PEMBROKE — Two Richmond County residents were among several regional municipal leaders honored Thursday by the Lumber River Council of Governments.
According to a press release, the LRCOG “celebrated 49 years of excellence and recognized individuals who have generously given their time and energy towards the work of the (organization).”
Hoffman Town Clerk Maggie Bethea is the recipient of the Annie Kohnen Regional Clerk of the Year Award, which is named for a former longtime Scotland County clerk and has been given out since 1999.
According to the award bio, Bethea was described by the Hoffman Town Council as “professional, customer-service oriented, organized, and timely … (she has) worked to keep (her) town afloat for over seven years, the majority of which as the town’s only employee.”
“Maggie has truly embraced her encore career as Hoffman’s Town Clerk, helping the town to grow and to improve its local governance and organization,” the bio continues. “Since her appointment as town clerk in 2014, Maggie has helped lead the town’s efforts in updating their zoning ordinance and personnel manual, increasing their tax collection rate, and properly archiving the town’s records. Maggie has also been instrumental in helping the town start the process of providing sewer service to their residents.”
Terry Mercer was also honored for her work as chair of the Regional Aging Advisory Council from August 2019 to August 2021.
“She provided strong leadership skills during the initial COVID pandemic to the Area Agency on Aging and the Regional Aging Advisory Council,” reads Mercer’s bio. “She guided the transition of the historically in-person quarterly meetings to a virtual platform while still keeping members engaged in service delivery and advocacy opportunities. She supported the development of the new four-year (2021-2024) Regional Aging Services Plan entitled ‘Building Stronger Communities through Opportunities in Aging.’”
During the event, Executive Director David Richardson announced LRCOG’s recent national awards.
The LRCOG provides programs and services and serves as an administrative and delivery arm for governmental programs in Robeson, Richmond, Scotland, Bladen and Hoke counties.
Terry Mercer stands with LRCOG board member Denise Sullivan.
