Stephanie Ross becomes Clayton's downtown development coordinator
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on July 8, 2015 1:46 PM
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Stephanie Ross
Stephanie Ross has a passion for small towns.
"Growing up (in Goldsboro) I lived on the same street as my whole family -- all of us lived on Mulberry Street," she said. "It's a small town sense you can't get in the big city."
That deep-rooted appreciation has served her well in a career path that included working in the construction industry, downtown development and community service.
June 1, she embarked on a new professional chapter when she became downtown development coordinator for the town of Clayton. She is only the second person to hold that position.
The road that took her there, though, was a winding one, with her hometown serving as a "creative outlet" of sorts.
After graduating from Goldsboro High School, she received a degree in construction management from East Carolina University.
When her family acquired the local construction company, D.S. Simmons, she worked there in several capacities -- from project management to vice president and then president.
But she was drawn to the creative side of things, taking an avid interest in marketing and advertising. She took an active interest in the community, becoming involved in such organizations as the Goldsboro Junior Woman's Club and the board of Wayne County Museum.
She further found her niche with the Downtown Goldsboro Development Corporation, or DGDC, taking a role chairing festivals and events and serving as vice president and later president.
Among her accomplishments were being named a N.C. Main Street Champion, a recognition from the N.C. Department of Commerce, which honors valued leaders who committed themselves to a downtown and its revitalization. She also received a lifetime achievement award in 2005 for two decades of service to the DGDC.
And then she left Goldsboro in 2012, moving to her beach home in Atlantic Beach.
With that, she segued from working in the construction field to a part-time opportunity in special events planning.
She also decided to change up her resume -- less about her construction experience and more emphasis on event planning, fundraising and community involvement.
She moved to Raleigh to pursue other opportunities, but ultimately kept her eye on the small-town atmosphere like the one where she had grown up. She believes she found that in Clayton.
"Clayton is a wonderful, wonderful little community. It has a lot of things going for it," she said. "With all the various aspects that go into downtown available, you have events, you have fundraisers. Clayton is similar to Goldsboro in its setup."
She praised the opportunities she had to cut her teeth on the skills she acquired by working with the local DGDC and now considers Julie Metz, DGDC director, as a mentor.
"I have so closely worked with the Goldsboro downtown, working with the downtown staff and leadership and all those relationships are important to making that work," she said. "I'm very creative, artistic -- I love architectural design. My degree in construction, I have a lot of things it touched on.
"I get to pull all my talents together. I think it's a good mix. It's just a good, perfect match for me."
Ms. Ross said she looks forward to the new role, while being grateful for the steps that brought her there.
"Growing up in the construction industry, D.S. Simmons Inc. was literally my life," she said. "Our construction company was family to me in every sense of the word because most of us worked together for over 20 years.
"What I got out of that part of my life can never be replaced, but I'm excited to start a new chapter and new career doing what I love. With family and tons of friends in Goldsboro, it will always be home to me, while downtown holds a special place in my heart."