Thank you, John, for that kind introduction.
I would also like to welcome the friends and loved ones of today's graduating class.
I know that your continued support has been a great encouragement to the graduates while they completed this important training program.
Graduates, I would like to officially congratulate each of you on your new jobs, and welcome you to the North Carolina Department of Transportation-the best agency in state government, if I do say so myself.
NCDOT has nearly 14,000 employees and a $3.2 billion budget. It takes hard work and dedication to make an organization this large successful.
It also takes talented employees like you, who possess a strong work ethic and a commitment to serving the citizens of North Carolina.
Working for NCDOT and the Division of Motor Vehicles is both an honor and a great responsibility.
As you begin your career with the DMV, some of you are now tasked with protecting our state's citizens from identity theft, automobile theft and fraudulent emissions and inspection practices.
Others of you will protect the integrity of the North Carolina driver license.
These responsibilities are challenging and also rewarding.
Know that the citizens of our state look to your integrity, judgement and attention to detail to keep North Carolina safe.
While technology may assist greatly in this endeavor, our greatest asset as a state agency is you, our employees.
I want to thank you for your dedication, commitment and hard work.
Today, you join the ranks of a dedicated and extremely talented work force.
We are honored to have you as a part of our team.
Thank you, and again, congratulations.
I now have the privilege of introducing our featured speaker this morning, Attorney General Roy Cooper.
As attorney general, Roy has increased DNA testing of crime scene evidence so that law enforcement can solve more cases and ensure that the right person is brought to justice.
He has also increased the number of analysts at the state crime lab and has worked to include every felon in the state's DNA database, a change that has yielded more hits to the database in the past year than in the entire previous decade.
The attorney general is helping law enforcement tackle the explosion of meth drug labs in our state.
He is doing this by making it harder for criminals to get the key ingredients to make meth, as well as ensuring that manufacturers of this drug serve prison time.
To protect our children from predators who are cruising the Internet, Roy has created a computer forensics unit and initiated a plan to give parents the tools they need to protect children online.
He has also worked to protect consumers by introducing a new law to make it harder for thieves to steal a person's personal information. This initiative has resulted in national praise and stiffer sentences for offenders.
By instituting a state "Do Not Call" law, he has given citizens the power to determine who may call them at home. His consumer protection team has won more than $60 million in refunds for thousands of consumers.
Also during his term, Roy has provided every school in the state with a critical incident response kit to help educators and law enforcement know what to do in the event of a crisis.
Before becoming attorney general in 2001, Roy served as a state legislator, lawyer, civic leader and community volunteer. He was born in Nash County and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in law.
Please join me in welcoming Attorney General Roy Cooper.