By Richard Sullins | richard@rantnc.com
Broadway Mayor Donald Andrews has been named vice chair of the North Carolina Mayors Association.
Andrews’ selection was announced during the organization’s quarterly meeting as a part of the North Carolina League of Municipalities’ CityVision annual conference held in Winston-Salem earlier this month.
Broadway’s mayor enters his new position with a strong understanding of the value of cities, towns, and villages across the state’s economy, saying that they “serve as vital economic engines propelling statewide growth.”
Andrews also sees his new position as more than just a title. For him, it’s an opportunity to engage with his peers to address the issues facing the state’s municipalities.
“The North Carolina Mayors Association provides a platform for mayors to exchange ideas and strategies for addressing the challenges and opportunities their communities face,” he said. “Convening with mayors from across the state creates an opportunity to cultivate relationships and collaborate on initiatives that strengthen the collective prosperity of our communities.”
In addition to Andrews’ selection, Parmele (Martin County) Mayor Jerry McCrary was chosen as the new Chair of the Mayors Association, replacing Leland Mayor Brenda Bozeman. New members selected to the Board of Directors were Creedmoor Mayor Bobby Wheeler and Morganton Mayor Ronnie Thompson.
The North Carolina Mayors Association is an affiliate organization of the North Carolina League of Municipalities, created to serve as a vehicle that allows all the state’s mayors to work together on the goals and challenges that are common to every municipality in the Tar Heel state.
Andrews earned his bachelor’s degree in business from UNC Pembroke in 1997 and was first elected as mayor of Broadway in 2007. He began his service to the community as a volunteer with the Lee Ambulance Service from 1984 to 1988, when the concept of trained emergency medical response was only beginning to emerge.
He joined the Whiteville Rescue Unit in 1990 and stayed until 1996. He then became a part of Boone Trail Emergency services in 1996 before teaming up with the Cape Fear RFD in Broadway in 2003. He chaired the Lee County Fire Advisory Board for 16 years and was honored for his service by the county commissioners in 2022.