For the 102nd time, the Kinston-Lenoir County Chamber of Commerce named two outstanding citizens.
During the Annual Awards Banquet Thursday, Danny Rice and Molly Taylor became the 2012 Citizen of the Year and 2012 Ambassador of the Year, respectively, for their services to the county last year.
Rice, the national director of Woodmen of the World, has been involved with numerous community projects in Lenoir County for more than 30 years.
“I don’t know what to say,” he said as he approached the podium. “What do you say to a community you love so much?”
Retired city councilwoman Alice Tingle presented Rice the award.
“A community does better when there’s good leadership from people like Danny Rice,” she said. “We’ve been the best of friends since he’s been in town, (and) he has a good work ethic.”
Between October and November, floods of Rice nominations inundated the Chamber’s Citizen of the Year selection committee mailbox, which included some of Kinston’s leaders and citizens, highlighting his service, work ethic, love for the community and active membership in local organizations.
Although the award was a surprise to him, his family already knew the recognition was coming when they arrived at the Kinston Country Club.
“We’re very proud of him,” said Rice’s sister, Beth Jackson. “It’s wonderful, he’s worked hard all his life.”
His most notable recognition to Kinston is bringing the Woodmen Community Center to the city, serving as the first facility of its type under Woodmen of the World. As the national director, his input influenced the board to select Kinston as a pilot city to build a program.
As a graduate of ECU in 1973, he served on the Advisory Board for the then School of Social Work (College of Human Ecology). He began his career as a program coordinator for the Department of Corrections and worked to develop and oversee programs throughout Eastern North Carolina, including multiple youth-related projects such as Woodmen of the World’s Youth Program.
He said other projects are in the works under service-ship.
“It’s such an honor,” Rice said. “There are so many good leaders in Kinston and Lenoir County.”
Rice also has done extensive work with the Boy Scouts of America and Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
Laced in the slew of nomination letters was reference to Rice’s passion for community engagement with an enthusiasm to improve life in the county.
He is a founding member of the Lenoir County Friends of the Homeless, Inc., an organization on a mission to provide housing for transient families.
The list of Rice’s community service, awards and accomplishments in business stretched right to his Citizen of the Year title.
Many in Lenoir County collectively rallied for Rice to receive the recognition, believing he is uncannily deserving of the honor because of how he is working to transform the quality of life for the community.
“To be recognized in this respect is overwhelming,” Rice said.
Jessika Morgan can be reached at 252-559-1078 or at jessika.morgan@kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan.