North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Give Awards at Their Annual Conference | Eastern North Carolina Now

For Immediate Release:

Macon County Commissioner Wins Statewide Award

    Macon County Vice Chair Ronnie Beale was named winner of the Outstanding County Commissioner Award for 2012-13 by the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) during its 106th Annual Conference, which was held Aug. 22-25 in Guilford County.

    Beale, who is also the NCACC's President Elect, was honored for his active participation in the NCACC and for his willingness to frequently travel the long distance from Macon County to the state capitol to advocate on behalf of all 100 counties.

    Before being elected as NCACC Second Vice President in August 2011, Beale served as chair of the NCACC's Health and Human Services Steering Committee. He has also served on the NCACC's Public Education Steering Committee and was a member of the Legislative Goals Committee in 2011-12.

    "As he tells us all the time, he lives closer to the state capitol of four other states, but he is always there when we need him," said NCACC President Howard Hunter III. "As the chair of the Human Services Steering Committee, he helped educate state leaders about the impacts to counties of cuts in mental health funding. And he has helped us increase our participation by western Counties."

    The M.H. "Jack" Brock Outstanding County Commissioner Award is presented annually to a commissioner who has demonstrated special achievements and efforts on behalf of county government throughout the state and/or region, not just within his or her county. Beale is the first commissioner from Macon County to win the award, which has been presented annually since 1967.

    As President Elect, Beale will automatically become President next August. He will become the second Macon County Commissioner to serve as NCACC President, following Milles Gregory, who served in 1983-84.

    The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) is the official voice of all 100 counties on issues being considered by the General Assembly, Congress and federal and state agencies. The Association provides expertise to counties in the areas of lobbying, fiscal and legal research, communications, intergovernmental relations, information technology, field visits and risk management services.

Senator Jim Davis Honored With Ncacc Friend Of The Counties Award

    Former Macon County Commissioner Jim Davis, who is in his second term in the North Carolina Senate, was named winner of the 2013 Friend of the Counties Award by the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) during its 106th Annual Conference, which was held Aug. 22-25 in Guilford County.

    The Friend of the Counties Award was created to encourage non-county persons and organizations to take significant actions that advance the interests of counties and the Association. Any person or organization in North Carolina or the United States who or which is not directly associated with North Carolina county government or the NCACC is eligible to for the award.

    Davis was honored for sponsoring legislation that helped accomplish several NCACC legislative goals in 2013, including S321 (Inmate Costs/Ct.Appt./Notaries), which will help counties control costs for providing medical care to inmates in county jails. The bill caps the amount that counties will pay for medical costs incurred by inmates in facilities outside the confinement center to either 70 percent of the provider's current costs or twice the allowable Medicaid fee, whichever is less.

    "This would seem like a pretty simple idea, but this bill had to climb a lot of walls and jump through a lot of rings," said NCACC President Howard Hunter III. "Senator Davis would not let it fail.

    "He has been a strong advocate for counties since he joined the Legislature in 2010. When the Senate is debating a bill that could impact counties, he identifies himself as a 'Displaced County Commissioner' and educates his colleagues about why a bill is either good or bad for counties. He has truly been a Friend of the Counties."

    Sen. Davis serves as one of two Senate co-chairs in the County Caucus, which is an officially recognized caucus at the General Assembly that consists of the 26 former commissioners who are now in the Legislature. Before being elected to the North Carolina Senate in 2010, Davis was a Macon County Commissioner. While a county commissioner, he was very active within the NCACC, serving on two steering committees and the Legislative Goals Committee in 2008-10.

    The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) is the official voice of all 100 counties on issues being considered by the General Assembly, Congress and federal and state agencies. The Association provides expertise to counties in the areas of lobbying, fiscal and legal research, communications, intergovernmental relations, information technology, field visits and risk management services.

    Contact: Todd McGee,

     (919) 715-7336  •  todd.mcgee@ncacc.org