He’s served on the Columbus County Board of Education and is Chairman of the Southeastern Community College Board of Trustees. He is the Immediate Past President of the Columbus County Historical Preservation Society, serves on the Columbus County Economic Development Commission, and recently served as Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Tourism board. He will serve as the Grand Marshall of the NC Yam Festival Parade in Tabor City this October.

“Faith, family and service have been my priorities, and Gay and I tried to be positive role models for our daughters. Paige is a pharmacist in Morehead City, and she and her husband, Justin, gave us two wonderful grandchildren; and Eizabeth is an assistant principal at West Columbus High School, and she and her husband, Chris, did the same. These days, if Gay and I aren’t doing something for one of the organizations we serve, we’re spending time with family and babysitting! Sometimes we get them all at the same time – a nine-year-old, two five-year-olds and a three-year-old! They get along great, and it’s so much fun.

I pursued education as a career because I believe it’s the foundation of our society. I wanted to help students achieve their full potential and wanted to make learning fun. I loved teaching; I taught history and art, and even as superintendent I tried to spend as much time in the classroom as I could, making sure they had what they needed. Now, it’s always heartwarming to meet former students later in their life and to be able to celebrate their successes with them.

I’ve been a lifelong member of Cherry Grove Baptist Church, which has been the focal point of our community since 1810, and Gay and I’ve served in numerous capacities and roles there over the years. Our church family has been central to our daughters’ lives as well. I’m also an avid beekeeper, and I love gardening.

My grandfather, Fronis Strickland, became one of the founding members of the BEMC Board of Directors in 1938. As a young boy, I remember sitting on our front porch, my grandaddy pointing to the electrical lines crossing our front yard and saying how proud he was to play a part in bringing civilization to our community. My father Beasley Strickland served on the board in the ’80s and early ’90s, and I’m proud to carry on that tradition of service. BEMC is a great organization with dedicated leadership and staff, with all of us focused solely on the membership, and reliability and affordability.”