Hunt key to NC development as tech jobs hub

>> THE SEASON OF SAVING.

>> ONE SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS.

THIS IS WRAL.

>> RIGHT NOW, FLAGS AT

HALF-STAFF ACROSS THE STATE IS

ONE OF MANY TRIBUTES WE'VE SEEN

TO HONOR THE LIFE OF FORMER

GOVERNOR JIM HUNT. THANK YOU

FOR BEING WITH US. I'M ASHLEY

ROWE AND I'M GRACE HOLLAND.

WE'VE TALKED TO SO MANY PEOPLE

SINCE WE LEARNED ABOUT HIS

DEATH AND ALL OF THEM.

>> HAVE A LOT TO SAY ABOUT HIS

LIFE OF SERVICE TO WRAL'S GRACE

TEVA, LEARN HOW HE HELPED

TRANSFORM RESEARCH TRIANGLE

PARK.

>> WITH 16 YEARS SPENT HERE

SERVING AS NORTH CAROLINA'S TOP

POLITICIAN FORMER GOVERNOR JIM

HUNT CROSSED PATHS WITH A LOT

OF PEOPLE BUT EVEN THOSE HE

DIDN'T ARE STILL FEELING THE

IMPACT OF THE LEGACY HE LEAVES

BEHIND. GOVERNOR, HOW WAS THE

GOVERNOR COMING FROM SOMEONE

ELSE KNOWS WHAT IT TAKES TO

HOLD THE TITLE. FORMER NORTH

CAROLINA GOVERNOR PAT MCCRORY,

A REPUBLICAN.

>> HARBORED DEEP RESPECT FOR

HUNT, A DEMOCRAT CORY SAYS HUNT

DESERVES CREDIT FOR SHAPING

THE STATE'S ECONOMY AS WE KNOW

IT TODAY, ESPECIALLY THE

BIOTECH SECTOR. YOU KNOW, HE

REALLY WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST

RECRUITERS OF BRINGING JOBS IN

NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTH

CAROLINA REALLY WASN'T ON THE

RADAR FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

HUNT WAS INTEGRAL IN THE

EXPANSION OF THE DEVELOPMENT

OF RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK.

>> HE LED THE CHARGE TO SECURE

MAJOR COMPANIES LIKE BIOGEN

AND GLAXO SMITH KLINE HIS LOVE

FOR HIS ALMA MATER, ALSO LED TO

THE CREATION OF NC STATE'S

CENTENNIAL CAMPUS. I DON'T

THINK WE'LL SEE THAT I DON'T

THINK MANY STATES WILL SEE.

>> JIM HUNT, FORMER GOVERNOR

MIKE EASLEY SUCCEEDED HUNT IN

91. HE SAYS HUNT BECAME A CLOSE

FRIEND AND MENTOR PROVIDING

ADVICE, SOLICITED AND

UNSOLICITED TO EASILY DURING

THE TRANSITION AND THROUGHOUT

HIS TENURE AS GOVERNOR EASLEY

TOLD WRAL HUNT WROTE A PLAY

BOOK HE AND OTHERS WOULD LATER

FOLLOW UP ITS THE KNOWLEDGE

TALENT AND SKILL.

>> THAT CAME FROM THOSE

UNIVERSITY BONDS AND COMMUNITY

COLLEGE BONDS AND THE EDUCATION

SYSTEM. AND WE CONTINUE TO

BUILD ON THAT. THAT'S WHAT

MAKES IT ATTRACTIVE. AND THE

PREDICTABILITY AND CERTAINTY TO

THE BUSINESS HAS A NORTH

CAROLINA DUE TO THE LOT OF THE

THINGS THAT HE PUT IN PLACE.

MANY OTHER STATE LEADERS ARE

SHARING THEIR CONDOLENCES,

INCLUDING THE MAN WHO NOW HOLDS

THIS POSITION.

>> GOVERNOR JOSH STEIN, HE

DESCRIBES HUNT AS A MENTOR AND

A FRIEND TO HEAR MORE FROM HIM

AND OTHERS. JUST LOOK FOR OUR

CONTINUING COVERAGE OF WRAL COM

IN RALEIGH. GREAT. SAVE A WRAL

NEWS. AND WE ALSO JUST LEARNED

ABOUT GOVERNOR HUNTS FUNERAL

ARRANGEMENTS.

>> HE'LL BE LAID TO REST IN

HIS HOMETOWN OF WILSON ON