chamber Community Awards
Every year, the Lexington Chamber and its members hold an event to present the Chamber Annual Meeting Awards. These awards are given to remarkable individuals who have demonstrated excellence in their professional endeavors and have made significant contributions to the community. This page is dedicated to honoring these exceptional members who have made a positive impact.
Distinguished Citizen Of The Year Award
2023
![Wayne Alley (left) smiling with his wife after receiving the 2023 Distinguished Citizen of The Year award.](https://i0.wp.com/www.lexingtonchamber.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Wayne-Alley_2023-distinguished-citizen-of-the-year-award.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1)
Wayne Alley
Wayne Alley, the 2023 Distinguished Citizen of the Year award winner, has been described as a man with utmost integrity, unselfishness, genuine care for others, loyalty and honor, incredible strength and courage, a man who exemplifies honesty, diplomacy and reliability, authentic true leadership, compassion and philanthropy, bolstered by a brilliant mind and a moral compass.
He is from Lexington and graduated from Lexington Senior High School, and a well-known university in North Carolina. He is also a military veteran, a husband, a father, and a grandfather. He is a true servant and a leader in his church and community. Known for his calming presence, his leadership style is marked by rational stability and informed decision-making.
He is a gifted and thoughtful leader, always dependable, always faithful, and never seeking the spotlight. He has advocated for racial justice and fair housing. He believes in helping the less fortunate. Wayne has been a duly elected City Councilor for 16 years, serving 11 of those as Mayor Pro-Tem.
During his tenure, he patiently worked with other Council members to guide our community through some very difficult times, including the recession following the loss of our furniture plants and textile mills, as well as the recent pandemic. As a City Councilor, Wayne played a role in developing and voting in the creation of Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd., The Breeden Insurance Amphitheater, Washington Park’s Splash Pad, The Lexington Aquatics Park, The Lexington Skate Park, the purchase of Brown Street’s Industrial park land, and the development of the soon-to-be-opened Lexington City Centre building.
Outstanding Woman In The Community Award
2023
After graduating from Duke University and Emory Law School in 1985, Beth started her career as a trial lawyer in Savannah, Georgia. She specialized in employment discrimination cases, focusing on racial discrimination. While working as a trial lawyer, Beth had the honor of trying the first sexual harassment case in federal court in the Southern District of Georgia. Currently, she assists, by appointment from the NC State Bar in our judicial district, with the challenging and time-consuming task of closing an attorney’s office when they are no longer able to practice.
After meeting her husband Bill and starting her family, the demands of being a mother and a trial lawyer took a toll on Beth. She realized she needed to make a change. So, after discussing it with her family, they made the decision to return home in 1999. Beth now works in the family business, and Lexington and Davidson County are thriving because of it! Thanks to Beth’s guidance, Bunce Buildings has experienced remarkable growth. She always prioritizes treating customers with kindness and generosity, following the “do unto others” philosophy. Beth also generously shares her expertise and supports various charitable causes. Over the years, she has been actively involved in numerous organizations and civic groups listed below:
After meeting her husband Bill and starting her family, the demands of being a mother and a trial lawyer took a toll on Beth. She realized she needed to make a change. So, after discussing it with her family, they made the decision to return home in 1999. Beth now works in the family business, and Lexington and Davidson County are thriving because of it! Thanks to Beth’s guidance, Bunce Buildings has experienced remarkable growth. She always prioritizes treating customers with kindness and generosity, following the “do unto others” philosophy. Beth also generously shares her expertise and supports various charitable causes. Over the years, she has been actively involved in numerous organizations and civic groups listed below:
- There is no question that Lexington is a better place to live and work and raise our families because of Beth Bunce and her overwhelming generosity. Please join the Chamber and the past winners of this prestigious award in congratulating Beth on this great achievement.
![Beth Bunce (center) with her family after receiving the 2023 Outstanding Woman In The Community Award.](https://i0.wp.com/www.lexingtonchamber.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Beth-Bunce-2023-outstanding-woman-in-the-community-award.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1)
Beth Bunce (center left)
Distinguished Citizen of The Year
1991
Dan G. Smith
James Frances Slyman
2001
Dr. Ray Howell III
2011
Lee Mabe
Bill McMurray
2021
Todd Hunt
1992
Burr W. Sullivan
2002
Richard Thomas
Larry Potts
2012
Frank Cagle
2022
1993
J. Bryan Brooks
2003
Zeb Green
Winnie Green
2013
Newell Clark
2023
1994
Vernon G. Price
2004
Manly Byerly
2014
Vinnon Williams
1995
Lewis Ardell Lanier
2005
Tim Timberlake
2015
Jeff Griffith
1996
E. Frank Sherron Jr.
2006
Robin Team
2016
Jim Burke
1997
Charles M. England
2007
Bob Sink
Bob Timberlake
2017
Mac Parrott
1998
B. Earl Hester Jr.
2008
Bob Koontz
2018
Larry Link
Jim Dillon
1999
Jimmy Holshouser
2009
Mike Turlington
2019
Gene Klump
2000
Edward C. Smith
2010
Hugh Holliman
Max Walser
2020
N/A due to Covid-19
Outstanding Woman In The Community
1994
Phyllis S. Penry
2004
Jeanne Davis
2014
Katherine Team
2024
1995
Peggy Barnhardt
2005
Rebecca Jo Peoples
2015
Sandy Reynolds
2025
1996
Rochelle T. Grubb
2006
Edna Lanier
2016
Newell Davis
2026
1997
Paula M. Turlington
2007
Beth Parrott
2017
Lynda Swann
1998
Lou G. Adkins
2008
Mary Rittling
2018
Gayle Burke
1999
Helen Brinkley
2009
Carolyn Townsend
2019
Sylvia Walser
Talmedge Hinkle Silversides
2000
Judy Z. Butler
2010
Evelyn Kepley
Sara DeLapp
2020
N/A due to Covid-19
2001
Elizabeth “Bett” Hargrave
2011
Lisa B. Timberlake
2021
Teenie Tilley
2002
Evelyn Harris
2012
Sandy Motley
2022
2003
Melinda Smith
2013
Jeanne E. Leonard