Ted Alexander to be recognized at upcoming ceremony, here’s how to attend
Shelby Star
Ted Alexander was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in 2023. The award will be presented to him at the Champions Ceremony during the NC Main Street Conference on Thursday, March 14, at 11 a.m. at the Paramount Theater in Goldsboro.
The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is the highest honor awarded by the governor’s office and is presented to individuals who have a proven record of extraordinary service to North Carolina. Some of the guidelines by which recipients are selected for the award include significant contributions to communities and many years of service to an organization.
“The State of North Carolina reserves its highest civilian honor for North Carolinians who exhibit exemplary service and exceptional accomplishment to and on behalf of their state and their community. I can think of no more worthy recipient of this extraordinary honor than Ted Alexander,” Patrick N. Woodie, president & CEO of the NC Rural Center, said in a press release.
Alexander’s contributions to North Carolina are the result of a lifetime of personal and professional achievements. Recently retired, he worked for private nonprofit organizations and public agencies in historic preservation and downtown revitalization throughout his entire career.
Born and raised in Morganton, Alexander graduated from Freedom High School and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from UNC-Charlotte in 1982 and his master’s degree in historic preservation from Cornell University in 1985. His decades of experience in historic preservation and downtown revitalization started with a summer internship with the NC State Historic Preservation Office in 1981 through the UNC Institute of Government.
Most of Alexander’s professional career was spent in Shelby, where he served for nearly 14 years as the executive director of Uptown Shelby Association’s Main Street revitalization program, and then two terms as mayor, from 2003-2011.
Shelby was one of the original five Main Street communities in North Carolina.
For 18 years, 2005-2023, Alexander served as regional director for Preservation North Carolina’s Western Office, serving 37 counties from an office in Shelby. As the state’s only private nonprofit statewide historic preservation organization, Preservation NC’s mission is to protect and preserve places important to the diverse people of North Carolina. During his time with the organization, 146 historic buildings in his region were protected in perpetuity through preservation covenants or easements. He retired from Preservation NC in January 2023.
Alexander has left a legacy in Shelby, Cleveland County and the Western North Carolina region through his work with the Main Street Program, his directorship of the Uptown Shelby Association and his work with Preservation NC.
As mayor of Shelby, he continued to work to improve the community. From working with the homeless and their advocates – helping birth the Inter-Faith Alliance that promises to bring change and aid to the situation of homelessness in Cleveland County.
He is currently serving his second term in the N.C. Senate, having been first elected in 2018, representing District 44, comprised of Lincoln, Clevelan, and a portion of Gaston counties. As a senator, he has been an important advocate for the state’s historic rehabilitation tax credits, which have resulted in more $3.25 billion in revitalization since their inception in 1993. Numerous vacant industrial factories and schools have been transformed by these credits for 21st Century research and innovation, housing (including affordable), and commercial enterprises.
“Without question, Ted’s exemplary public service to North Carolina makes him most deserving of The Order of the Long Leaf Pine,” said Myrick Howard, Preservation NC’s President Emeritus, who will be presenting the award to Ted in March.
The award will be presented to him at the Champions Ceremony in March. To register to attend the free event, go to www.ncmainstreetpartners.regfox.com/2024-ncms-awardsorchampion-ceremony.