Don Sayers of Salisbury was honored with a Citizen Lawyer Award at the N.C. Bar Association’s Annual Meeting in Asheville.

The Citizen Lawyer Award recognizes lawyers who exemplify the ideals of a citizen lawyer: public service in appointed and elected positions, work with nonprofit charitable and political organizations, military service and volunteering with youth sports programs and with religious organizations.

Sayers practices law with Woodson, Sayers, Lawther, Short, Parrott & Abramson in Salisbury. His extensive record of civic involvement includes service as president of the Salisbury Rotary Club and the Salisbury Kiwanis Club.

Sayers has also served on the Margaret C. Woodson Foundation board of directors, as president and board member of the Rowan County YMCA and as president of the Historic Salisbury Foundation.

Sayers is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina School of Law.

 

Food Lions Top Women in Grocery (WITH FOUR HEAD SHOTS)

Progressive Grocer magazine has named four Food Lion leaders to its 2015 Top Women in Grocery list, one of the food industry’s highest honors. The “Rising Star” winners include:

• Patricia Bednarz, director of operations for the Rocky Mount/Goldsboro market

Bednarz joined Food Lion in 1990 and currently oversees 24 stores in the Rocky Mount/Goldsboro region. Bednarz has a proven track record of growing and developing her store management team. She also continues to outperform retail financial targets in her region. She is a native of Victoria, Va.

• Debbie Bowers, manager of innovation, front end operations and service

Bowers has been with the company for 28 years. She provides leadership and motivation to front-end associates in all of Food Lion’s more than 1,100 stores in 10 states. She has successfully led retail projects, including Food Lion’s new strategy in the Wilmington, N.C., market in 2014. She is a native of Shallotte.

• Diane Medlin, manager of retail communications

Medlin has 37 years of grocery retail experience with Food Lion. Serving as the main liaison between retail and all business areas that support Food Lion stores, she is credited with implementing the company’s successful voice of retail system. She also initiated a retail communications scorecard to determine the success level of all communications. She is a native of Charlotte.

• Carol Miller-Herring, execution and implementation specialist for the Concord market

Herring has been with the company for 30 years. She is responsible for ensuring excellent customer service experiences by reviewing projections for accuracy and ensuring standard practices and policies are followed. She also coordinated Food Lion Feeds hunger relief activities in 24 stores in her region. She is a native of Albemarle.

“The accomplishments of these leaders show they are truly deserving of this recognition for their excellent leadership and commitment to our customers,” said Greg Finchum, senior vice president of retail operations. “Food Lion appreciates the positive difference they make every day in serving our associates and customers with excellence.”

Progressive Grocer’s Top Women in Grocery award recognizes grocery retail leaders who demonstrate excellence in leadership daily throughout the industry, their stores and the communities where they proudly live and work. All four leaders will receive their award on Nov. 12 during a special cocktail dinner celebration at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, in Orlando, Fla.

 

 Rowan Chamber Campaign Kick-off on Aug. 10 (with photo in news)

The Rowan County Chamber of Commerce will kick off its 2015 Total Resource Campaign on Monday, Aug. 10, 5-7 p.m., in conjunction with the Business After Hours mixer at Trinity Oaks, 728 Klumac Road. The theme of the campaign is “Casino Night – Win with the Chamber!” Team captains will be dressed in Old Vegas costumes and challenge each other to see who can win the most points in a fun game of chance.

Ted “Rat Pack” Goins (Lutheran Services Carolinas), chair-elect and campaign chair, has selected as team captains: Robert Belter (BB&T), Helping Hands; Heather Crawford (Wells Fargo), Aces; Bill Johnson (Trinity Oaks), Trinity High Rollers; Lynda Lefler (Belk), Rowan High Rollers; Nicole Matangira (Matangira Recycling), Rollin’ with the Chamber; Ken Mowery (Novant Health Rowan Medical Center), Bet Your Life; Bob Setzer (F & M Bank), The Wild Cards; and, Janet Spriggs (Rowan-Cabarrus Commu­nity College), Casino Rowan.

After the kick-off, all campaign volunteers will participate in a professional sales training session by Tamara Bunte of the Institute for Advanced Results Company in Charlotte. Bunt trains the Charlotte Chamber staff and volunteers and conducts sales seminars around the country. The sales training sessions are Tuesday, Aug. 11, 4 p.m., or Wednesday, Aug. 12, 8:30 a.m. Both sessions will be held at the Gateway Building, 204 E. Innes St.

The campaign runs through Sept. 18 with prizes being awarded at the Chamber’s Sept. 21 board meeting. The goals are: 90 new members, 90 percent retention of first year renewals, and $5,000 in non-dues revenue. Each team captain has recruited 10 team members to assist them. Prizes will be awarded for all the volunteers participating. The top producer will win a vacation package valued at over $2,500. In addition, there are some special perks for all new members who join during the campaign.

The Rowan Chamber’s mixer and campaign kick-off is free and open to members and interested business people who are thinking about joining the Chamber. However, reservations are required by Fri., Aug. 7, at 5 p.m. To make a reservation, call 704-633-4221 or email info@rowanchamber.com .

Diane Young elected president of downtown association

The N.C. Development Association membership recently elected 9 new members to the board of directors that included the organization’s top positions, president and president-elect. Diane M. Young, executive director of Concord Downtown Development Corp. and resident of Salisbury, was elected president. “We look forward to Diane Young’s leadership as president and welcome all of the new board members,” said Jason Thiel, past president of NCDDA. The newly elected board members will serve a two-year term beginning in July 2015.

Salisbury architect Gray Stout is serving a 2014-16 term on the board.

The N.C. Downtown Development Association is the collaborative leader working at the creative intersection of the public and private sectors to enhance downtowns as cultural and economic centers throughout the state.