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NORTH CAROLINA RURAL WATER ASSOCIATION
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On July 16, 1976, the North Carolina Rural Water Association, Inc® (NCRWA) was incorporated as a non-profit corporation under the authority of the NC Secretary of State. NCRWA’s humble, yet service-focused, existence was much the vision of the initial Board of Directors, which included:
  • Jasper (Jap) Younts of Davidson Water, Inc.
  • Boyce Sink of Davidson Water, Inc.
  • N.W McGee of the Town of Conover
  • William D. Hicks of Dan River Water
  • J.A. Mize of Iredell Water, Inc.
  • W.P. Wootten of West Iredell Water, Inc.
  • Lynn Norton of Alexander County Water, Inc.

Organized from the very beginning to serve as “the voice” of the water and wastewater systems across the state", NCRWA quickly took its place as a leading advocate for the members in the state and soon afterward assisted in the organization of the National Rural Water Association (www.nrwa.org) to provide a consolidated voice for systems in the nation’s capital.

In 1977, NCRWA began providing on-site technical assistance and training for systems and operators across the state. Later adding Source Water and Well Head Protection Planning to its services, NCRWA quickly became recognized as a leading resource in all of these areas. Today, NCRWA continues these efforts by providing services from Board Training to Rate Studies to Leak Detection Assistance to Certification Schools to ensure that our members are able to meet the ever increasing demands placed on them. Although the list is too long to include every service, NCRWA has developed a reputation for assisting with just about any need a system has.

NCRWA  has a reputation for great leadership among its ranks. NCRWA Presidents and Executive Directors dating back to the beginning have included:



Presidents
July 22, 1976 - 1985: J.A. Younts of Davidson Water, Inc
1985 – 1987: Rodney Tart of Harnett County Public Utilities
1987 – 1989: Mike Richardson of Montgomery County Water
1989 – 1991: Rodney Tart of Harnett County Public Utilities
1991 – 1993: Pete Post of the Town of Montreat
1993 - 1995: Marty Wilson of the City of Graham
1995 – 1997: Henry Waldroup of the City of Concord
1997 - 1999: Ron McGrady of Mulberry-Fairplains Water
1999 – 2001: Wayne Jenkins of Northampton County Water
2001 – 2003: Mervis Joyner of Bell Arthur Water Corporation
2003 – 2005: Eddie Coltrain of Wayne Water Districts
2005 – 2007: Earl Newman of the Town of Laurel Park
2007 – 2009: Gregg Stabler of Davidson Water, Inc
2009 – 2011: David Wortman of Icard Water Corporation
2011 – 2013: Macon Robertson of Warren County Public Utilities
2013 – 2015: Neil Carpenter of Maggie Valley Sanitary District
2015 – 2017: Barry Sutton of Eastern Pines Water Corporation
2017 - 2019: Keith Hoilman of the Town of Newland
2019 - 2021: Todd Taylor of the Orange Water and Sewer Authority
2021 - 2023: Lisa Smith-Perri West Carteret Water Corporation
2023 - present: Wilmer Melton City of Kannapolis


Executive Directors
1977 – 1981: Paul Gosnell (Mr. Gosnell was titled Program Manager as the titles of Administrator and Executive Director were not added till later for the position)
1981 – 1994: Roger Swann
1994 - 1997: Sammy Boyette
1997 – 1998: Robert (Bob) Schley
1998 – 2002 Sammy Boyette
2002 – 2004: Jim Higdon
2004 – 2007: Dean Gaster
2007 – 2021: Daniel Wilson, PE
2021 - 2023: Brian Grogan
2024 - Present Heather Somers

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Wilmer Melton
​
NCRWA Board President 2023


Why is NCRWA based in Welcome, NC?
Concluding, one question is regularly asked by our members: “Why is NCRWA based in Welcome, NC?”

Davidson Water, Inc. (also based in Welcome, NC) took a very instrumental role in the foundation of NCRWA. Given the centralized and accessible location of Welcome in the state along with the generosity of Davidson Water to, first, house NCRWA’s offices in their facility for a brief period and later to assist in locating a nearby office for NCRWA, the Association sprouted its roots there and never let go. Welcome, today, still represents the rural atmosphere of many of our members and has continued to be an outstanding location for our headquarters.  As NCRWA grew, we later purchased our current office building in Welcome and have continued to thrive in service to our members.

NCRWA has worked hard for the past few years to archive our history. However, like many organizations, our early days were less documented than recent years. If you have information pertaining to the early days of NCRWA, we would enjoy capturing this information. This would include photos, magazines from pre-1991, award information, or anything else that you may have related to the history of NCRWA. So send us your story about the early days so that it can be cherished for generations to come. 
NC Rural Water Association
PO Box 540, Welcome NC 27374
Phone: (336) 731-6963 | Email | sitemap
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NCRWA Publication

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  • HOME
  • ABOUT US
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Staff & Board Information
    • Legislative Advocacy
    • Quality on Tap
  • TRAINING
    • TRAINING
    • Training FAQ
    • Registered Apprenticeship Program
    • Safety Emergency Response Training
    • Utility Management Certification
  • TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
    • TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
    • Water Technical Assistance
    • Wastewater Assistance
    • Source Water Protection
    • Energy Efficiency Assistance >
      • EE Sign Up
      • EE FAQ
    • GIS/GPSMapping
    • Lead and Copper Rules >
      • BoundarySync
    • Cybersecurity Resources
  • EVENTS
    • UPCOMING EVENTS
    • Annual Conference
    • Leadership Summit
    • Calendar of Events
  • MEMBERSHIP
    • Membership >
      • Benefits of Membership
    • Member Login
  • Employment Opportunities
  • NCRWA E-Commerce Store
  • Digital Advertising
  • Classifieds
  • AFFINITY PROGRAMS
    • Leak Adjustments
    • Website Development
  • Letter of Thanks
  • Publications
  • NC WaterWARN