Newly retired Henderson Finance Director Sandra Wilkerson was honored by Mayor O’Geary and the City Council for her 32 years of service to the City with a plaque and a handshake.
Wilkerson started as a collection clerk and worked her way to her last position as Finance Director (2009) with many stops along the way, including Assistant to the Mayor and Assistant Finance Director (2006).
Shortly thereafter, House of Representatives member Michael Wray stood and presented Wilkerson with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine award, one of the most prestigious awards given by the Governor of North Carolina. The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is presented to individuals who have a proven record of extraordinary service to the state, and a state employee can be awarded the Order if the employee has contributed 30 or more years of service to North Carolina.
The certificate granted Wilkerson the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary, and granted her the privilege to propose the North Carolina toast “in select company anywhere in the free world.”
“Here’s to the land
of the long leaf pine,
The summer land
Where the sun doth shine,
Where the weak grow strong
and the strong grow great,
Here’s to ‘down home,’
the Old North State! “