Regional

Two North Carolina Celebs Speak at Regional Institute

Jerry Bledsoe; Dr. Judy Cheatham, Director, Graduate Programs in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, Greensboro College; and Dr. Lee W. Kinard, Jr., Executive Assistant to the President, Guilford Technical Community College, and founding producer/host of "The Good Morning Show" in Greensboro.

Two of the state's best known personalities spoke at the North Carolina Professional Development Institute in Greensboro, June 10–11. Bestselling author Jerry Bledsoe and Dr. Lee W. Kinard, Jr., former host of Greensboro's "The Good Morning Show," talked about the influence that reading and books have had on their careers.

Bledsoe worked as journalist for more than 20 years and has written 21 books. He contributes investigative reports to the Rhinoceros Times, including a series that detailed controversies surrounding the Greensboro Police Department. His first published book was "The World's Number One, Flat-Out, All-Time Great Stock Car Racing Book," in 1975. His book "Bitter Blood" was #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and was adapted as a television movie.

Bledsoe told the story of how he became an avid reader when he was in the military, stationed overseas and feeling especially lonely. He came across a novel set in North Carolina, his home state. Through reading, he said, he felt transported back to North Carolina, back home, even though he was thousands of miles away.

Called the most recognized man in North Carolina, Dr. Lee W. Kinard, Jr., is widely known as the founding producer/host of "The Good Morning Show" in Greensboro. He has devoted his career to promoting education and all topics associated with literacy. Dr. Kinard talked about his struggles with schooling, being told he would never succeed, and how books had been important for him. In his role as the anchor of "The Good Morning Show," he traveled the world intentionally reporting from places that were settings for books that had been important to him, including Amsterdam, Greece, and Egypt.

The Institute drew literacy professionals from all over North Carolina and the southeast region. The North Carolina Literacy Association and Greensboro College co-sponsored the event.