Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor State Representative Allen McNeill for approximately 45 years of service to the people of Randolph and Moore County. A beloved member of our community, Representative McNeill has exhibited the highest level of commitment to protecting and serving others.

Prior to serving in the North Carolina House of Representatives, Representative McNeill worked for the Randolph County Sheriff's Office for approximately 30 years. His position with the office provided him with essential experience in law enforcement and public safety that has been integral to his accomplishments in the North Carolina House of Representatives. In 2012, Representative McNeill was first elected to the District 78 seat representing segments of Randolph and Moore County. He has represented this seat to this day and currently serves as the chair of the Justice and Public Safety Appropriations Committee as well as the vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and Judiciary 2 Committee. He is also a member of numerous other committees, including but not limited to the Election Law and Campaign Finance Committee and the Transportation Committee. As representative, his legislative initiative has affected essential funding for local government and institutional actors to ensure that his constituency is equipped with quality security and public safety measures. Perhaps most notably, his negotiations achieved indispensable funding that allowed Randolph Health to remain open and continue providing healthcare services for our community.

Representative McNeill will retire after his term expires at the end of the year. Through his outstanding service and leadership in the law enforcement and the North Carolina House of Representatives, he has set an exemplary standard for others in public service to emulate. I know I speak for all in our community in wishing him well as he begins the next chapter of his life.

Madam Speaker, please join me today in honoring State Representative Allen McNeill for his career of commendable servitude to his community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor North Carolina State Representative Pat Hurley for her 16 years of service to the people of Randolph County. A beloved member of our community, Representative Hurley has gone above and beyond to enact positive change for all in her community.

Since the beginning of her first term in 2007, Representative Hurley has worked diligently to become a conservative leader in the General Assembly. She currently holds leadership roles on many committees, including her role as chairwoman of the Appropriations and Education Committee. In addition to her educational priorities, Representative Hurley has long stood as a stalwart voice against legislation that would further enable or permit the use of alcohol, drugs, and gambling. As one of only 8 women in the 120-member North Carolina House of Representatives, she has exhibited outstanding initiative and courage that will help pave the way for increased female membership and leadership in the North Carolina General Assembly in years to come.

As a representative, she has demonstrated the highest level of commitment to her community through her hard work and leadership. She has served as a trailblazer for all women in public service, and I know I speak for many others as we honor her extraordinary career.

Madam Speaker, please join me today in honoring Representative Pat Hurley for her exemplary service to her community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Otis Ritter for nearly 10 years of service as Moore County Commissioner and a lifetime of public service to our community.

Prior to serving on the Moore County Board of Commission, Commissioner Ritter served in the Navy and worked as a volunteer fireman for the Robbins and High Falls rescue squads. He also served 20 years as the chairman of the county's Emergency Services Advisory Committee. After being appointed to the Board of Commissioners to replace Commissioner Craig Kennedy in 2013, Commissioner Ritter was elected to hold the District Ill seat in 2014 and 2018. Given his experience as a first responder, he now serves as a member of the Fire Commission which recently replaced the Emergency Services Advisory Committee. He also currently serves as a member of Local Emergency Planning Committee, the Nursing and Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee, and numerous other committees. Perhaps most impressively, Commissioner Ritter also previously served as vice chairman of the Board of Commissioners.

Today, Commissioner Ritter is the longest serving member of the current Board of Commissioners. He will retire from his seat at the end of this year. Over the course of his career, he has extended the highest level of personal sacrifice in dedicating himself to the service of others. I know I speak for our entire community in thanking him for his hard work and wishing him well as he enters the next chapter of his life.

Madam Speaker, please join me today in honoring Commissioner Otis Ritter for his career of exemplary servitude to his community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Moore County Clerk of Court Susan Hicks for her distinguished career in public service.

Clerk Hicks began her 38-year career as a public servant in Randolph County and began work with the Moore County Clerk of Court's office in 2006. She was later appointed Clerk of Court in 2009 and was elected to the position for the first time in 2010. She would go on to win re- election twice in 2014 and 2018. Over the course of her time in office, Clerk Hicks' leadership succeeded in upholding the Moore County Clerk's Office's historic status as one of the most well-run and effective Clerk's Offices in North Carolina. She oversaw the modernization of office processes to ensure that it will maintain the capacity to keep up with a growing population in Moore County and acclimate to future technological advancements or unforeseen challenges.

Clerk Hicks will retire from her position at the end of the year. Through her expertise and committed leadership, she stands as an example that all in public service should strive to emulate. I know I speak the rest of our community as I express my gratitude for her hard work and wish her well as she enters the next chapter in her life.

Madam Speaker, please join me today in honoring Clerk of Court Susan Hicks for her career of exemplary servitude to her community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Moore County Register of Deeds Judy Martin for 33 years of service to Moore County. As the longest-serving county officeholder, Registrar Martin has dedicated her career to her position.

Registrar Martin first began working with the Moore County Register of Deeds in 1989. She served as assistant for the Register of Deeds for ten years prior to being appointed Register of Deeds in 2001. She was then elected to the office in 2002 and has held the position ever since. Registrar Martin's leadership helped the office successfully digitize its system of records to accommodate modernization and improve its function. Additionally, she has brought noteworthy state recognition to Moore County. In 2010, the state association of registrars awarded her the Shining Star Award in recognition of her excellent track record and service to her county and state. She was later recognized as Outstanding Register of Deeds by the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners. In the same year, she served as president of the North Carolina Register of Deeds and was presented the Eunice Ayers Distinguished Service Award for exceptional service in the position.

Registrar Martin will retire from her position at the end of the year. Through her outstanding service and leadership, she has helped strengthen Moore County's capability to adequately serve its citizens. She will long serve as an exemplary figure in public service, and I know I speak for the rest of our community in wishing her well as she begins the next chapter of her career,

Madam Speaker, please join me today in honoring Register of Deeds Judy Martin for her career of exemplary servitude to her community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor North Carolina State Representative John Szoka for 10 years of service to the people of Cumberland County. A beloved member of our community, he has set an exemplary standard for others in public service to emulate.

Since 2013, Representative Szoka has worked diligently to represent District 45 in the North Carolina General Assembly. He holds leadership positions on many different committees, including his roles as Senior Chairman of the Finance Committee and Chairman of Energy and Public Utilities Committee. Perhaps most impressively, Representative Szoka currently serves as Conference Chair for the

North Carolina Republican House Caucus. Among many other legislative accomplishments, his initiatives in office secured around $400 million in the state budget for Cumberland County.

Prior to his career in public service, Representative Szoka graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1976 with a bachelor's degree in Engineering. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Infantry where he served as an Infantry Officer for over 20 years before retiring from active duty as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1996. In retirement, he became a successful small business owner and is currently still employed as a mortgage lender.

Representative Szoka's legislative term will expire at the end of the year. Through his outstanding service and leadership in the military and the North Carolina House of Representatives, he has exhibited the highest level of commitment to serving others. I know I speak for all in our community in wishing him well as he begins the next chapter of his life.

Madam Speaker, please join me today in honoring Representative John Szoka for his career of commendable servitude to his community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Jerry Daeke for 8 years of service as Moore County Commissioner and a lifetime of public service to our community.

Prior to his role as a County Commissioner, Commissioner Daeke served in the Navy and spent 8 years as a town councilman in Southern Pines, North Carolina. He became Moore County's first independent fee appraiser for real estate in 1974 and served as an instructor in his field at Sandhills Community College. He currently chairs the Moore County Tax Equalization and Review Board and has been a member of this board for the past 16 years. Elected to hold Moore County's District V seat as a member of the Board of Commissioners in 2014 and 2018, Commissioner Daeke has been an essential source of property and real estate knowledge for his fellow commissioners. He also currently serves as a member of the Facilities Task Force Committee, the Transportation Advisory Board, and the Utilities Task Force among many other local leadership councils.

Commissioner Daeke will retire from his seat at the end of this year. Through his extensive track record in public service and diligent work as a member of the Board of Commissioners, he has extended the highest level of personal sacrifice in dedicating himself to the service of others. I know I speak for our entire community in thanking him for his efforts and wishing him well as he enters the next chapter of his life.

Madam Speaker, please join me today in honoring Commissioner Jerry Daeke for his career of exemplary servitude to his community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Catherine Graham for 8 years of service as Moore County Commissioner and a lifetime of public service to our community.

Prior to being elected to the Moore County Board of Commissioners, Commissioner Graham served as the Clerk of Superior Court for 15 years. Her success in this position allowed her to be elected President of the North Carolina Clerk of Courts. She later served as a member of the Board of Commissions for the Town of Carthage and a member of the Board of Trustees for Sandhills Community College. In 2014, Commissioner Graham was elected to hold Moore County's District I seat as a member of the Board of Commissioners. She is only the fourth woman to ever serve on the board, and in perhaps her most noteworthy achievement, she became the first female elected Chairman of the Board of Commissioners in 2016. She was reelected to the board in 2018 and currently serves on the Social Services Board and the Sandhills Center Board of Directors in addition to many other local leadership councils.

Commissioner Graham will retire from her current position as Vice Chair of the Moore County Board of Commissioners at the end of the year. Over the course of her career, she has demonstrated the highest level of commitment to her community. Through her hard work and leadership, she has served as a trailblazer for all women in public service. I join our entire community in gratitude as we honor her extraordinary career,

Madam Speaker, please join me today in honoring Commissioner Catherine Graham for her career of exemplary servitude to her community.

Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and missed a vote. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 490.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.

Every third Sunday in November, the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is a chance to remember the millions of lives lost or injured due to road crashes. On this day we also pay tribute to emergency responders and medical professionals who deal with the trauma of road death and injury daily.

According to the Association for Safe International Road Travel an estimated 1.35 million people around the world die in road crashes each year. This is a public health crisis that continues day in and day out in all countries of the world. Affecting primarily our most vulnerable communities and our young. Therefore, during the new Decade of Action 2021-2030 the World Day will have the important role of helping to achieve the 50 percent road casualty reduction target.

Madam Speaker, please join me today as we remember the victims of road traffic collisions and their families. Ultimately, we should

do everything in our power to protect the lives of all road users, and I hope to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do that.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Cabarrus County Commissioner Diane Honeycutt for her many years of service to our community.

Commissioner Honeycutt has long provided exemplary leadership and initiative as an active member of our community. In addition to serving on the Cabarrus County Board of Commissions since 2014, she has held many other distinguished positions, including the prominent roles of former Chair of the Cabarrus County Chamber of Commerce in 2001 and former President of the Concord Rotary Club in 2004. On the Board of Commissioners, Commissioner Honeycutt served as Vice Chair from 2016 to 2021. She currently serves on the Department of Health of Human Services Committee, the Senior Advisory Council, and the Emergency Management Committee. On account of her dedicated public service and success as a business leader in our community, Commissioner Honeycutt has received numerous awards and accolades. Perhaps most impressively, she was presented the Distinguished Rotarian of the Year award in 2001, the Cabarrus Chamber Small Business of the Year award in 2017, and the Cabarrus Chamber Volunteer Business of the Year award in 2018.

Commissioner Honeycutt will retire from her current position on the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners at the end of the year. Over the course of her career, she has demonstrated the highest level of commitment to her community through her hard work and leadership. She stands as an exemplary figure for all in public service to emulate, and I join our entire community in gratitude as we honor her extraordinary career

Madam Speaker, please join me today in honoring Commissioner Diane Honeycutt for her career of exemplary servitude to her community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ms. Carolyn Helms as the recipient of the Moore County Woman of the Year Award.

The Woman of the Year Award is a prestigious honor presented annually by the Moore County Community Foundation to individuals that have impacted Moore County through charitable works and community service. Since 2007, Ms. Helms' leadership roles with FirstHealth of the Carolinas and Moore Regional Hospital have greatly strengthened and improved the capabilities of these organizations to provide exemplary service to all in our community. After becoming a member of both FirstHealth's board of directors and Moore Regional Hospital's board of directors in 2007, Ms. Helms became chair of the Moore Regional Hospital Board in 2010 and later became the first female chair of FirstHealth's board in 2017. She held the latter position until 2019 and now currently serves as the CARE liaison for the Foundation of FirstHealth. Through her outstanding leadership over the course of her career, she has served as a trailblazer and been an invaluable role model for all healthcare professionals in our community.

In addition to this important work, she remains a board member for many state and local organizations such as the Sandhills/Moore Coalition for Human Care and The Baptist Retirement Homes of North Carolina. She has previously held numerous leadership roles at multiple local churches as well as working as a nursing instructor at Sandhills Community College. In 1993, she was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the Southern Pines Jaycees on account of her exceptional community service.

Ms. Helms has made an immeasurable impact on our community and is deserving of the Moore County Woman of the Year Award. I would like to offer my sincerest appreciation and wish her success as she continues to serve our community.

Madam Speaker, please join me today in honoring Ms. Carolyn Helms for her service to our community and being named the Moore County Woman of the Year.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. David Woronoff as the recipient of the Moore County Man of the Year Award.

The Man of the Year Award is a prestigious honor presented annually by the Moore County Community Foundation to individuals that have impacted Moore County through charitable works and community service. As president and publisher of The Pilot since 1996, Mr. Woronoff has expanded and transformed the newspaper from a community publication into a statewide media company with multiple regional publications. The Pilot has earned many accolades and honors under his direction, including multiple distinctions as the nation's best community newspaper and the N.C. Press Association's top general excellence award in a division of the largest community newspapers. He currently serves on the board of directors for UNC's School of Media and Journalism and the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association. Perhaps most impressively, he was named the president of the North Carolina Press Association in 2010 and inducted into the North Carolina Journalism Hall of Fame in 2019.

In addition to this important work, Mr. Woronoff also worked as a reporter for Business North Carolina magazine before eventually becoming its director of business development. He currently serves on the board of directors for numerous associations and foundations across North Carolina, including the UNC Press Foundation and the Sandhills Community College Foundation. His previous leadership roles with the Moore County Chamber of Commerce, the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce, FirstHealth of the Carolinas, and The Moore County United Way are further examples of his work as an active leader in our community. In recognition of his successful and accomplished track record, he was awarded both the United Way of Moore County's Cornerstone Award in 2008 and the Kiwanis Club of the Sandhills' Builders Cup Award in 2015.

Mr. Woronoff has made an immeasurable impact on our community and is deserving of the Moore County Man of the Year Award. I would like to offer my sincerest appreciation and wish him success as he continues to serve our community.

Madam Speaker, please join me today in honoring Mr. David Woronoff for his service to our community and being named the Moore County Man of the Year.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Corporal John S. Gilbertie who was inducted into the 82nd Airborne Division's Hall of Fame on September 28, 2022.

The 82nd Airborne Division's Hall of Fame began in 2018 to honor the division's 101 years of legendary service and its members. It honors veteran paratroopers who are nominated for their service within the division, their commitment to the division's values, their contributions to their chosen field outside of their division, or any other valorous combat actions.

A brief look at Cpl. Gilbertie's career accomplishments only begins to adequately describe the importance of his military service. He served in the 82nd Airborne Division from October 1917 to May 1919, which included serving as an infantryman and squad leader in company E, 327th Infantry Regiment during the St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne campaigns of World War I. During WWI, Cpl. Gilbertie led nightly patrols for the 327th Regiment, which earned him the Distinguished Service Cross. According to his citation, he carried messages from the front lines to battalion and regimental headquarters in October 1918 near Cornay, France; ``Although suffering from the effects of gas and sickness, on two occasions, he volunteered and led patrols in the enemy territory, obtaining and returning with information of the utmost importance and value.'' For his efforts, Cpl. Gilbertie was awarded the Silver Star Medal, the World War I Victory Medal with three Clasps and the Italian War Cross.

In the words of the former commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, Gen. Erik Kurilla, ``the All American Hall of Fame is about preserving our legacy and paying homage to our All American Legends.'' Cpl. Gilbertie's selfless service could not be more deserving of such recognition. I know I speak for all in our community and Nation in thanking Cpl. John S. Gilbertie for his committed service and leadership in the 82nd Airborne Division and our nation's military more broadly.

Madam Speaker, please join me today in honoring and congratulating Corporal John Gilbertie for his induction to the 82nd Airborne Division's Hall of Fame.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Captain John B. Sauls who was inducted into the 82nd Airborne Division's Hall of Fame on September 28, 2022.

The 82nd Airborne Division's Hall of Fame began in 2018 to honor the division's 101 years of legendary service and its members. It honors veteran paratroopers who are nominated for their service within the division, their commitment to the division's values, their contributions to their chosen field outside of their division, or any other valorous combat actions.

A brief look at Cpt. Sauls' career accomplishments only begins to adequately describe the importance of his military service. He commanded Company G, 401st Glider Infantry Regiment. On June 9, 1944, Sauls led an attack on German defensive positions which were denying the progress of the Allied movement west from Normandy. Without cover or concealment, Sauls and his company charged toward the Nazis, maneuvering down the 500-meter corridor directly into machine gun fire and artillery. After moving down the causeway, Sauls realized he only had a squad-sized element with him and the rest of the company was pinned down, wounded, or killed. Sauls made it across the corridor of fire and ran past the first line of German defense, shooting Nazis with his Thompson submachine gun. For his actions, Sauls earned the Silver Star. He died in 1987 at the age of 73.

In the words of the former commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, Gen. Erik Kurilla, ``the All American Hall of Fame is about preserving our legacy and paying homage to our All American Legends.'' Cpt. Sauls' selfless service could not be more deserving of such recognition. I know I speak for all in our community and Nation in thanking Cpt. Sauls for his committed service and leadership in the 82nd Airborne Division and our nation's military more broadly.

Madam Speaker, please join me today in honoring and congratulating Captain John Sauls for his induction to the 82nd Airborne Division's Hall of Fame.