Dan Clodfelter attended Governor’s School (GS) at Salem College in 1966, and later returned to serve twice as a Teaching Assistant/Counselor (TAC). Dan’s GS experience helped propel him from Thomasville Senior High School to Davidson College and on to both Oxford (where he was a Rhodes Scholar) and Yale Law School. Dan carried the GS spirit into public service as a member of the Charlotte City Council and the NC Senate, and later as Mayor of Charlotte. He also served on numerous non-profit boards, including the board of directors of WFAE, Charlotte’s public radio station, and the board of trustees of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation.

In 2016, Dan brought his deep experience as a public servant back to GS, beginning 8 years of service on the NC Governor’s School Foundation (GSF) Board of Directors. During his 8 years on the GSF board, Dan’s service was exceptional, especially as a behind-the-scenes advocate for GS. Dan's presence and persuasion helped get GSF 'in the door' on many occasions and ultimately led to numerous successes. On many occasions, including the 2017 GS budget crisis, his knowledge of state government helped guide GSF towards making the right choice in how and to whom it should advocate for GS. 

Additionally, Dan went above and beyond as a GSF board member by finding meeting locations for many years when the Board met in Charlotte. He was also an extremely effective liaison with the NC Attorney General's office when GS was the subject of a lawsuit by a disgruntled former faculty member.

For those and many other reasons, the NC Governor’s School Foundation is proud to honor Dan Clodfelter as a Jim Hart Governor’s School Champion Award winner for 2024.