Our 2018 recipients have been called the “power couple of Governor’s School” – an apt description given their many years of service to both campuses and their tireless efforts to save the Governor’s School program in the face of the 2011-2012 budget crisis.

‍Joe Milner was a faculty member at both Governor’s School East and Governor’s School West, teaching Area 2 studies.  He also served as onsite director of Governor’s School East from 1999-2002. As head of the education department at Wake Forest University and founder of the Master Teacher Fellows program, Joe brought generations of graduate students to experience the ideal academic environment of the Governor’s School.  Upon retiring from campus, Joe served as President of the NC Governor’s School Foundation, where he led the campaign to save Governor’s School when funding was eliminated from the state budget in 2011-2012.  He spearheaded efforts to raise over $700,000 in private funding to keep the school open that summer and generated a groundswell of alumni support that convinced lawmakers to reinstate the program the following year.

Lucy Milner served as an English instructor at Governor’s School West for many years and then became onsite director at West in 1998.  There, she implemented critical innovations like the TAC program, the Deans of Students role, and the wildly popular optional seminars.  Above and beyond her program contributions, she formed the spirit of the campus: one of mutual respect and dialogue. Her legacy continues as students take part each year in what she called “The Great Conversation.”  At a time when the future of Governor’s School was in doubt, Lucy proved instrumental in coordinating the efforts of the Alumni Association and the Foundation in anticipation of our 50th year gala.

As one alumnus described, “Without Joe and Lucy’s leadership efforts, GS would have died in 2012.  Tens of thousands of alumni and future alumni have Joe and Lucy to thank for their ‘GS Experience’.”  Thank you, Joe and Lucy!

For those and many other reasons, the NC Governor’s School Foundation is proud to honor Joe and Lucy as Jim Hart Governor’s School Champion Award winners for 2018.