Our Mission
"In its dedication to regional excellence, the Lumber River Council of Governments is
proactive in identifying local and regional needs and the resources to address
those needs in an effective and fair manner."
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LRCOG 46th Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner
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On Thursday, December 13th the Lumber River Council of Governments hosted it's 46th Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner.
This year’s dinner celebrated the leadership, selfless dedication and outstanding contributions of 11 individuals who have devoted their time and talents to serve the citizens in our region.
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The following individuals were recognized at the LRCOG Annual Dinner and Awards Dinner:
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Leon Maynor Award
Local Leadership
This award is named in honor of former long-term Lumber River Council of Governments Board member and Lumberton City Councilman, Leon Maynor, who passed away during his service on the LRCOG Board of Directors. Mr. Maynor was a fierce advocate for his community of West Lumberton, and strived to improve the lives of his constituents on a daily basis. This award is given in recognition of the efforts of one of our elected officials, who, like Mr. Maynor, has provided extraordinary leadership within their local
community in order to improve and protect the quality of life in their community.
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The first recipient of the Leon Maynor Local Leadership Award is one of our region’s small town mayors, Lee Berry, of Ellerbe. Mayor Berry is a Richmond County native, who, following his strong desire to give back to his community, entered local politics in 2012 and became the mayor of Ellerbe. With a population of just over 1,000 citizens, Ellerbe is a small town, like many others in our region, working hard to provide needed services to its citizens on a lean budget and trying to shape a future that will encourage younger generations to stay in the community. Mayors in these small towns are not only responsible for being the visible head of the town, but they must also work to help run the day-to-day operations of the town business and help their board set a long-range vision for their community.
As mayor, Lee has led the Town of Ellerbe in revamping the town’s code of ordinances, organizing the downtown merchants, regionalizing its wastewater system with the City of Rockingham, and working hard to change the appearance and safety of the town through a strong program of code enforcement. Lee has worked side-by-side with his commissioners to make a number of necessary increases in the water and sewer rates, and, recently, a property tax increase. Lee knows what it is like to be on the receiving end of the hard questions from citizens, and he is aware of the personal sacrifices it can take to be a leader in a small town.
Lee is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and is the owner of The Berry Patch on Highway 220, the home of the world’s largest strawberry, which has been recognized and featured in The Smithsonian Magazine, Tarheel Traveler, Our State Magazine, Roadside America and Carolina Country over the past three years. Lee is married to Amy Berry, and together, they have three children.
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Calvin Haggins Award
Outstanding LRCOG Board Member of the Year
Named in memory of the late Calvin Haggins, this award recognizes a member of the LRCOG Board of Directors who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and dedication to the LRCOG during the past year. Mr. Haggins was a member of the Fairmont Town Council and a devoted member of the LRCOG Board of Directors. The recipient of this award is decided by a vote of the LRCOG Board of Directors.
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This year’s board member of the year is described as a fierce advocate for the LRCOG and his community, a true believer in regionalism, a bridge-builder with a lifetime of dedicated public service. This year’s Lumber River Council of Governments Board Member of the Year is awarded, posthumously, to Leon Maynor.
Mr. Maynor started his career in public service by serving as a member of the 64th Armor Division of the United States Army with most of his active duty in Germany. On his return to the States, Mr. Maynor began what would be a long professional career as an educator focused on serving the needs of exceptional children. This was his passion and he worked tirelessly to ensure that they were able to obtain security and stability.
For those of you who knew him, it was always clear that Mr. Maynor was dedicated to the advancement of the youth of his community through sports. An avid baseball & softball player in his day, Mr. Maynor spent over 40 years helping young people develop character through participation in sports.
At the time of his death, Mr. Maynor was the longest serving member of the Lumberton City Council,
having faithfully served the City of Lumberton and the West Lumberton community for 23 years. When his
community was devastated by Hurricane Matthew, Mr. Maynor worked tirelessly helping his community to
recover. Together with his wife, Jan, he served many meals, utilized his home as a distribution point for supplies, and coordinated home repairs in the West Lumberton neighborhood.
Mr. Maynor also faithfully served the LRCOG as a board member from November 2001, until the time of his death. Mr. Maynor advocated for regional solutions and the long-term health and stability of the LRCOG. Mr. Maynor was also a member of the LRCOG’s Board of Director’s Executive Committee and Lumber River Rural Transportation Board. Mr. Maynor further served his community as Chair of the Robeson County Partnership for Children’s Board of Directors, board member of Robeson County Juvenile Justice Board, a member of the National League of Cities and as the Chairman of the Small Cities Council.
To carry forward Leon’s commitment to education and youth development are his wife, Jan Hester Maynor; son, Tonka Maynor; daughters, Lynn Settlemeyer, Jessica Schmale, and Stefanie Floyd; and five grandchildren. On behalf of the members and staff of the Lumber River Council of Governments and the people of our region, we thank you, Leon, for your years of selfless, dedicated service to the LRCOG and your community.
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John K. McNeill Jr. Award
Region N Manager of the Year
This award, named in honor of Mr. John K. McNeill, Jr. is presented annually to a manager within Region N demonstrating outstanding leadership qualities. Mr. McNeill was serving as Mayor of the City of Raeford and also as a LRCOG Board member at the time of his death in 1990.
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This year’s manager of the year began his career in public service in 2003, when, after a 20 year career in industrial manufacturing, he was named Director of the Robeson County Board of Elections. He then served as Assistant Robeson County Manager before taking on the role of Robeson County Manager in 2012. This year’s manager of the year is Ricky Harris.
Over the course of his tenure, Ricky has strived to improve the economic condition of Robeson County and the lives of its residents. He has played an instrumental role in the recovery efforts following both Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Florence, as they produced devastating floods in the county twice within two years.
In addition to his work as Robeson County Manager, Mr. Harris has served as a mentor for new managers within our region and faithfully given back to the larger community through his service on various local boards including the Robeson County Partnership for Children, Robeson County Church and Community Center, and the United Methodist Men.
Mr. Harris holds a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North
Carolina at Pembroke. He has also successfully completed the County Administrator’s Certification at the
School of Government in Chapel Hill.
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Regional Aging Advisory Council Member of the Year
The Regional Aging Advisory Council Advisory (RAAC) Member of the Year award is presented each year to an outstanding RAAC member.
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Jean Q. Lloyd is this year’s recipient of the Aging Advisory Council Member of the Year Award. Ms. Lloyd
has served on the Region N Aging Advisory Council since 2016. She passionately advocates for those issues impacting older adults within our region. She serves on many boards on both the local and state level including the Bladen County Aging Advisory Committee and the North Carolina Senior Tar Heel Legislature. On October 2, 2018 during the Seventy-Fifth Session of the North Carolina Senior Tar Heel Legislature, Ms. Lloyd was recognized for her 15 years of service advocating for older adults within our great state.
She is a native of Council, North Carolina and the Carvers Creek Community, where she remains engaged within her community through several local groups and associations. She is a retired educator with many years of experience both in the classroom and on the administrative level as a guidance counselor and assistant principal. Ms. Lloyd has been the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Order of the Long Leaf Pine and the North Carolina Association of Educators Human Relations Award.
She is an active member of Missionary Baptist Church, where she serves on several committees. Ms. Lloyd graduated from the College at Durham (now North Carolina Central University) with a Bachelors of Science in Biology. She later graduated from Pembroke State University (now University of North Carolina at Pembroke), earning a Masters of Arts in Administration.
The Lumber River Council of Governments’ Area Agency on Aging is honored to recognize Ms. Jean Lloyd for her dedication and untiring advocacy on behalf of older adults and their caregivers.
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Annie Kohen Award
Regional Clerk of the Year
Since 1999, this award has honored those clerks who demonstrate the true spirit of public service exemplified by “Miss Annie”; named in honor of Annie Kohnen, longtime Scotland County Clerk, this award is given in recognition of the relentless work performed by clerks in each of our municipalities and counties.
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This year’s clerk of the year is described as “organized” and “detailed.” Elected officials and supervisors praise her exceptional ability to multi-task. This year’s winner is Jacqueline “Jackie” Johnson of the Town of Maxton.
Ms. Johnson excels in all components of her position. She started her service with the Town of Maxton in 1996 following Hurricane Fran. During her tenure she has worked as an Office Assistant/Utility Billing Clerk prior to being promoted to her role as Town Clerk/Zoning Officer. In her current role, she continuously demonstrates positive leadership and has a vision to improve the Town of Maxton.
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L.E. McLaughlin, Jr. and Bob Gentry Award
Regional Leadership
In September 2004, this prestigious award was renamed to honor the leadership of two dedicated former members of the LRCOG Board of Directors, Mr. L.E. McLaughlin, Jr. and Mr. Bob Gentry. While both members served with honor, they also served as friends, putting aside the often strained relationships between jurisdictions. Both men, while dedicated to their respective local governments, realized that successful endeavors often cross geographic boundaries. Their friendship became indicative of relationships made and strengthened at the LRCOG table and still serves as a wonderful example of regional partnerships.
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This year’s Regional Leadership Award recognizes an individual who is a strong believer in intergovernmental cooperation, having served as an elected official on both the county and municipal level. In his work, he has spent more than 25 years seeking to ensure the long-term health and economic prosperity of his community.
A believer in intergovernmental cooperation, this year’s winner has seen the value in regional cooperation and partnership. Over the course of his career, he has worked to allow Scotland County and the City of Laurinburg to work together to reduce inefficiencies while promoting better services to their citizens. This year’s Regional Leadership Award winner is J.D. Willis.
During his 22 years of service as a Scotland County Commissioner, he was instrumental in supporting
investment in water and sewer infrastructure. As an advocate for regionalism, Mr. Willis worked to
eliminate duplication of services and to increase efficiency by combining the City of Laurinburg and Scotland County fuel depot and develop a water purchase and maintenance agreement between Laurinburg and Scotland County to allow for a county-wide water system. His support of industrial development helped to attract new industry to the region resulting in more than 200 jobs and $16,000,000 of investment.
Mr. Willis has previously served on the Scotland County Literacy Council and United Way of Scotland
County. Currently, he serves his community as a Director of the Laurinburg Jaycees and member of St. Mary AME Zion, where he serves as a trustee and financial clerk. Mr. Willis resides in Laurinburg with his wife, Marie McLean Willis, and has two daughters.
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Dr. Stanley Richardson Award
Workforce Development Board Member of the Year
This award is named in honor of the late Dr. Stanley Richardson, a devoted board member and a longtime educator from Bladen County. He was an avid advocate for youth and education during his tenure. The Dr. Stanley Richardson award is presented each year to an outstanding Workforce Development Board member.
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The winner of the Lumber River Workforce Development Board Member of the Year is Dr. Dale McInnis.
In addition to serving as a Lumber River Workforce Board Member, he also chairs the Lumber River Workforce Development Evaluation Committee.
A Richmond County native, Dr. McInnis holds a doctorate in Higher Education Administration from NC State University, a Master of Business Administration from Campbell University, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
Dr. McInnis’ career has been focused on education through community colleges. He started his career as the lead instructor for business administration prior to moving into college administration. Over the course of his career he has served as Vice President of Administrative Services and as Executive Vice President for Administration at various community colleges. In 2010, he was named President of Richmond Community College, a position he currently holds.
In addition to his service on the Lumber River Workforce Development Board, he serves his community as a member of the Board of Directors of the Richmond County Chamber of Commerce, the Laurinburg/Scotland Area County Chamber of Commerce, the Richmond County Health and Human Services Board of Directors, the First Health Richmond Board of Advisors, and the Richmond CC Foundation. Dr. McInnis is a member of Ellerbe First Presbyterian Church. Dr. McInnis and his wife, Thomasa, reside in Rockingham with their son, Ryan.
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Rural Planning Organization
Transportation Advisory Committee Member of the Year
The Rural Planning Organization Transportation Advisory Committee Member of the Year award is presented each year to an outstanding TAC committee member.
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The 2018 Lumber River RPO Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) member of the year is James R. (Guy) McCook, Jr. Mr. McCook currently serves as the TAC Vice-Chairman and has been an active member since 2009. He is a strong advocate for the RPO and proponent of giving rural areas a formal voice in transportation planning by involving local public officials and citizens in the planning process.
In addition to serving on the TAC, Mr. McCook serves his community in numerous other ways. He was elected to the Scotland County Board of Commissioners in 2006, and served as Board Chair from December of 2012 until November of 2015. He is the liaison between the Board of Commissioners and the Scotland County School Board, the chair of the Smart Start committee, and a volunteer with Scotland County Schools and Richmond Community College. Mr. McCook also serves on the boards of the Scotland Memorial Foundation, the Scotland County Department of Social Services, and the Scotland County Economic Development Corporation. He is a former president of the Laurinburg Rotary Club and past chair of the Chamber of Commerce and the Scotland County Parks and Recreation Advisory
Board.
Mr. McCook is a Realtor and the Owner and Broker of Hasty Realty in Laurinburg. He is also a member of First United Methodist Church. He and his wife Flora are the proud parents of two daughters, Currie and Natalie.
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Erica L. Brayboy
Regional Engagement Specialist
5 Years
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Julia Quick
Laurel Hill Nutrition Site Manager
5 Years
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Janet Robertson
Rural Transportation Planner
15 Years
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Congratulations and Thank You!
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View the Lumber River Council of Governments' 2017-2018 Annual Report. (click image to right)
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CONTACT US
Lumber River Council of Governments | Phone: 910-618-5533 | Fax: 910-521-7556
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