The Mid-East Commission is pleased to announce the installation of the following officers to its executive board: Mary Perkins-Williams, chair (commissioner, Pitt County); Louise Furman, first vice chair (Chocowinity, Beaufort County); Ronnie Smith, second vice chair (commissioner, Martin County); Ron Wesson, secretary (commissioner, Bertie County); and Quinton Turman, treasurer (Ahoskie, Hertford County).

The Honorable Wendy Hazelton, Pitt County District Court judge, swore in three of the new officers; the remaining two officers were sworn in at the May meeting.

The 50^th-annual meeting was held in Greenville at The Barn at Saint Andrews on

April 20. Attending were individuals from the member governments of Beaufort, Bertie, Hertford, Martin and Pitt counties. Other guests attending were Sen. Don Davis, Machelle Sanders, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Administration, as well as past Mid-East Commission executive directors and board chairs.

The speaker of the evening was William Brooks, grassroots initiative and civic engagement associate at the League of Municipalities. Brooks gave a presentation on “Here We Grow,” which highlighted municipal investments around the state that are leading to job growth and promoting economic development. Adam Caldwell, regional representative from Sen. Thom Tillis’ office, gave a brief legislative update.

The mission of the Mid-East Commission is to enhance the ability of local governments and successfully improve the quality of life for area citizens. The commission, in an effort to facilitate positive local and regional change, provides leadership in technical assistance, planning, program management and development and public-private partnerships.