Thomas Stith III facts for kids
Thomas A. Stith III is an American politician who has held important roles in government and education. From 1999 to 2007, Stith was a member of the city council in Durham, North Carolina. Later, he worked at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill helping with economic development. He also served as a director for the federal Small Business Administration in North Carolina. In December 2020, Stith became the president of the North Carolina Community College System.
Political Career
Thomas Stith studied at North Carolina Central University. He also worked for a group called the John William Pope Civitas Institute.
Stith was first chosen to be on the Durham City Council in 1999. He was re-elected in 2001 and 2003. On the council, he held one of the "at-large" seats. This means he represented the whole city, not just one specific area.
In 2004, Stith tried to become the North Carolina Lieutenant Governor. He ran for the Republican nomination but was not chosen. The Lieutenant Governor is like a second-in-command to the state's governor.
2007 Mayoral Campaign
In 2007, Stith ran for mayor of Durham. He was running against the mayor at the time, Bill Bell. A mayor is the leader of a city government.
During the campaign, Stith talked about problems in Durham, like violence. He said he would work harder to fight crime than Mayor Bell had. Mayor Bell said that Stith had been on the city council for six years and could have done more then. Stith wanted more police officers on the streets. Mayor Bell believed the current police officers were well-equipped.
Later in 2007, there was a concern about Durham's drinking water. Stith sent out a campaign message that said Mayor Bell knew about the water issue but did not tell people. Mayor Bell said this message was "a complete lie." He also said that Stith did not have enough leadership experience to be mayor.
The election was on November 6, 2007. Stith lost to Mayor Bell. Stith received about 42% of the votes, while Bell received 58%. After the election, Farad Ali won Stith's seat on the City Council. This marked the end of Stith's time as a council member.
McCrory Administration
In 2012, Pat McCrory was elected as the new Governor of North Carolina. Governor-elect McCrory chose Stith to be his "transition director." This meant Stith helped McCrory prepare to take office.
Then, when Governor McCrory officially started in January 2013, Stith became his "Chief of Staff." The Chief of Staff is a very important helper who manages the governor's office and advises the governor.
