"[3] Changes to the position began in 1997 when Governor Jim Hunt appointed Fred Chappell as poet laureate, changing the term of office from a lifetime appointment to a term of five years.
[4] Lisbeth Evans, Secretary of the Department of Cultural Resources (which oversees the NC Arts Council), organized a committee in 2004 to update the guidelines of the resolution.
These guidelines, which detailed the office's appointment requirements and made them gender-neutral, would be non-binding.
The position requires the laureate to participate in various literary activities across the state, working with "schools, community groups, and the press.
[6] The poet laureate receives a stipend of $10,000 and clerical assistance from the NC Arts Council.