the Office of Management and Budget and served as county manager of Yadkin County.

Fitzsimon is director of N.C. Policy Watch, a public policy organization with the goal of improving quality of life in North Carolina. They attempt to do this by convincing state leaders to address the state’s most important problems, including housing, health care, education, wages, and the struggles of immigrants.

Kostrzewa operates her own government and community relations consulting firm, Capitol Advantage Associates. She has managed political campaigns and has served on the staff of state elected officials. She is a regular panelist on NC SPIN.