History of the Institute

The Institute of Political Leadership emerged in 1987 from the deliberations of a group of leading North Carolinians who were concerned about the lack of integrity found in our political system. These leaders joined together to begin a program to improve the quality of political and governmental leadership in state and local government.

Simply stated, the only purpose of this unique leadership program is to produce better qualified, ethical, accessible and more representative public leaders in North Carolina's state and local governments. The Institute is a multi-partisan, non-profit organization, with an annual budget of approximately $350,000, which provides leadership development of persons who have been identified as having the potential to become future public leaders. No other program offers such a comprehensive curriculum in strategic political leadership development.

The IOPL Board chooses 20 Fellows for each of two annual classes on the basis of leadership potential and commitment without regard to age, race, sex, ideology or party affiliation. The Institute's Executive Director, Dr. Robin Dorff, coordinates and directs a series of approximately 50 seminars and development sessions over ten alternate weekends.

Dr. Robert H. Dorff assumed duties as the new Executive Director of the IOPL on July 1, 2004. Prior to that he was Chairman of the Department of National Security and Strategy at the U.S. Army War College, where he previously served as Professor of National Security Policy and Strategy and holder of the General Maxwell D. Taylor Chair. From 1980 until 1997 he was a member of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at North Carolina State University, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses on U.S. Campaigns and Elections, Public Opinion and the Media, American Government, and U.S. National Security and Defense Policy. He has been extensively involved in strategic leadership development and is recognized today as a leading expert on strategy, strategy formulation, and strategic thinking.

Although the Institute was the first of its type in the nation, similar institutes, established with Dr. Walter De Vries' assistance, are now operating in Michigan, Virginia, Ecuador and all of the provinces of South Africa. 

William Friday, President Emeritus of the University of North Carolina system, served as the first Chairman of the Institute's Board of Directors and was a guiding force in the program's establishment.

Also instrumental in the IOPL's development and subsequent success was the late  H. Smith Richardson of Wilmington, retired CEO of Vicks Chemical Corporation. Mr. Richardson, an original Board member, provided six years of valuable advice, guidance and financial support to the Institute prior to retiring from the Board in January, 1994. Lanty Smith, CEO of Precision Fabrics Group in Greensboro, followed Mr. Friday as Board Chairman in 1990 and Janice H. Faulkner, retired Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Transportation, assumed the chairmanship in 1993. Thad Beyle, Professor of Political Science at UNC-CH served until 1997 and Dr. Michael C. Blackwell, President of the Baptist Children's Homes of N.C., became chairman in November 1997 and turned over this honor to Mr. Mack Pearsall in 2004. He is the owner of Pearsall Operating Company of Ashville.

With the graduation of the Fall, 2005 Class, the IOPL will have 765 Fellows representing 73 North Carolina counties. One is a Council of State member (Secretary of State Elaine Marshall), one is a N.C. Supreme Court Judge (Mark Martin), and nine of these Fellows now serve in the North Carolina General Assembly.  Four are on the UNC Board of Governors.

Many others are city council members, county commissioners, school board members, judges, clerks of court, registers of deeds, sheriffs, or hold other elected offices . Numerous other IOPL Fellows serve on appointed boards and commissions, on both the state and local levels, and several use their IOPL experience regularly while working in political campaigns.

IOPL
Greensboro College
815 West Market Street
Greensboro, NC 27401