A new member will likely join the State Board of Education next month.

Reginald Kenan, a lawyer from Duplin County and a longtime local school board member, is up for a confirmation vote in the legislature tonight, Lynn Bonner reports.

Legislators will also vote to confirm Wayne McDevitt of Marshall and Patricia Willoughby of Raleigh, who were reappointed by Gov. Beverly Perdue.

McDevitt, the board's vice chairman, served in the administration of former Gov. Jim Hunt as his chief of staff and as an N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources secretary.

Willoughby is executive director of the N.C. Business Committee for Education. She was state schools superintendent in 2004 and 2005.

McDevitt and Willoughby have been on the board since 2001.

Three members of the State Board of Education are in line to travel to China in November, if a few companies open their checkbooks.

Board members Wayne McDevitt, Patricia N. Willoughby and  Melissa Bartlett are invited to a conference of “education ministers” as part of the board's exchange program with China’s Jiangsu Province.

Board chairman Howard Lee said he was looking to raise up to $20,000 for their trip from GlaxoSmithKline, Lenovo, and Jim and Ann Goodnight. Jim Goodnight is the SAS Institute CEO.

The state board and the provincial education department formally agreed this year to collaborate on classroom and student projects, hold joint conference and host exchanges for students and teachers.

Teachers from China visited North Carolina last spring. The N.C. Center for International Understanding sent 23 teachers and principals to China last year. No state money was used for their travel.

This November's conference registration fee includes sightseeing on the final two days, including a visit to the Great Wall, the Olympic stadium and Tiananmen Square.

McDevitt said board members may not be able to stay for the days that include trips to tourist attractions because they want to visit partnership schools.

The partnership aims to give North Carolina students the chance to work on projects with students from other countries, learn other languages and engage in other activities they’ll need for the workplace, said Stephanie Caplan, the center’s spokeswoman.

David Young, a Democratic candidate for treasurer, raised more than $60,000 at fundraiser Wednesday at the home of former Ambassador Jeanette and Wallace Hyde in Raleigh.

Among those who attended were Wake County Commissioner Betty Lou Ward, philanthropist Ann Goodnight; Blue Cross/Blue Shield CEO Bob Greczyn; former Lt. Gov. Bob Jordan; former Glaxo chairman Charlie Sanders; former state Democratic chair Wayne McDevitt; former Texas oilman Walter Davis, and Raleigh real estate executives Steve Stroud and Roddy Jones.

Young, a Buncombe County commissioner, raised the money in the home town of two his opponents — Raleigh attorney Michael Weisel and state Sen. Janet Cowell. They are seeking to succeed incumbent Richard Moore, who is running for governor.