And the letters keep coming on Gov. Pat McCrory's statements assailing the value of a liberal arts education. Here's a slightly edited batch of more than 20:

Lots of letter-writers take the governor to task for assailing the value of a liberal arts education.

Taylor Batten, editorial page editor at The Charlotte Observer, recently talked to Sharon Decker, North Carolina's new Commerce secretary, about her unconventional background.

Here's his piece:

You never know what Sharon Decker will do next. Then again, neither does she.

Gov. Pat McCrory’s selection for secretary of commerce, a divinity student bound for a university chaplain job, would be beyond unusual – if it were anyone but Decker. Given this 55-year-old’s unconventional career path, though, the unpredictable has become expected.

McCrory’s invitation has turned Decker’s life upside down and she now finds herself in a crucial role: leading the Commerce Department and creating jobs in the state with the nation’s 5th-highest unemployment rate. What, you may ask, does a former small-town pastor know about that?

Decker spent 17 years at what was then Duke Power and became its first female vice president. At age 39 she left for a vastly different role and one she thought she would keep forever: Leading the Lynnwood Foundation in Charlotte and its Lee Leadership Institute. Three years, one Charlotte Chamber chairmanship and one Charlotte Woman of the Year Award later, another change: She moved to tiny Rutherfordton to lead Doncaster, a women’s apparel line with $100 million in annual revenues.

Six years later, she zigged once more, leaving Doncaster and forming The Tapestry Group, a ministry for women. She also served as a part-time pastor at two rural churches and studied for her master’s in divinity from Gardner Webb. By the time McCrory called in December, Decker was preparing to move this year to Charlottesville, Va., to be a chaplain at UVA.

I talked with Decker last week about her career moves, what drives her and what her plans are for boosting North Carolina’s economy. Here are highlights of that conversation:

The Veterans Leadership Council is having a fundraiser tomorrow night at the Hilton North Raleigh Midtown on Wake Forest Road. Gov. Pat McCrory has committed to attending and making this one of his first official public events, the council says. The nonprofit is creating a Veterans Life Center at the Umstead Hospital Complex at Butner, hoping to offer emergency and transitional housing, job training, support groups, mental health services and various therapies for 400 veterans a year. The cost is $100 per person. For more information and to RSVP contact Joyce Kohn: jkohn@kohnassociates.net or 919-210-3829

You can read more about the Veterans Leadership Council here:

http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/25/2088105/wheeler-veterans-hope-to-provide.html#storylink=misearch

We always receive more letters than we can possibly print. As you can imagine, the number we get during an election increases exponentially. We can't come close to printing them all, so here's a look at 30 you won't see in the paper. More to come.

Enjoy.

The Republican candidate for governor, all comfy in a checked shirt and no
tie, visited The N&O today to answer questions from the editorial and
news departments. I had a dentist appointment (boo) so I missed the
first 15 minutes, but here’s a look at what he had to say; as
always, this is NOT VERBATIM.

The Democratic candidate for governor visited The N&O today to answer questions from the editorial and news departments. I would love to give you lots of good notes about what he had to say, but much to my surprise, the man speaks Southern faster than my New York friends speak Nu Yawk. None of this is remotely verbatim.

Some highlights, nonetheless:

Olympic medalists Abby Johnston and Nick McCrory will throw out ceremonial first pitches at Thursday’s Durham Bulls game against the Norfolk Tides. The Duke student-athletes will also sign autographs for fans on the concourse during the game.
 
Johnston, 22, won a silver medal in London in the women’s synchronized 3-meter springboard diving competition along with partner Kelci Bryant.
 
McCrory, 20, of Chapel Hill, brought home the bronze in the men’s synchronized 10-meter platform diving final along with his partner David Boudia. The junior collected the Duke diving program’s first national title on the platform at the 2010 NCAA Championships.
 
Game time Thursday is 7:05 pm and ceremonial first pitches are scheduled for 6:45 pm. Tickets for all Bulls regular season home games and the 2012 Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game are available at durhambulls.com, at 919.956.BULL, or at the DBAP ticket office.
 

Duke will host a club day beginning at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday (July 2) at the Blue Devil dry land practice facility, where Olympic champion Greg Louganis will talk with local divers, coaches and fans.

Nearly 20 readers have their say on more election issues.