Mitch Kokai joined the John Locke Foundation as director of communications in December 2005 after spending more than four years as chief state government reporter for News 14 Carolina. That job included extensive coverage of the General Assembly and other topics for the 24-hour local television news channel based in Raleigh and Charlotte.

Before News 14 Carolina, Kokai worked as a radio news reporter for seven years. He started a radio news department at WENC-AM in Whiteville, then led Chapel Hill’s award-winning radio news team at WCHL-AM. He spent two-and-half years as news director and assignment editor for Raleigh’s WPTF-AM.

Mitch is a Columbus, Ohio, native. He earned highest honors and highest distinction from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

He has lived in North Carolina since 1989.