Mary Pipines Easley is an American attorney, academic, and former university administrator who, as the wife of Governor Mike Easley, served as First Lady of North Carolina from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the first woman to maintain her own career while serving as first lady, and also the first Catholic and first Greek American to serve in this position. As first lady, Easley championed educational, artistic, and public health initiatives in North Carolina. She focused on promoting childhood immunization, access to public libraries, and teacher recruitment across the state. An avid arts patron, she partnered with the North Carolina Museum of Art to help procure funding and bring in international exhibits, including exhibits on Monet and Auguste Rodin. Prior to serving as first lady, Easley was one of the first women to serve as an assistant district attorney in eastern North Carolina.

Michael Francis Easley is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 72nd governor of North Carolina from 2001 to 2009. He is the first governor of North Carolina to have been convicted of a felony. The conviction was later expunged by the Chief Judge of the Superior Court of Wake County. A member of the Democratic Party, Easley was North Carolina's second Catholic governor.