Perdue, Bev, 1947-

Beverly Eaves Perdue (born Beverly Marlene Moore; January 14, 1947) is an American businesswoman, politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as the 73rd Governor of North Carolina from 2009 to 2013. She was the first female governor of North Carolina.

Born in 1947 in Grundy, Virginia, she earned a B.A. degree in history in 1969 from the University of Kentucky as well as a M.Ed. degree in community college administration in 1974 and a Ph.D., degree in Education Administration in 1976, both from the University of Florida. Before entering public service, Perdue worked as a public school teacher, as director of geriatric services at a community hospital in her hometown of New Bern, North Carolina.

Perdue served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1987 to 1991, and in the North Carolina Senate from 1991 to 2001. In 2000, she defeated Republican Betsy Cochrane for the lieutenant governor's seat, becoming North Carolina's first female lieutenant governor; she was re-elected in 2004. Perdue announced her 2008 candidacy for governor on October 1, 2007. On May 6, 2008, Perdue won the Democratic nomination for governor, defeating Republican Pat McCrory. On January 26, 2012, facing sinking approval ratings, Perdue announced that she would not seek reelection in the 2012 gubernatorial election.

In Spring 2013, she served as a Resident Fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics. Following her Harvard fellowship, she started an education consulting business. In August 2013, Perdue became a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy, where she worked with faculty and students and also served as an adviser for Duke's Center for Child and Family Policy.