DISTINGUISHED PERSONS OF THE YEAR
2010 - 2016
Scott Whisnant, 2016 Distinguished Person of the Year
2016
Scott Whisnant
The Rotary Club of Morganton has announced its choice for the 2016 Distinguished Person of the Year.
Morganton native Scott Whisnant is a retired attorney who has a long history of service to the community.
Whisnant graduated from Morganton High School in 1968 and already knew he wanted to practice law.
“It was a childhood hope, and that’s what I geared my undergraduate work for,” Whisnant said.
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Barbara Cornwell Norvell, 2016 Distinguished Person of the Year. Photo by Tammie Gercken/The News Herald
2015
Barbara Cornwell Norvell
Barbara Cornwell Norvell has been named the Rotary Club of Morganton's 2015 Distinguished Person of the Year. She is the 1st woman to be given this honor.
The club changed the name of the award this year from “Man of the Year” to acknowledge the many contributions area women have made to the community, as previously was reported in the News Herald.
Norvell is a Morganton native who graduated from Morganton High School. She went on to graduate from Furman University with a degree in sociology, and moved to Greenville, South Carolina with her husband, Jerry, for six years, where she volunteered at juvenile court.
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John D. Greene, 2014 Distinguished Person of the Year
2014
John D. Greene
by Brianne Fleming, Staff Writer, Morganton News Herald
The Rotary Club of Morganton has announced the winner of its 67th Man of the Year award — John D. Greene — a local family man with deep community roots who has demonstrated the traditional motto “service above self.”
Morganton Rotary President Waits Gordon announced Greene as the 2014 winner at Wednesday’s meeting. Greene and his wife, Jane, were in attendance.
Some may recognize Greene, 78, as the man behind John Greene Chrysler Dodge Jeep of Morganton, which evolved from Bowers Greene Motor Co. Inc. in 1963. But many may know him from his mile-long list of accomplishments and activities in the Morganton community.
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Rev. Dr. George K. Logan, 2013 Distinguished Person of the Year
2013
Rev. Dr. George K. Logan
by Jessica Isaacs, Morganton News Herald
Love and laughter filled the room as the venerable Rotary Club of Morganton honored its Man of the Year 2013 recipient — the Rev. Dr. George K. Logan — at the Community House on Friday night. Friends, family, club members, past recipients and local leaders convened to recognize Logan — pastor at New Day Christian Church in Morganton — for his outstanding commitment to service
Logan and his wife Kim were welcomed with a standing ovation to the banquet, and the wall-to-wall crowd was filled with smiling faces and people who have witnessed first-hand Logan’s love for the community. RCM President David Rust said that Logan was selected as Man of the Year because he exemplifies the pillars on which the club stands — a spirit of giving and dedication to changing lives.
FRIENDS
The Rev. David Doster, pastor of Burke Community Bible Church and longtime friend of the Logan family, took to the podium to honor his friend and colleague. Doster said that Logan is a strong and compassionate leader who serves his community well.
“In a day where there seems to be, in so many ways, a dearth of leadership across this country … it is especially refreshing to see those raised up … who provide vision, heart, passion, energy,” said Doster. “This opportunity is a great way for us to esteem individuals who live according to transcended truth and exhibit the kind of character and virtue that pierces much of the cynicism of our day.”
Doster said that he, like many others, has been inspired by Logan’s relentless faith since the first time they met, and that Logan’s ability to change lives in all aspects of the community is extraordinary.
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John T. Branstrom, 2012 Distinguished Person of the Year
2012
John T, Branstorm
Mr. Branstrom was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on August 14, 1994 and moved to Morganton in 1956 at age 12. He studied at McCallie, UNC-Chapel Hill (B.A.), CLU and ChFC at American College. He has been married to Janice Mast Branstrom for 48 years and has two sons, Chris and Jeff. Chris is married to Nioucha and has two children, Isabelle and Sebastien. Mr. John T. Branstrom's brother and sister, William J. Branstrom, III and Mary B. Bigham, both live in Charlotte with their respective families. His parents are Bill and Polly Branstrom, Jr. (deceased). His grandparents are WJ and Margaret Branstrom, Sr. (deceased).
Church and Community
First Presbyterian Church--Elder, Finance Committee, and Sunday-School teacher
Host Christian Businessmen's Committee Bible study at office Monday mornings
Current Chairman of the Board of Burke Development Inc.
Caldwell Halfway House Board (Finance Committee Chairman)
Community Foundation of Burke County (Investment Committee
Chairman, former President of Board)
Current Blue Ridge Health Care Board (Chairman, Governance Committee, Retirement Committee, Finance Committee)
Former President of Burke County Chamber of Commerce
Former Chairman of Burke County Board of Commissioners
Former Bank Director
Business
Joined financial services (Insurance & Investments) business in 1973
Qualifying and 38 year member of the Million Dollar Round Table
Qualifying and Life Leader with MassMutual Financial Group
Hobbies
Sports and fitness
Aged-out runner (12 Marathons including 2 Boston Marathons)
Road biking prior to collision with a truck (comeback soon)
Golf (from the darn senior tees)
Snow Skiing
Phifer Wellness
Big Tarheel fan
Horticulture, Reading, Travel
Jerry T. Norvell, 2011 Distinguished Person of the Year
2011
Jerry T. Norvell
Jerry serves as the Senior Managing Member for the Norvell Management Companies. His experience in negotiating and structuring real estate opportunities has proven to be one of the keys in the success of this group.
Jerry founded Norvell properties and Norvell Insurance Agency in 1965. Norvell Insurance Agency was subsequently sold to Cameron Harris & Company in 1985 which later became BB&T Insurance Services. Both of these companies were located in Morganton, NC and operated primarily within the immediate market area. Jerry has developed apartament units, retail centers, and office buildings through Norvell Properties.
In 1978, he purchased Cornwell Drug Company, a regional pharmacy, general apothecary, and gift store chain, and served as its President/CEO until it was sold in 1983 to Revco Discount Drug Centers, Inc. The Cornwell Drug Stores were strategically located in western North Carolina and numbered 15 when purchased by Revco. Since the sale, Jerry's professional attention has been focused on developing credit-tenanted income properties, primarily drug stores.
Jerry is a graduate of Davidson College (A.B. in Economics) and has served on Davidson Board of Trustees. He is a past President of the Davison Alumni Association. His current community activities include: Trustee of Huffman-Cornwell Foundation, Member of Morganton Mainstreet Advisory Board, Member of the Board of Directors of The Committee of 100, and past Chairman and current Board Member of the Morganton Recreation Foundation.
Jerry is also a Past Director of Burke County Chamber of Commerce, Past Chairman of Western Piedmont Community College Foundation, an original member of The Grace Hospital Foundation Board, Campaign Chairman of Burke County United Way, Past President of Burke County United Way, Board Member of the Piedmont Council of Boy Scouts, and was elected The Young Man of the Year in 1970. He has also been a licensed North Carolina Real Estate Broker since 1965.
His church involvement has been as Chairman of the Board of Deacons and Elder of the First Presbyterian Church. He has also served as Treasurer of the Presbyitery of Western North Carolina.
Jerry has been married to Barbara Cornwell Norvell for 53 years, and has four children and seven grandchildren. His hobbies include tennis, golf and snow skiing.
Claude S. Sitton, 2010 Distinguished Person of the Year
2010
Claude S. Sitton
Retired Superior Court Judge
Birth: December 24, 1937 at Arden, Buncombe County, NC (the youngest of 7 children)
Parents: James Arthur Sitton and Josephine Allison Sitton
GRADUATE OF
1956: Drexel High School (Student Body President)
1958: Mars Hill Junior College (AA)
1960 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (AB)
1963: Wake Forest School of Law, (LLB/JD), and
1983: The National Judiciary College, Reno, Nevada
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
1963-1965: General Practice of Law-solo
1965-1966: Solicitor of Burke County Criminal Court
1966-1969: Part-time Investigator, NC Board of Dental Examiners
1968-1980: Partner, Hatcher, Sitton, Powell & Settlemyer Law Firm
1973: Admitted to practice before US Supreme Court
1977: Town Attorney for Drexel
Attorney for Burke County
1980-2003: NC Superior Court Judge
CIVIC BACKGROUND-MEMBER OF
1977-2011: Trustee (a past Chair and serving as Chair in 2011) WPCC
1963-1980: Former member of Morganton Optimist Club (a former President)
Member First Baptist Church of Morganton (Deacon several terms)
1985: Awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine
2006-2011: Chair of Trustees of First Baptist Church Foundation
Former Member of Board of Senator Sam J. Ervin Jr. Libray, Inc.
2003-2011: Mimosa Hills Golf and Country Club
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
23 years: NC Judge of Superior Court
2001: President of Conference of Superior Court Judges of NC, retired January 1, 2003
2003-2005: Served as Emergency Superior County Judge
FAMILY
Married Jo Bailey Sitton of Raleigh on September 3, 1960. The Sittons have two daughters: Juleigh Sitton and Janie Allison (Jaye) Sitton. Both are attorneys. Juleigh is married to William F. Wall, IV and they live in Morganton. She works for Governor Purdue and has her office in Asheville. Juleigh and Bill have one daughter, Allison Elizabeth Wall. Janie (Jaye) is an attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice and stays in Washington D.C.
PRESENT POSITION
Executive Director for History Museum of Burke County. Claude was one of the founders of the History Museum of Burke County Inc. located at 201 West Meeting Street in Morganton. He served as Chairman of Board of Directors of the History Museum from 2003 until 2010. In 2010 the Board of Directors named him Executive Director. The Museum also operates a satellite museum at the Morganton Railroad Depot.