Mayor Fred Turnage has served in many roles throughout the community, including that of little league basketball referee. At one point, his players included a young man named Mike Easley.

Since then, Easley has gone on to become North Carolina's governor. Easley said the mayor's duties are a lot like what Turnage did during a basketball game.

"Being mayor is a lot of refereeing: Listening to both sides but not letting both sides get in a fight," Easley said during a Telegram interview.

The governor's relationship with Turnage – whom he describes as "very even-tempered" – continued as Easley grew up. Easley worked in Turnage's law firm one summer, where the mayor gave him advice and taught him while giving the young soon-to-be governor room to learn.

"He wanted to see what I knew, how I handled the things I did know," Easley said.

Turnage called that a "fair assessment."

"I hope I helped him," he said.

When Easley comes to town, the mayor is there with him, sometimes to introduce him during an event. There was one instance in which Turnage jokingly pointed out that Easley had talked about his role models in a recent newspaper article.

"He said he was crushed I had not mentioned him," the governor said.

Like other state leaders, Easley pointed to Turnage's leadership in the aftermath of the 1999 flood, which ravaged the area.

"He was out front pretty much from the start of the flood," Easley said. "He's been very aggressive on economic development."

Easley said the most important quality Turnage's successor needs to possess is patience and the ability to bring different sides together.

He said Turnage taught him early on that you can't do much in leadership if people aren't willing to roll with you – a good lesson for the governor when working to build a consensus in the N.C. General Assembly.

"Pushing too hard is not an option," Easley said. "It's counter-productive."

Turnage said he has mutual respect for the governor. The two of them do not get to talk a lot, he said, but they're accessible to the other when they need to be.

"I have a great deal of respect and fondness and feeling for him," Turnage said. "I think he's been a good governor, and I am proud to have my association with him."

Easley said Turnage has the patience of Job – the biblical figure who was tested by God, according to the Old Testament book bearing the same name.

"We've been lucky for him to stay as long as he has," Easley said.