(lf-rt) Wally Wazan, Mary Perkinson and Bryan Gupton
Gov. Pat McCrory has conferred the Order of the Long Leaf Pine on Mary Anne Perkinson, who is retiring at the end of the year as manager of the I-85 North Welcome Center in Warren County. Director of Operations Bryan Gupton and Visitor Services Program Manager Wally Wazan presented the honor at the Welcome Center in Norlina yesterday (Tuesday). The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is among the most prestigious awards presented by the governor and is presented to individuals who have a proven record of extraordinary service to the state. Perkinson, who joined the Welcome Center program as a travel counselor in 1976 and has managed the center in Warren County since 2005, retires with 37 years of state service.