High honor: Emily Weil's commitment to her community is unmatched

The old saying goes that behind every successful man is a woman.

If you asked local businessman David Weil if that phrase applies to the 2015 Cornerstone Award recipient, he would likely say no.

He would say his wife, Emily, has always been beside him -- and now, perhaps, is a little bit ahead.

To say that Emily Weil was shocked last night when she realized that she was the recipient of the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce's highest honor is an understatement.

In fact, she said, she was frozen when she was handed the award -- unable to comprehend that her friend and colleague, Margaret Baddour, had just announced her as this year's recipient.

And the charming, self-deprecating manner in which she accepted the honor is just another reason why she deserved it.

A woman of accomplishment, class and concern for her community, Mrs. Weil is a velvet hammer -- determined to do what is right with the finesse and style to get it done.

She doesn't take no for an answer -- just ask some of the many people she has convinced to get involved in one of the many local projects she has spearheaded.

She has been a silent partner behind many initiatives in this community -- not the least of which has been her involvement in the preservation of the area's history.

And if it is good for Goldsboro, you can bet Emily Weil has something to do with it.

You can't talk about Emily Weil without mentioning her husband, David. They are a team in every way, which makes them not only examples of how to live a life thoughtfully and with conviction, but also as the kind of love story that most people aspire to achieve.

We will never actually really know how David Weil managed to get his wife to a party that was really for her -- and to get all her friends and family in place -- without even a hint of the all-consuming pride he must feel in her accomplishments.

It is a great achievement to be named a Cornerstone Award recipient.

It is an even prouder moment to be only the second woman ever to receive the honor.

But the light that shines on Mrs. Weil is not the glow reflected off the good works of the Weil family. She is a star all her own.

She is an accomplished author, historian and sought-after speaker. She is a talented musician -- and as the audience learned Thursday, a pilot.

But more importantly, she is a warm, kind and generous person who once she knows your name remembers to greet you like she has known you all her life.

She has left a mark on her community -- and an example for others to follow.

And future generations will know about Wayne County's history, in part, because of the work she has done.

This is an honor very well-deserved.

Published in Editorials on January 23, 2015 11:00 AM