Ballard Everett is a public affairs and political consultant in Raleigh. Ballard was involved in the successful 1972 campaign of Governor Jim Holshouser, the first Republican elected Governor since 1896. He served as the Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Transportation and in the Department of Administration. Over the years he has worked with numerous campaigns ranging from President to County Commissioner and has been lead consultant on four of the largest bond referendums ever held in North Carolina. All were successful. In 2006, Ballard served as the consultant on the successful Wake County $970 million school bond, the second largest bond referendum in the Country that year. With more than 40 years of experience in Republican politics, Ballard knows how to navigate the increasingly complicated maze of government bureaucracy. He provides his clients with political and public policy advice that helps them develop a message designed to achieve their desired results. More importantly, he knows how to get them to the right people and decision makers. He is considered one of the best in developing political education, grassroots and Grasstops programs and is a firm believer in utilizing social media as much as possible. He has worked on issues such as health care, motorsports, trade agreements, agriculture, telecommunications, insurance, energy and defense. For several years Ballard could be heard each week on State Government Radio’s “People in Politics” with Democrat consultant Brad Crone and host Scott Carr. He frequently appeared on News14 Carolina’s Capital Tonight with host Tim Boyum. He has appeared on BBC Radio. Ballard earned his B. A. in Political Science from North Carolina State University in 1969. .