A JOURNEY COMMENCES

The adventures chronicled in this blog will begin around 4:00 a.m. on Friday, November 3, 2006.

I will stumble out of bed, down a cup of coffee, and, in an early morning fog, head for RDU Airport. That inauspicious start will mark the beginning of my Eisenhower Fellowship to Southeast Asia.

Its purpose?

To connect me with leaders in government and industry in Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. To provide me with new and international perspectives on how economic development strategies can help tackle the challenges posed by urbanization.

What, exactly, does that mean?

Come along with me and my wife Kay and find out.

I serve as Director of Legal and Legislative Affairs for the North Carolina Department of Commerce. It's my job to help build and shape policies and laws that will grow the economy and create jobs and opportunity here in North Carolina.

With any luck, after eight weeks on this grand adventure, I'll have learned a few things that will help me do that even better.