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Speaker: Elaine F. Marshall, NC Secretary of State
In 1996, Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall became the first woman ever elected to a statewide, executive branch office in North Carolina and has served as President of the National Association of Secretaries of State. Voters re-elected her to a seventh term in 2020. A former teacher, small business owner, and private practice attorney, Secretary Marshall was elected to the NC Senate before rising to statewide office.
Under Secretary Marshall’s administration, more than 1.7 million businesses have been formed, she has pioneered e-commerce in government, protected investors and intellectual property owners, and promoted financial capital formation in North Carolina.
Secretary Marshall has been very active in many civic groups in the areas of child welfare, women's issues, and agriculture and small town economic development. She credits 4-H as an important part of her youth and received Lifetime Achievement Awards from North Carolina 4-H and in 2014 was inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame .
She holds a B.S. in Home Economics from the University of Maryland and a law degree from Campbell University. She has received Honorary Doctorate Degrees from Campbell University, Lees-McRae College, Meredith College and the Republic of Moldova State University of Medicine.
Since becoming Secretary of State, she has received numerous state and national awards for leadership in technology, government innovation, and women's leadership. These awards include:
She is married to Jessie Thomas Bunn, who will be joining us.
Topic: Riding the Wave
Secretary of State Elaine Marshall will discuss North Carolina's hot bed of a business climate for new businesses, entrepreneurs, and the established business community. New data clearly points to what businesses need and that we have a short time window to connect them with the right resources. Secretary Marshall will also discuss other intersections with the Agency to help prevent business ID theft and other steps to take to keep your business safe.
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