Tom Fetzer
Encyclopedia
Thomas Harrison Fetzer served three two-year terms as Mayor
of Raleigh, North Carolina
from December 1993 to December 1999. He was elected the chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party
on June 13, 2009, and served until January 15, 2011.
, Fetzer began his career in politics with appointments as Assistant Secretary of Natural Resources and Chief Deputy Secretary of the Department of Transportation
in the administration of North Carolina
Governor
James G. Martin
, as well as executive assistant to Senator John Porter East
(both Republicans
). After entering the private sector, Fetzer was a marketing executive.
to the area as the Carolina Hurricanes
and the construction of the RBC Center. Fetzer's administration also oversaw recovery from Hurricane Fran
.
Fetzer favored tax cuts and thought that public art was a waste of taxpayer funds as mayor.
and director of the Center for Local Innovation at the John Locke Foundation
(he was succeeded in this position by his future opponent for state party chair, Chad Adams). He then accepted a position with the United States Tennis Association
in New York
before returning to Raleigh several years later. He re-engaged in state and local politics, although not as a candidate but as a political consultant. In 2009, he ran for chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party
. He was elected chairman on June 13 on the second ballot at the party convention. Fetzer chose to leave the post of NCGOP Chairman five months before his term expired, and was replaced by former Congressman Robin Hayes
on January 15, 2011.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
from December 1993 to December 1999. He was elected the chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party
North Carolina Republican Party
The North Carolina Republican Party is the affiliate of the Republican Party in North Carolina. Robin Hayes was elected Chairman of the party on January 15, 2011, to serve the five months left in the unexpired term of Tom Fetzer....
on June 13, 2009, and served until January 15, 2011.
Early career
A graduate of Wake Forest UniversityWake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
, Fetzer began his career in politics with appointments as Assistant Secretary of Natural Resources and Chief Deputy Secretary of the Department of Transportation
North Carolina Department of Transportation
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is responsible for building, repairing, and operating highways, bridges, and other modes of transportation, including ferries in the U.S. state of North Carolina.-History:...
in the administration of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
Governor
Governor of North Carolina
The Governor of North Carolina is the chief executive of the State of North Carolina, one of the U.S. states. The current governor is Bev Perdue, North Carolina's first female governor.-Powers:...
James G. Martin
James G. Martin
James Grubbs "Jim" Martin is the 70th Governor of the state of North Carolina. He served from 1985 to 1993. He was the second Republican elected to the office after Reconstruction, and the fifth overall. He is also the only Republican to serve two full terms as governor.-Early Life &...
, as well as executive assistant to Senator John Porter East
John Porter East
John Porter East was a Republican U.S. senator from the state of North Carolina from 1981 until his suicide in 1986....
(both Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
). After entering the private sector, Fetzer was a marketing executive.
Mayor of Raleigh
During Fetzer's terms as mayor, city expansion continued,coupled with lower taxes. Police substations strategically placed throughout Raleigh helped bring about a decrease in the overall crime rate. He opposed a replacement for the city's Convention and Conference Center, preferring instead a modest renovation and expansion, but was instrumental in the relocation of the Hartford WhalersHartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
to the area as the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
and the construction of the RBC Center. Fetzer's administration also oversaw recovery from Hurricane Fran
Hurricane Fran
Hurricane Fran was a powerful Cape Verde-type hurricane of the 1996 Atlantic hurricane season that made landfall near Cape Fear in North Carolina at Category 3 strength. Throughout the eastern United States, early statistics on Fran reported 27 deaths and $3.2 billion in damage...
.
Fetzer favored tax cuts and thought that public art was a waste of taxpayer funds as mayor.
Teaching fellow and NCGOP Chairmanship
After choosing not to run for a fourth term in office, Fetzer served as a teaching fellow at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and director of the Center for Local Innovation at the John Locke Foundation
John Locke Foundation
The John Locke Foundation is a free market think tank in North Carolina started in 1990. Its mission statement says the "John Locke Foundation employs research, journalism, and outreach programs to transform government through competition, innovation, personal freedom, and personal responsibility...
(he was succeeded in this position by his future opponent for state party chair, Chad Adams). He then accepted a position with the United States Tennis Association
United States Tennis Association
The United States Tennis Association is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the United States. A not-for-profit organization with more than 700,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds to promote and develop the growth of tennis, from the grass-roots to the professional levels...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
before returning to Raleigh several years later. He re-engaged in state and local politics, although not as a candidate but as a political consultant. In 2009, he ran for chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party
North Carolina Republican Party
The North Carolina Republican Party is the affiliate of the Republican Party in North Carolina. Robin Hayes was elected Chairman of the party on January 15, 2011, to serve the five months left in the unexpired term of Tom Fetzer....
. He was elected chairman on June 13 on the second ballot at the party convention. Fetzer chose to leave the post of NCGOP Chairman five months before his term expired, and was replaced by former Congressman Robin Hayes
Robin Hayes
Robert Cannon "Robin" Hayes is the current chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party. For five terms from 1999 to 2009, he represented North Carolina's 8th congressional district in the House of Representatives.-Early life:...
on January 15, 2011.