By CLARA CARTRETTE
News Editor

Former Chief Superior Court Judge William “Bill” Gore, Jr. of Whiteville has been appointed commissioner of the N. C. Division of Motor Vehicles.

“After becoming one of the youngest judges elected to District Court in North Carolina, Bill Gore spent nearly three decades building a career marked by integrity, service and a commitment to justice,” Gov. Mike Easley said upon announcing Gore’s appointment this morning. “I am confident that he will continue to serve North Carolinians with the same standard of excellence in his new role as DMV Commissioner.”

Gore said last week, upon announcing his retirement from the bench, that he had not been offered a position in state government.
“At that time I had not been offered the position,” Gore said. “Gov. Easley and I had talked, but he had not offered the position.”
Gore said he has been talking about retiring for the past two years, “but nobody believed me,” he said.

He will go to Raleigh Friday to do a walk-through at the DMV.

“I’m not going in with a political agenda,” he said. “I will serve at the pleasure of the governor until the next election, and then I plan to practice law after that.

“I am deeply honored that Governor Easley believes I can bring something useful to the Division of Motor Vehicles, he continued. “This unit of state government touches every driver and family in North Carolina. The public servants who work there should be encouraged that Governor Easley insists that ‘you can’t go wrong by doing right’ and our citizens have every right to expect honesty, integrity, and fair dealing from every DMV representative.”

Gore said he brings 30 years of legal experience in the civil and criminal trial courts of North Carolina to this challenging position, “and I look forward with anticipation to working closely with Secretary Tippett and the Board of Transportation as we administer the duties of the Division. I appreciate the governor’s confidence, and will try my utmost to instill the honor, integrity, and respect for this Division that North Carolinians should expect of all state government officials. The public may rest assured that everyone at DMV will work hard to that end during my tenure.

“I can only promise that I will try to take some Columbus County common sense to Raleigh and do the right thing as issues arise. The governor told me just to ‘come to Raleigh and be Bill Gore’ and that’s all I can do.”

The Gores don’t plan to move to Raleigh, his wife Michele said.

“We have had long and detailed family discussions about that,” she said. “Bill will stay in Raleigh much as he would if he were holding court there for six months, except this will be longer. He will come home during the week when he can and on weekends. We are preparing for Dawn’s wedding in September, and I have to do a lot here to get ready for that. Also, this is home and we think it’s important to keep the home fires burning here. Tara would have to leave Raleigh and return here in the middle of her junior year of high school if we move her there.”

Michele said they also want to remain close to her mom at Holden Beach and his parents who live nearby in the event they need them.
“We will get to Raleigh when we can to visit, hopefully frequently,” she said. “Lindsey (another of the Gores’ daughters) graduated from N.C. State and lives in Raleigh, so Bill will have some family there, too.”

Gore, 55, is the former Senior Resident Superior Court Judge for Judicial District 13A which includes Bladen and Columbus counties. He served in this position from 1992 to 2007 and retired from the bench on July 31. Gore has also served as a chief district court judge, an assistant district attorney and a private practice lawyer. He was a candidate for a North Carolina Supreme Court seat last year.
Gore received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1974. He earned his juris doctorate cum laude from North Carolina Central University School of Law in 1977.

Gore is a charter board member of the Whiteville chapters of Parents for the Advancement of Gifted Education and Communities In Schools. He is a member of the Columbus County Law Enforcement Officers Association, served on the board of directors for the Columbus County Arts Council and was chairman of the deacon board at Pleasant Plains Baptist Church. Gore is a recipient of the Jaycee’s Distinguished Service Award, and has also been an advisory board member for the Columbus County Fair since its inception in 1980. He is married to Michele Rohde Gore and has four children.

As DMV commissioner, Gore will oversee daily operations for the division, which includes oversight of driver licenses, vehicle registration, and safety and emissions inspections. His appointment as DMV commissioner is effective immediately.