North Carolina’s top elected statewide officials remembered former colleague Jim Long at their regular monthly meeting Tuesday, calling the ex-insurance commissioner a friend who dedicated his career to the state.
Long’s death Monday subdued what was otherwise a historic council meeting, in which a majority on the 10-member panel were women for the first time, led by new Gov. Beverly Perdue.
Long, who died at age 68 after suffering a stroke two weeks ago, served 24 years as commissioner and on the council before retiring last month.
“He was such a tremendous public servant,” Perdue said after the meeting. “He was so looking forward to this part of his life … it makes you realize that you’ve got to enjoy every day and live it to the fullest because nobody expected this.”
Perdue opened the meeting with a moment of silence for Long, who regulated the state’s health, automobile and life insurance companies. The Alamance County Democrat was elected six times, providing the human face to a complicated industry. He often fought to keep premium rates for car insurance among the lowest in the country.
“He gave his most important years to the people of this state. And that’s what life is all about — serving other people. And Jim Long did that,” said Attorney General Roy Cooper, another council member.
Cooper wore a red tie in memory of Long, who always donned a similar tie in honor of his father. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall said she couldn’t find a red tie in her husband’s closet so donned a red scarf instead.
Wayne Goodwin, a former assistant to Long who was elected commissioner in November after Long chose not to seek a seventh term, sat in Long’s old council seat Tuesday for the first time. He said he regrets not being able to talk with Long as the new commissioner.
“I’m going to call very deeply on conversations and memories and advice that we had given each other,” Goodwin said.
Marshall succeeded Long as the longest-serving member of the Council of State, a panel whose usual role is to handle routine state business such as giving final approval to state land transactions and the issuance of new state debt.
The panel’s composition was different Tuesday now that six of the 10 members are women. The November election of Beth Wood as state auditor and Janet Cowell had tipped the scales. But for Perdue and others, the finality of Long’s departure from the council hit home.
“In 30 days … the fabric of North Carolina changed,” the governor said. “I’m just so taken by this quick tragedy.”
Long’s family planned two funeral services — one at 2 p.m. Thursday at Hayes Barton Baptist Church in Raleigh and another at 2 p.m. Friday at The Church of the Holy Comforter in Burlington. Visitation was Wednesday in Raleigh and again Friday morning in Burlington.
Topics Leadership North Carolina
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