47 North Carolina Main Street Champions Recognized During Annual Conference

Forty-seven individuals and organizations will be honored as Main Street Champions at a recognition ceremony on March 13th in Mooresville, celebrating their outstanding contributions to downtown revitalization and community building in 2024. With the addition of this year’s recipients, the North Carolina Department of Commerce has now recognized a total of 962 Main Street Champions since 2000. The ceremony is a key highlight of the annual North Carolina Main Street Conference, the nation’s largest statewide downtown revitalization gathering.

“Main Street Champions are dynamic leaders who drive progress within their communities,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “These visionary individuals identify opportunities for growth and development that transform the fabric of local economies and neighborhoods.”

“Main Street Champions are committed to economic development in our rural communities,” said Kenny Flowers, Commerce’s Assistant Secretary of Rural Economic Development. “They advocate for programs that make our communities the best that they can be.”

“Honoring Main Street Champions is a storied tradition for our annual conference,” said Liz Parham, Director of the N.C. Main Street & Rural Planning Center. “A champion is an exemplary definition of a leader, that plays a key role in creating livable, lovable communities, which epitomizes the theme of this year’s conference.”

The 2024 North Carolina Main Street Champions are:

• Michael Ferris - Albemarle
• David Smith - Asheboro
• Gwendy Michael - Ayden
• Susan Martello - Belmont
• Wesley Shook - Brevard
• Cherryville Public Works and Electrical Department - Cherryville
• Jess and Wally Bashlor - Clinton
• Small Business Saturday Committee - Concord
• Eden Public Works Operations and Facilities & Grounds - Eden
• Kristy Belton - Edenton
• Heather Sawyer - Elizabeth City
• Denny and Shannon Lazar - Elkin
• Eddie and Justin Duszlak - Elon
• C. Phillip Byers - Forest City
• David Ball - Fuquay-Varina
• Demian Dellinger - Garner
• January Hammond - Goldsboro
• Caroline Gunther - Hendersonville
• Emily Westmoreland - Hickory
• Downtown Kinston Revitalization Design Committee - Kinston
• Aaron and Lauren Mathews - Marion
• Aimee Krans - Mebane
• Ron Mack - Mooresville
• Kayla Brown - Morehead City
• Starla Hoke and Bobbie McCombs - Morganton
• Patrick Keenan and Matt Wright - Murphy
• Lynne Harakal - New Bern
• Crystal McMillan - Newton
• Trey Snide - Oxford
• Tiana Thurber - Pittsboro
• Deborah White - Reidsville
• Nasir Dukes - Rocky Mount
• Larry Cole - Roxboro
• FAB Festival Committee - Rutherfordton
• Salisbury Public Works Department - Salisbury
• Linda Kelly Rhodes - Sanford
• Scott Black - Shelby
• Jim Duffey - Statesville
• Jeannine Sowers, Joel Sowers, and Robin Bailey - Sylva
• Liam Gilroy - Tarboro
• Troy Public Works Department - Troy
• Stephanie Brown - Wake Forest
• Bill Cummings - Washington
• Jeff Wells - Waxhaw
• Kirk Messer - Waynesville
• Ryan Simons - Wilson
• Patricia Roberson - Zebulon

The N.C. Main Street program is celebrating its 45th anniversary of improving downtown districts from Murphy to Manteo through the proven Main Street Approach™ to revitalization developed by Main Street America.

Learn more about the N.C. Main Street Champions recognition program, and view past honorees, on the N.C. Main Street Conference website.