Past President

The North Carolina Retired School Personnel (NCRSP) is a division of the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) and represents members who are retired school system employees, both certified and non-certified. NCRSP is organized into 10 geographic regions and 100 local units, with a state office in Raleigh.

Dear NCRSP Family,

As I complete my service as your NCRSP President, my heart is full of gratitude.

Honor. Serving this organization has been one of the great honors of my life. NCRSP is more than a retired school personnel organization. We are a family of school service personnel, educators, advocates, mentors, administrators, volunteers, and friends who continue to believe in the power of public education and in the dignity of those who devoted their lives to North Carolina’s schools.

Endurance. During these years, we have faced challenges, changes, and hard decisions. We have also celebrated growth, service, leadership, fellowship, and the enduring strength of our members across every region and local unit. Time and again, NCRSP members have shown what dedication looks like — not only in words, but in action.

Thankfulness. I am especially grateful to the officers, region directors, local presidents, committee chairs, volunteers, staff, and members who have given their time, wisdom, patience, and encouragement. Nothing meaningful is ever accomplished by one person alone. The work of NCRSP has always belonged to all of us.

Living Agenda. Even in these last few days of my presidency, additional critical items have arisen, along with several longer-term matters that require attention. These issues will be addressed shortly, thoughtfully, and responsibly. I am confident that the NCRSP work will be carried on well. We are all committed to the well-being of our beloved retirees.

Capable Hands. As I leave this office, I ask each of you to give your full support to our new leadership team: President Tama Bouncer, Vice President Sandra Hatley, Treasurer Gretchen Lampe, and Secretary Julia Yamaoka Thorn. Give them your cooperation, your encouragement, your trust, your patience, and your willingness to help. They will need the strength of the whole organization behind them, and NCRSP is strongest when we work together.

The Future. Although my term as President is ending, my service to NCRSP is not. I will continue to serve as Past President, and I understand deeply how important that role can be. When Dr. Willie Ramey passed away, we lost the late-night counsel and advice of his experience and historical perspective, and the kind of guidance that only comes from having walked the path before. I hope to honor that memory by remaining available, supportive, and faithful to the work of NCRSP.

Hope and Faith. As I leave this office, I do so with confidence in the future of NCRSP. The work will continue. Our mission remains important. Our voice still matters. Our members still need strong leadership, clear communication, faithful stewardship, and a shared commitment to keeping NCRSP strong for those who come after us.

Continuing Cause. I ask each of you to continue stepping forward. Serve where you are needed. Support one another. Share your ideas. Mentor new leaders. Protect the organization we love. Keep faith with our history, but do not be afraid to help shape our future.

The Open Door. To our current members: thank you for keeping NCRSP strong. Please continue inviting friends, former colleagues, and fellow retired school personnel to learn more about who we are and what we do and what we will accomplish together.

Come Along with Me! Join NCRSP! The Best Is Yet to Be. Please tell all that we warmly invite all to join us. NCRSP offers fellowship, information, advocacy, leadership opportunities, service, and a statewide network of people who understand the value of a life devoted to public education. There is always a place for you in NCRSP.

Grace and Gratitude. Thank you for the privilege of serving as your President. Thank you for your friendship, your trust, your honesty, and your love for this organization. I will always treasure this chapter of my life, and I look forward to watching and helping NCRSP’s next chapter unfold with pride and hope. And I am always available to you.

With deep appreciation and warmest regards,

Linda Gunter
NCRSP President 2022-2026

lindagunter@gmail.com, 919-368-6645 | unsubscribe

“The May 2023 release of the Brookings Institute study of voting demographics shows that Americans 65 years of age or older formed the largest ballot group in the last election. If we can also prove that an important segment of voters is part of NCRSP, that factor may be one that cannot be ignored and must be heeded.

“I am grateful to serve as your president, and as those of you who work with me know, our NCRSP leadership team and I are purpose-driven to make a positive difference for North Carolina Retired School Personnel. . . because Retirees Deserve Better.”

Who is Linda Gunter?

Lobbyist for NCRSP, former NC Senator Linda Gunter, retired social studies teacher, once NCAE UniServe Director, always grandmother and chief spokesperson for retired school personnel, fighting for our benefits.

After graduating from Cary High School, Linda Gunter earned a degree in social studies education from High Point College in 1971 and taught at Cary High School from 1971 to 2002. She was known for encouraging civic involvement by her students. In 1988, she received $1,000 along with the John Stevens Excellence in Teaching Award from the Wake Education Foundation. In the fall of 1991, her classes began the Adopt-A-GI project in which students corresponded with local soldiers serving in the Gulf War. Two years later, the project resulted in a student-generated book. Linda has taught social studies: American History, Law and Justice, American Political Process and Vietnam.

Also in 1971, Linda joined NCAE where she has served in various leadership capacities over the past 52 years. She became an Association Representative, and her political involvement began when Wake NCAE encouraged her to attend a precinct meeting. She serves as a Congressional Contact Team member for US Rep. David Price, and a Legislative Contact Team member. Linda chaired various committees for Wake NCAE including the PAC Committee, and she was elected Vice President.

In 1992, Gunter was elected to the North Carolina Senate representing the

36th district with the support of educators in our campaign, winning by about 600 votes. Legislation Linda passed included making wading pools safe for children and requiring an expiration date on all prescriptions. Due to her 100% voting record for public education, Linda received the NCAE A+ Legislator Award.

After retiring from teaching, Linda worked as a UniServ for Wake NCAE. The next year she moved to the NCAE Government Relations Office as a Legislative Specialist, lobbying in the General Assembly. She also recruited the Legislative Contact Team members and managed all the NCAE endorsements statewide.

In 2014, Linda was recruited to run for Wake RSP President and served two terms. In 2018, she ran for NCRSP Vice President and served two terms. She continued her service on the State Legislative Committee working to expand our lobbying efforts. Earlier in 2022, she worked with an ad hoc group to develop a statewide PAC fundraising effort which raised $21,035.95. In addition, she has diligently worked to improve the Panorama as a member of the communication committee.

Governor Cooper appointed Linda as the retired member on the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement Board of Trustees where she learned about our retirement and shared it with our NCRSP members (2018-2023). Linda resigned from this position to register as NCRSP’s lobbyist.

In 2019, Governor Cooper honored Linda Gunter with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.

Linda states, “The leadership opportunities provided by NEA, NCAE and NCRSP, have given me the skills to serve as your president. When I first joined, I had no idea I was making a lifetime commitment to the Association and its members, but it continues to be a noble and rewarding cause.”

NCRSP President’s Message

“As your state president, my primary goal is to make NCRSP a more member-driven organization: (1) Grow our grassroots legislative involvement as our members develop relationships directly with their state legislators; (2) Modernize the Panorama to an award-winning NEA-R publication; (3) Increase our membership by 500 members (5 per local) over the next two years; (4) Launch a Membership Benefit Ambassador Committee to raise the standard of living for all retirees; (5) Strengthen the political voice of retirees through PAC funds; (6) Support the North Carolina Foundation for Public School Children; (7) Seek a solution to a navigable and daily updated website -which resulted in the development of a whole new NCRSP site by a member volunteer.

“My vision for growing our membership is to strengthen the voice of our retirees’ needs in the face of 21st century demands with only current 20th century benefits. Colleen Lanier and I both serve as NCRSP’s registered unpaid lobbyists who pursue legal relationships with policymakers so that we become known constituents who have served our state by having nurtured our youth in the educational systems. My purpose in contemporizing Panorama is to make our literature and updates appealing to all readers. If the audience is interested in its visual impact, odds increase that the content will be read and considered. My purpose is to grow our membership base to help Raleigh policymakers notice that we retirees matter.

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