Friday's Internet Edition, July 25, 2008.
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Features Editor
- Roger Bryant knew something was up. He just didn’t know what.
The former Thomasville city manager was pelted with “resume-type” questions by city clerk Betty Almond.
His son, the Rev. Richard Bryant, who is pastor at Asbury United Methodist Church, was in on it, too.
It was a very surprised Bryant who received the Order of the Longleaf Pine award from Thomasville Mayor Joe Bennett during a city luncheon for retiring employees held Jan. 13 in Memorial United Methodist Church’s Christian Enrichment Center.
“I was just shocked,” Bryant said in a telephone interview. “It is a huge honor to receive this, and it’s really wonderful to be thought of in this way.
“I’m in some incredibly prestigious company.”
Prestigious, indeed. Among Thomasville’s awardees are former mayor Hubert Leonard, Kermit Cloniger, and former mayor and chief of police Don Truell.
Other award recipients include Maya Angelou and the Rev. Billy Graham.
Bryant earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from High Point University in 1981.
He worked as the superintendent of water treatment for the City of High Point. In 1982, Bryant was hired by the City of Thomasville as utilities director, a post he held until July 1999 when he was made city manager.
Bryant announced his retirement in mid-October.
He is a past member and served on the board of directors of the Thomasville Lions Club; a member of the Thomasville Rotary Club where he was named a Paul Harris Fellow; a member of the Thomasville No. 214 Ancient free and Accepted Masons, Scottish rite.
He has served on the Davidson County Economic Development Commission; has been chairman of the Thomasville Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors; a past chairman of the Thomasville Drug and Alcohol Coalition; and also served on the Davidson Vision steering committee.
Bryant is a member of Memorial United Methodist Church, where he has served in several capacities.
He has been a Communities In Schools volunteer for six years, a member of the Salvation Army Advisory Board; a district commissioner for the Boy Scouts of America, and has served on the Davidson County Civil Air Patrol.
The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is the highest civilian honor that can be granted in the state 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.
Contributions to their communities, extra effort in their careers, and many years of service to their organizations are some of the guidelines by which recipients are selected for this award.
The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is among the most prestigious awards presented by the Governor of North Carolina.
Once awarded, the individual may use the following toast at esteemed gatherings:
“Here’s to the land of the longleaf 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.”