
The Fayetteville Technical Community College Board of Trustees welcomed three new members on Monday, Aug. 18, and elected officers for the coming year.
Michael Chandler, Semone Pemberton and Kenneth Smith Sr. have joined the Board. Pemberton, a marketing and real estate professional, was sworn in at the beginning of the meeting by Judge James F. Ammons Jr., the senior resident superior court judge for Judicial District 12 (Cumberland County).
Chandler, the president of Dogwood Capital Management, and Smith, owner of Odell Smith & Sons Inc., were sworn in earlier in August at trustee orientation sessions by N.C. Rep. Diane Wheatley.
Pemberton and Smith were appointed to the Board by the N.C. Senate, replacing Ralph Huff and Tammy Thurman. Chandler was appointed to the Board by the N.C. House, replacing William Hedgepeth II.
Hedgepeth and Thurman were recognized at the Aug. 18 meeting by President Dr. Mark Sorrells who thanked them for their service. Huff left the Board in the spring after being appointed to the N.C. Board of Transportation.
The Board elected officers for 2025-26: David Williford, Chair; Adam Phillips, Vice Chair; and Dr. Andrea Dickerson, Secretary. Williford, a trustee since 2014, also served as Board Chair from 2021 to 2023. Phillips and Dickerson joined the Board in 2023 and 2024, respectively, and are serving as officers for the first time.
This is the first year of the Veteran Business Expo, and it grew out of Fayetteville PWC’s Economic Impact Program, which focuses on expanding access and opportunity in public-sector contracting while strengthening the local economy. It builds off th
Lynlene Apiary and Crafts is owned and operated by mother-daughter duo Carolyn Kleinert and Jolene Kleinert. They are certified apiarists and sell honey, candles made with beeswax, soaps and other crafts at local farmers markets. Photos by GFBJ.Lynle
Big T’s has been a local favorite of Hope Mills since 2000 when Timmy (Big T) and Donna Gray first opened right on Hope Mills Lake. It is a seasonal restaurant, so many of Big T’s loyal customers were happy to hear they would now be open year-round, seven days a week.