ELIZABETHTOWN — Beautiful bittersweet memories collided with a community coalition at the Elizabethtown-White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce dinner Tuesday night, hosted by Lu Mil Vineyard.
Four annual awards from the chamber were presented, along with a special award — Hubert Kinlaw honored as recipient of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. The president’s gavel for the Board of Directors was passed from Ashley Dowless to Jennifer Leggett, and outgoing Executive Director Dawn Maynard was saluted for her years of service to the chamber.
Honored with chamber awards were Walter McDuffie and McDuffie Pest Control, Maurice Williams of Whimsical Florist, Bruce Dickerson of Dickerson’s Pharmacy and Charles Ray Peterson, a longtime county politician serving as the chairman of the county commissioners. McDuffie was honored with the Small Business Award, Williams with the Outstanding Chamber Member, Dickerson with the Caring Person Award, and Peterson with a lifetime chamber membership.
Greg Burns, an engineer with Division 6 of the N.C. Department of Transportation, was the guest speaker.
“The Order of the Long Leaf Pine award is for someone who goes above and beyond the call of duty,” said Brenda Clark, who presented the award to Kinlaw.
It is for those that make a significant impact in the state and community.
“I’m just thankful,” he said after receiving the award. “Thank you very much.”
Maynard made the presentation for Williams, who provided the table settings but was called away before the evening began.
“Whimsical Florist first opened off of 701 in 2009,” said Maynard. “Business boomed fast and they relocated to their current location on Poplar Street in 2012.”
Williams has lived in Elizabethtown his entire life. He and his wife have two children, and he is very active in the community.
“He has been on many boards, including the Elizabethtown planning board, Emerau Board of Directors, the Cape Fear Valley Hospital Foundation board and is currently an ex-officio board member of the chamber of commerce. He also served as a board member and the board president back in 2018.
“He shares his talents with enthusiasm. He never disappoints his customers. He brings many folks from out of town to our community.”
He also volunteers his time to decorate the chamber downtown store window and in many events in the community.
Sondra Guyton made the presentation to McDuffie.
“Walter McDuffie grew up on a farm outside of Elizabethtown with his parents,” said Guyton. “He loved to hunt, fish and simply be outdoors. He always had an extreme interest in insects.”
That interest led him to college, where he received a degree in entomology from N.C. State.
“He has put in 55 years of hard work building McDuffie Pest Control and its reputation by promoting honesty and integrity,” she added.
“I appreciate this and the recognition,” he said. “The main thing that I learned is that the people from Bladen County… are good customers and friends.”
He said there were a few nightmares along the way, but that the dream keeps getting better and better.
“Never did I believe that my daughter, Dana, would become termite technician and pest control technician,” he said. “I thank all of you for this. It’s you that made this possible, not me.”
Dana McDuffie and her husband, Brett Pool, presented him with a display of a new rendition as the “face of the company” in a surprise.
“Dana and I started a while back trying to find a way to show what McDuffie Pest Control means to us, as well as to the community,” Pool said.
Maynard also recognized Dana McDuffie as well.
Dr. William Findt presented Dickerson’s award.
“He is a native of Roxboro in Person County and did graduate at UNC Chapel Hill,” said Findt. “He moved his pharmacy to its current location, near the Bladen County Hospital, in 1992.”
Dickerson served on numerous boards, including the Bladen County Board of Health for nine years and the Board of Education for 12 years, serving as chairman for two terms.
He was also the first person to be elected to a countywide office who did not grow up in Bladen County.
“You can see the respect that he has had over the years.”
“I appreciate this very much,” Dickerson said. “Bladen County has cared so much for me and my family. I appreciate it so much.”
Dowless made the presentation to Peterson. She noted his time with DuPont, his connection with Bladen Community College as a director of customized training and his role as a county commissioner.
“He strives to always do what is best for the citizens of Bladen County,” she said. “He is known to stand up for what is right, and to speak up when needed.”
Dowless praised his work, stating that often he is behind the scenes, and refusing to let anyone know he was behind his good deeds. He has helped raised more than $500,000 for the Bladenboro Benevolence Committee since 2007.
“I really want to thank the chamber for this honor,” Peterson said. “I need to thank my Lord and I need to thank my family. I need to thank the people who have supported me all of these years.”
That same level of support was shared by Maynard, who in her closing remarks expressed a tearful goodbye to the community she has served, giving special thanks to Ron Taylor, Denise Bridgers and Robin Summerlin for their efforts in making the night possible.
“Thank you for supporting me over the years, both personally and professionally,” she said. “I want to thank all of our board members and our past board members and past presidents. Together we have accomplished a lot over the past 12 years.”
“The chamber of commerce has come a long way since I was hired in 2007.”
Dowless and Maynard welcomed Leggett as the incoming president. The board is also welcoming two directors for 2019-22, Jake Womble of Goldston’s Beach and Lauryn Godwin of Sharonview Federal Credit Union.
Dawn Maynard (third from left) watches a slideshow reflecting on her years with the chamber alongside (from left) Sondra Guyton, Brenda Clark, Ashley Dowless, Dr. William Findt and Jennifer Leggett. Tuesday’s annual banquet was Maynard’s last as the executive director.
Hubert Kinlaw accepts from Brenda Clark the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, a statewide award bestowed on individuals through the governor’s office. He’s been with Sampson-Bladen Oil Company since 1959, has served as the county coroner, and even served a stint as sheriff for just more than a week in the summer of 2011.
Walter McDuffie was surprised with a presentation from his daughter, Dana McDuffie, and her husband, Brett Pool, at Tuesday’s chamber banquet. McDuffie Pest Control, which Walter started in 1964, was honored by the chamber with its Small Business Award.
Bruce Dickerson accepts the chamber’s Caring Person Award from Dr. William Findt. He’s been an Elizabethtown fixture for nearly four decades, running Dickerson’s Pharmacy for more than a quarter century.
Dawn Maynard, surrounded by members of the chamber’s Board of Directors, was honored for her service as executive director at Tuesday’s annual banquet. Maynard served two years as tourism director and the last 12 as executive director.
The gavel for the president of the chamber’s Board of Directors is passed to Jennifer Leggett (left) from Ashley Dowless at Tuesday’s annual banquet.
Dawn Maynard (foreground left) watches a slideshow that reflects on her 12 years as the executive director of the Elizabethtown-White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.
Dawn Maynard was honored by the chamber Board of Directors on Tuesday at the annual banquet. Maynard expressed gratitude and wished the chamber well. She has resigned to move with family to Emerald Isle.
Pausing at the end of a busy night at the annual Elizabethtown-White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce banquet are outgoing board president Ashley Dowless (left) and 2019-20 president Jennifer Leggett.
Hayes Petteway (right) and Dr. William Findt share a moment prior to the start of Tuesday’s annual Elizabethtown-White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce banquet.
Prior to the start of Tuesday’s banquet, Bruce Dickerson (center) shared a moment with Bladen Community College vice presidents Jeff Kornegay (left) and Barry Priest.
Greg Burns, an engineer with Division 6 of the N.C. Department of Transportation, was the guest speaker for Tuesday’s chamber banquet.
Hubert Kinlaw (right) was surprised with presentation of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, a statewide award bestowed on individuals through the governor’s office. Brenda Clark (left) made the presentation.
Hubert Kinlaw shares words of gratitude after being presented the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, a statewide award bestowed on individuals through the governor’s office. He’s been with Sampson-Bladen Oil Company since 1959 and served Bladen County in a number of roles.
Walter McDuffie (right) accepts from Sondra Guyton the chamber’s Small Business Award. McDuffie started his pest control business in 1964.
Walter McDuffie addresses those gathered for the annual chamber banquet after being presented with the Small Business Award.
Charles Ray Peterson (right) was given an honorary lifetime chamber membership Tuesday night. Making the presentation is Ashley Dowless (left).
Bruce Dickerson was honored with the chamber’s Caring Person Award during Tuesday night’s annual banquet.
Charles Ray Peterson was honored with a lifetime chamber membership at Tuesday’s annual banquet.
Honored during Tuesday night’s annual banquet of the Elizabethtown-White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce were (from left) Hubert Kinlaw, Walter McDuffie, Dana McDuffie, Dawn Maynard, Charles Ray Peterson and Bruce Dickerson. Not pictured is Maurice Williams. Kinlaw was given the Order of the Long Leaf Pine; McDuffie Peston Control was recipient of the Small Business Award; Maynard was saluted for 12 years of service as executive director for the chamber, and two years before that as tourism director; Peterson was given a lifetime chamber membership; Dickerson was honored with the Caring Person Award; and Williams was named the Outstanding Chamber Member.