Jimmy T. Tate, Ed.D., President

Dr. Tate is the former President, Roanoke Chowan Community College and Chief of Staff at North Carolina Central University; he served nearly 10 years as an elected official as a Pender County Commissioner and Board Chair, and on numerous Boards and Commissions including the Pender Memorial Hospital Board of Directors and Southeastern North Carolina Economic Development Commission. He is extremely dedicated to help rural communities reach their full potential. He has served as a Board of Trustees Member with Elizabeth City State University and Cape Fear Community College and many boards and commissions locally, state, and national levels including previously serving as a member of Duke University Medical School Rural Health Advisory Board. Recently in 2019, he was appointed by the North Carolina Senate, to serve on the State of North Carolina Minority Advisory Committee. Dr. Tate, has conducted extensive research and lectures on rural leadership development. He teaches in the Political Science Department at the University of North Carolina and serves in various other capacities.

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Reverend Ronald K. Henry, Sr., M.C.E., Vice President

Reverend Henry is a graduate of Campbell University Divinity School. He is a native of Currie, North Carolina. Reverend Henry has a strong passion for helping others and rural communities. He is currently serving as the Senior Pastor of St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Conway, South Carolina.

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Mary Lisa Robinson, M.H.A., Secretary and Treasurer

Ms. Robinson, is a longtime native of the rural community of Willard. She also invested the majority of her career achievement in the State of Maryland, where she served in the field of Healthcare Administration Fiscal Services Management. She is a proud graduate of Bowie State University. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Psychology and a Masters Degree in Healthcare Administration. Ms. Robinson, is also a member of the Wallace Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, representing the Business Community.

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Mr. Alex Flores, Board Member

President, W and L Demolition, LLC

BIOGRAPHY COMING SOON

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Melvin Felton, M.A., M.C.E., Board Member

Mr. Felton is a proud graduate of North Carolina Central University. He holds two master degrees in History and Christian Education. He is a long time instructor of history with James Sprunt Community College where he also served as Diversity Specialist working with special needs students and students coming from diverse backgrounds. He serves on the Legal Aid Advisory Board in the City of Wilmington and on numerous other boards throughout the Southeastern region.

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Dr. James Arthur Holmes, Board Member

Professor, Shaw University

BIOGRAPHY COMING SOON

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Ms. Melissa Long, Board Member

Deputy Clerk, New Hanover County Board of Commissioners

Ms. Melissa Long is a native of Wilmington, NC. She is committed to public service and has invested much of her career in Pender County having served as the Clerk to the Pender County Board of Commissioners from 2015-2021. She now serves as the Deputy Clerk to the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners. She is a graduate of Cape Fear Community College and she obtained her certificate in Leadership and Management through the first Pender County Cohort of Mt. Calvary’s Leadership Program. She is a Certified Municipal Clerk as well as a North Carolina Certified County Clerk. She is an active member of Shiloh Baptist Church and a member of the Burgaw Rotary Club. She has a passion for giving back to her community, a community which has shaped the person she is today.

Dr. Ricardo Valdivia, M.D., Board Member

Dr. Valdivia is a native of Peru. He is very proud of his Spanish heritage and helping the community. He serves as the Chief Medical Doctor with San Martin Medical in Rocky Point, NC. He is a very dedicated medical professional and committed to help humanity. He has a special interest in rural health and has practiced extensively in rural health communities.

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Reverend John McIntrye, Board Member

A Pender County native, John McIntyre is a graduate of Pender High School. He received the Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Campbell University. He holds the Master of Arts from Liberty University with additional graduate studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. 

John has taught arts in both private and public schools in New Hanover county and has served three local ministries in the areas of Youth, Worship and Lead Pastor. 

Husband to Kim, father to Lia Sophia and Hamelton Fisher, John has been blessed to lead Wrightsville Beach Baptist Church as Senior Pastor since 2015. Under his leadership, Wrightsville has led local volunteers to serve in disaster response from the Cape Fear to the Outer Banks of NC and in both Key West, Florida and southern Louisiana. Wrightsville is engaged in training leaders and investing in Kingdom life in Baltimore, Maryland; Aguailla, Puerto Rico; Larga, Moldova; Bucharest, Romania; Sophia, Bulgaria; Togo, West Africa and Accra, Ghana.