Valerie Macon

Valerie Macon (born 1950) is an American civil servant and poet. She was named by Governor Pat McCrory as the eighth North Carolina Poet Laureate, a position she was set to hold from 2014 to 2016. Appointed on July 11, 2014, she resigned on July 17, 2014 amid controversy over the appointment. Macon continues to work for the state's Department of Health and Human Services as a Disability Examiner. Her two books of poetry prior to her appointment to North Carolina poet laureate were self-published in 2011 and 2014. of the North Carolina Poetry Society.

Awards The governor's July 11 announcement indicated that Macon's books "Shelf Life" and "Sleeping Rough" were nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

Controversy Macon's qualifications for the position have been questioned and McCrory was criticized for bypassing the establishing process and making the appointment without consulting the North Carolina Arts Council for input. Kathryn Stripling Byer, the state's fifth poet laureate, acknowledged that while there is no law requiring the governor to consult with the Arts Council, the process has always been more open and democratic in the past.

McCrory later claimed that he was "not aware of the traditional process that was in place" for selecting the state's poet laureate. Macon subsequently resigned the post on July 18.