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Decker steps down as NC Commerce Secretary
Story Date: 12/3/2014
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Source: PRESS RELEASE, 12/2/14
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory announced Tuesday that Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker is resigning, and that John Skvarla will become the head of commerce.
McCrory became emotional, and near tears, as he talked about the work Decker has done in her role. He said North Carolina's unemployment rate was the fifth highest in the nation when he became governor, but that the state has gained 157,000 jobs.
"We have basically now recovered all the jobs that were lost in the recession," he said.
McCrory said Decker was his first choice of commerce secretary, and when he called her she was actually in the hospital having foot surgery.
"I said I've got an offer you can't refuse," McCrory said. "She said, 'We'll need to talk more.'"
McCrory said two months ago, he and Decker talked and Decker said she needed a job that allowed her to spend more time with her family. Decker said she was leaving for a job with a new company by the people who had started Raycom Sports in Charlotte.
Decker said she was particularly appreciative of what has been accomplished in two years to improve the lives of rural North Carolinians, but she said much more remains to be done. In particular, she said, there needs to be "connectivity" between North Carolina's rural areas and the rapidly growing urban areas.
But overall, she said of North Carolina, "There is wind in our wings now. We have the right structure in place."
Skvarla has been the head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Skvarla said he would miss DENR, and spoke with appreciation of the work of the staff there. But McCrory said he needed Skvarla, who has extensive business experience, at Commerce.
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