Ferrell gets Award
By Bonnie Edwards
Published in News on February 20, 2004 2:03 PM
MOUNT OLIVE -- Milly Maxwell Ferrell is the Distinguished Service Award winner for 2003. She received the award Thursday night during the Mount Olive Jaycees' 52nd anniversary banquet at the Southern Wayne Country Club.
Mrs. Ferrell's nominator described her as "quietly passionate about her community. She always seeks to engage and encourage others."
Daughter of the late Gilbert Maxwell of Seven Springs, she is a trustee of the Gilbert Maxwell Memorial Library Fund, advancing her father's zeal for reading through support of the Seven Springs Public Library.
Mrs. Ferrell manages the office at her husband's business, E.T. Ferrell & Sons. She is an active member of the Wayne County Shrinettes and runs the concession stand for the Mount Olive Hurricanes Football Team. She and her husband, Tom, have three sons: Thomas, 11, Sam, 9 and Jake, 7.
She volunteers in the classroom and library at Carver Elementary School, where she is treasurer of the PTSO. She organized the school's first fall festival. She was one of the original organizers of the Pickle Pedal Power Parade and is currently on the steering committee for a community high school.
Other awards
During the banquet, the other civic clubs in Mount Olive presented their own awards.
The Southern Wayne Business and Professional Women's Club named Ashley Hines the Outstanding Youth. Her nominator described her as a gifted and articulate academic leader at Southern Wayne High School, where she is a senior. She is one of the top three in her class.
The Mount Olive Exchange Club named firefighter Alex Ferrell the Outstanding Young Public Servant. He has spent most of his adult life around young people and has been head football coach for the Mount Olive Hurricanes for the past 16 years. His nominator said he instills a sense of discipline and respect into his team members and expects them to achieve on and off the field.
The Mount Olive Kiwanis Club named John and Murray McClenny the Outstanding Young Farmers. The brothers run an 1,800-acre family farm and 500-head sow operation. They have greenhouses for tobacco plants. They're firefighters with the Smith Chapel Volunteer Fire Department.
The Mount Olive Lions Club presented the Senior Citizen Award to Wilbert Martin. At 69, he stays busy. He recently helped build the new bridge at Westbrook Park. He's an active member of Woodmen of the World. He has spent most of his adult life in the Mount Olive area. A native of Duplin County, he left high school to enter the Air Force for four years. He returned and worked 27 years for Burlington Industries.
The Mount Olive Rotary Club named Dr. Karen Bass Boss of the Year. She is the vice president of Student Development at Mount Olive College and was described as humorous, energetic and well respected. Her nominator said she is "the one who most knows the student population. One of the most genuine people I have ever known." Julie Beck, who nominated her, described her as "more than a boss. She inspires us."
The Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce named Melissa Brooke Hackman the Outstanding Young Educator. Ms. Hackman, who teaches at Carver Elementary School, has a history of volunteering in her community and has tutored a first-grader in the Star Fish program at North Drive Elementary School.
Two of the Jaycees' Exhausted Roosters, Tom Ferrell and Julie Beck, have turned 40 and received their Rooster Pins. Rotarian Branny Vickory invited them to join his club.
Ms. Beck, chairman of the Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce's board of directors, gave plaques of appreciation to Mayor Ruff Huggins and members of the town board for their support of many projects throughout the year. The town supports the N.C. Pickle Festival, the Christmas tree lighting and many other activities, she said.
The keynote speaker, Donna Phillips, told about her experiences working in the Greenville office of the state Department of Commerce. She previously worked for the Duplin County, then the Wayne economic development commissions. Her expertise lies in nurturing existing industries, but lately she has been working with recruitment of industry. There has been a "mass exodus of industries in the past year," she said. But in the past six days, she said, she has seen nine plant expansions. "I didn't get nine all last year," she said.