Theresa Mathis has been amember of the City of Wilson’s Human Relations Office for the last 18 years.Prior to coming to Wilson, she served in the field of higher education atNational Business College, Virginia Tech and Radford University. She worked in StudentAffairs, Student Activities and Admissions. Giving her a unique background inevent planning with a purpose. Her main role now is serving as the Advisor ofthe Wilson Youth Council. In addition, she serves as the event planner for theoffice helping implement a dozen programs per year. In her spare time, she isthe Director of the NC Whirligig Festival – the largest event in Wilson. She expands her event work by supporting many other Wilson festivals withadvice and logistical support such as Juneteenth, Wilson Pride and the HispanicSummer Festival. She is a graduate of Virginia Tech and a proud member of theHokie Nation.
Wilson Rotary
Rev. Linda Hanna Walling has been the Executive Directorof Hope Station since July 2012. She moved to Wilson from Ohio to join herhusband, Rev.
Gary Walling, who became the new Senior Minister of FirstChristian Church in January of that year. He retired from that position in 2022, and Linda hopes to retire soon.
As an ordained minister in the Christian Church(Disciples of Christ), Linda has served in educational, mission, and musicministries in Texas, Georgia, and Ohio. She has served on her denomination’snational governing Board and its Executive Committee; chaired its Division ofHigher Education, and presided as Moderator of Southwest Region, which includedTexas and New Mexico.
Linda was born and raised in Florida, but graduated fromBarton College in
1972 (when it was still called Atlantic Christian College). She remained in Wilson a year followinggraduation to work at First Christian Church, and then went to seminary atBrite Divinity School at Texas Christian University, where she graduated with aMaster of Divinity Degree in 1976.
While she doesn’t have the time to do much of either,Linda enjoys gardening and scrapbooking. She hopes to try her hand at stained glass when she retires.
Linda and her husband have two grown children, both ofwhom are married.
Kristen lives in Washington, DC and works ininternational women’s rights, and their son, Ryan, lives in Denver, Co, andworks in the electric car industry.
Tyson has served the city for more than 32 years. He began his career in 1989 as evidence and identification specialist with the Wilson Police Department. He served in many different roles in the police department, and was named Officer of the Year in 1993. After reaching the rank of lieutenant, he moved to the city manager’s office in 2000 and was named assistant city manager in 2003. Tyson returned to the police department as chief from 2004 until 2010, when he was named deputy city manager, a role he will hold until retirement. Tyson’s responsibilities included the Wilson Police Department, Wilson Fire/Rescue Service, water resources, public works, human resources, engineering and parks and recreation.
Our Mission
To Share Positive Outcomes Together with kids and their families in Wilson through academic enrichment, social immersion, and health programs.
Our Vision
To prepare the students in Wilson County for the 21st century landscape through comprehensive out of school time programs with an emphasis on academics, health, and emotional well-being.
The SPOT program offers a structured and safe environment for at-risk youth to thrive after
school and during the summer. Our team of experienced staff provides academic support, life
skills training, sports, and fun activities to keep our participants and their families engaged and
motivated throughout the year. There are 165-200 kids daily that attend year-round.
1. Our Truist building is a 30,000 sq ft building with 3 floors and accommodates staff
offices and classrooms.
2. The Marvin Coghill Auditorium is an attached 10,000 sq ft wing that can host programs,
trainings, and lectures for over 150 people. It can be used for many indoor sports. This
space also includes a fitness center with over 15 exercise and cardio machines for the
kids and their families.
3. The Dale Bone gymnasium hosts basketball, volleyball, kickball and all the indoor
activities.
4. The “Genia Bone Esports Room includes video games, virtual consoles and a computer-
based gaming arena.
5. The outdoor covered multipurpose court accommodates most all sports including
basketball, In-line hockey, pickleball, volleyball, as well as an outdoor eating and social
space.
6. Our commercial grade kitchen serves food daily to all the kids and during COVID
provided over 250,000 meals to families in need in Wilson County.
7. Our transportation department consists of 3 school buses and 2 shuttle buses that
transport the children daily from Wilson County Schools and home to their residences.
The SPOT After-School Programs:
1. The SPOT After-school programs provide a safe environment with academic support and
resources to help students with their homework and core subjects. Technology is
integrated within all SPOT programs. This program provides a free nutritious supper for
all participants and weekend meals are provided for our most food insecure families. No
kid should ever be hungry in Wilson County. This is our goal each year.
The SPOT Summer Camp Programs:
1. Outdoor activities: The SPOT Summer camp offers a variety of activities, such as biking,
kayaking, swimming, hiking and sports.
2. The SPOT summer camp is an activity-based learning environment designed to prevent
learning loss through fun academic engagement and field trips. The students receive free
school breakfast and lunch.
Wilson Area Habitat for Humanity wasincorporated in December 1989 after a handful of Wilson residents came togetherto establish a local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International. HFHI wasestablished in 1976 and now has more than 1100 US affiliates and more than 100serving in other countries. Wilson Area Habitat pays an annual tithe to HFHIand has to meet specific guidelines to stay “in good standing” with HFHI. Ourmission statement reads, “Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat forHumanity brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope.”
Wilson Area Habitat completed its firsthouse in 1991 and its 18th in 2020. Wilson County, the territory for WAHFH, hasa large number of abandoned and substandard homes and a high percentage ofrenters vs. homeowners. WAHFH has constructed homes using volunteer labor, andthrough many of its early years, without any paid administrative staff. We nowhave a full-time executive director, ReStore manager, and assistant manager, aswell as five part-time store employees. However, the community’s faithfulvolunteers provide the leadership and backbone needed to keep WAHFH “buildinghomes, communities and hope.”
To further that mission, Wilson AreaHabitat opened its Habitat ReStore in 2004. In 2020, we doubled our squarefootage at 626 Ward Blvd. with lease of the adjoining space. The ReStoreaccepts donations of new or gently used building materials, tools, hardware,furniture and household items. Proceeds from the store go toward building andrepairing homes.
In 2021, the Board approved the creation ofa “Repairs Ministry” in partnership with Wilson Community College’s Buildingand Construction Technology program. The goal of this ministry is to completeneeded repairs to eligible homeowners who cannot finance the repairsthemselves. WCC students, under the supervision of a licensed generalcontractor, will provide the labor for the repairs, and WAHFH will providematerials, volunteers where needed, and professional labor if necessary.
About Habitat for Humanity International
Founded in Americus, Georgia, USA, in 1976,Habitat for Humanity today operates around the globe and has helped build,renovate, and repair more than 600,000 affordable houses, sheltering more than35 million people worldwide.http://wilsonhabitat.org/?pub=wilsontimes
Xavier J. Daniels was born and raised in Bladen County in the city of Elizabethtown, North Carolina. Xavier has served his community indifferent capacities from the time he was a young boy. He became an Eagle Scout in 2011 and has been very active in his home state of NC, serving commendably through Boy Scouts of America. His strong leadership skills have allowed him the privilege of serving in numerous positions within the organization.
In 2014, at the age of twenty-one, Xavier was elected as the President of the NAACP for Bladen County. He served in this capacity for four years, as the youngest President of the organization in its one-hundred-and-ten-year history. Under his leadership, the Bladen County NAACP Youth Investment Plan (YIP) was born. The YIP is a mentoring program that,amongst other things, sponsors an annual back-to-school bash. This event provides supplies and uniforms for youth and children throughout the academic school year. Xavier has also served on the NC State Juvenile Criminal Prevention Board.
As a young man, at the age of 18 he became employed by one of the largest Oil Companies in the state of NC as the Wholesale Fuel Advisor. Xavier felt that he had found his calling in sales, as he continued to soar past all goals,he had set for himself in an excellent fashion. He surpassed the expectations of those that employed him and those that were working under his leadership. But unknown to him, God had other things in store for his journey in life.
Xavier Daniels, a member of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church,began his trek in ministry by preaching his initial sermon in February of2015. This single event set him on a path that he never anticipated for his life, but he has been able to find joy in this new direction as he serves in many different capacities in Zion. Xavier began his academic course of elevation in 2015 as well and at the conclusion of the Fall Semester of 2018,Xavier received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Livingstone College. Also, while attending Livingstone, Xavier became the leader of Campus Ministries. At the beginning of this appointment by the Campus Pastor, there were about four student regular attendees. When the time came for him to step down from this leadership role there was an average attendance of two hundred students attending special events and averaging over fifty students for Sunday Evening Worship and Weekday Bible Study. He also began a joint annual worship service with Catawba College bringing together both college presidents in one service. While pursuing this degree, he also became a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
He is currently a student at Duke Divinity School, obtaining his Master of Divinity Degree. While in wait for this new juncture of his journey, Xavier is now employed by Simon Temple AME Zion Church in Fayetteville, NC as the Youth and Young Adults Minister. Serving this ministry of youth and young adults, it is his hope to encourage, equip and empower them to achieve their dreams in the strength of the Lord. In his spare time Xavier enjoys spending time with his family and golfing.
Kimberly Van Dyk serves as the Planning & Community Revitalization Director as well as the Downtown Development Director for the City of Wilson, North Carolina, which houses the divisions of Planning, Community Development and Downtown Development. Her department focuses on long range planning, smart growth and center city revitalization. In conjunction, she serves as in-kind Executive Director for two non-profit entities, Wilson Downtown Development Corporation and Wilson Downtown Properties. These three organizations work in partnership on economic development, property redevelopment, business recruitment and retention, public and private infrastructure and design improvements, historic preservation, promotions, marketing, and special events for Historic Downtown Wilson.
Ms. Van Dyk has over 20 year of experience in planning, historic preservation, community development, and downtown and neighborhood business district redevelopment. Prior to her appointment with the City of Wilson, she was Founder and Executive Director of Neighborhood Ventures, a nonprofit serving 20 historic business districts in Grand Rapids, Michigan’s 2nd largest city, where she was instrumental in establishing the State’s first Corridor Improvement District in 2009. She was also previously the Director of the Neighborhood Business Specialist Program and Assistant Director of South East Economic Development, both in Michigan. She holds a Master of Public Administration degree, a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit and Government Leadership and Administration, and Bachelor of Arts Degrees in both Communications and German Language, all from Western Michigan University.
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Books Published:
Postcards from My Walk with God
LIES You Accept that Keep You Stuck (and the Truth to Set You Free) (Amazon Best Seller)