The NCEDA June 2016 newsletter features an article by Greenfield's Robin Spinks: "One Old Timer's Reflection"
I have been a member of NCEDA since 1984 –32 years. I actually started in the business as a researcher for the site consultants at J.E. Sirrine Co, engineering firm, in Greenville SC in 1977, but joined NCEDA when I took the local developer position in Edgecombe County in 1984. My first NCEDA meeting was the Mid-Winter meeting at Mid Pines that year. I was the only girl signed up to play golf (ever!) and it was 36 degrees and raining that day. I just couldn’t wimp out, and therefore neither could the guys - so we all had to suffer through it! The best part of that meeting was that I met Mary Lilley. She was the local developer in Martin County, and she invited me to ride with her and two of the few other women in NCEDA at the time (Janna Draper in Halifax, and Jean, in Greene). Another woman was Anne McGaughey the local developer for the Town of Farmville. Anne became the first woman president of NCEDA in 1986-87. I would have been the second. I was elected as Secretary-Treasurer in 1989 (moving up to be president in 1991-92). However, in January 1990, I went to work with Cogentrix Energy to site power plants all over the US. Therefore, I felt that my new position would not allow me to maintain focus on the ED issues in NC, so I resigned. The organization had a hard time replacing me. At that time, the Secretary-Treasurer did the real work - bookkeeper, meeting scribe, etc. So in order to entice anyone else to take the position, NCEDA had to hire its first Executive Director – Paul Lawler. So you can credit me for the organization moving from all volunteers to a professional organization! Robin Spinks Member, 1984-present |