Senator W. Ted Alexander

Co-Chair

Senator W. Ted Alexander is a native North Carolinian, born and raised in Morganton, N.C. He is married to the former Patti Powell of Asheboro. Ted and Patti have two children: Will, who lives and works in Asheville, and Christina, who recently graduated from Gardner-Webb’s Doctor of Nursing program.  Senator Alexander recently retired as Western Regional Director for Preservation North Carolina, where he worked to preserve architecturally and historically significant properties throughout 37 western NC counties.

He graduated from Freedom High School where he served in the Student Government Association and then from UNC-Charlotte with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. While at UNC-Charlotte, he was involved with Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship (where he met Patti), was President of Baseball Kappa, and served in the North Carolina Student Legislature. He was a UNC-Chapel Hill Institute of Government Summer Intern.

Senator Alexander has served on the UNCC Alumni Association Board and the UNC-Charlotte Foundation Board. In 2006, he was selected as a Distinguished Alumni of UNC-Charlotte.

Senator Alexander graduated from Cornell University with a master’s degree in Historic Preservation, and served for one year as a New York State Senate Fellow in the Office of Sen. John Daly (R).

He has served as the Executive Director for both the Bedford (Virginia) Main Street downtown revitalization programs and the Uptown Shelby Association’s Main Street revitalization program.  He served as the Virginia State Main Street Director from 1994-1996. He has been featured as a national and international speaker. He has tirelessly worked with local and state organizations to improve the economic quality of life in Cleveland County and throughout the state. He knows all-too-well how federal policies have been forced upon North Carolina, and our state and local governments.

Senator Alexander served as the mayor of Shelby for eight years from 2003-2011 and was a candidate for the United States Senate in 2014.  He served as Chairman of the Cleveland County GOP and then as District 10 Chairman of the State GOP, sitting on the Party’s Central Committee.

Senator Alexander is currently serving his third term in the North Carolina Senate.  He represents District 44 which includes Cleveland, Lincoln and Gaston Counties.

Senator Alexander Chairs Two Standing or Select Committees during the current 2023-24 session: Appropriations on General Government and Information Technology State and Local Government.

He is a non-standing Committee Chair for America’s Semiquincentennial Committee and the Jt. Legislative Oversight Committee on General Government.

He is also a member of five other committees: Joint Commission on Government Operations, Appropriations/Base Budget, Commerce and Insurance, Finance, Pensions and Retirement and Aging.

Representative Hugh Blackwell

Co-Chair

Hugh Blackwell holds a B.A. degree with Highest Honors in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a law degree from Harvard Law School. He is a retired attorney who practiced law in Burke County for more than forty years. Hugh and his wife Ann have four grown children and ten grandchildren.

Hugh served eight years as a member of the Burke County Board of Education and eight years as a trustee of Western Piedmont Community College. He formerly served as vice president of the Burke County Chamber of Commerce, was founding attorney and a board member of the former Burke County hospice, and was vice-chair and trustee at the old Valdese Hospital, now part of Blue Ridge Healthcare of Burke County.

Hugh represents Burke County in the North Carolina House of Representatives.

As a member of the House, he serves on a variety of committees with a heavy emphasis on appropriations, education, and healthcare. He also focuses significant legislative efforts on the creation and maintenance of state parks and trails. He was the originator of the state trail designation for the Overmountain Victory Trail, which is also a nationally designated historical trail for its major role leading up to the Patriot victory at Kings Mountain in 1780.

Public Committee Member

Mr. Kyle J. Luebke

BIO

Public Committee Member

Mr. Jason E. Luker

For the past 20 years, Jason has worked in the museum profession with a variety of organizations including the Gaston County Museum of Art & History, Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins, GA, and Historic Brattonsville, SC. He had been with the Gaston County Museum from 2014 to 2022, first starting as the Program Coordinator and then as Director, leading the museum through many changes over the past 9 years. Jason started his museum career at the Charlotte Museum of History in 2004 as the Visitor Service Manager. He came back to the museum in the fall of 2023 as the Chief Operating Officer, leading CMH’s daily operations and care for its historical structures.  Jason strives to make the past relevant and approachable, cultivating an environment where others can see how historical knowledge is essential in understanding ourselves. Jason currently lives in Lowell, NC with his wife Mary and their charming daughter Milly.

Public Committee Member

Hon. Charles Batcheller Neely

Chuck Neely, a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke Law School, practiced law in Raleigh for 50 years before retiring in 2020. Before law school, he served as an officer in the US Navy during the Vietnam War and attained the rank of Captain in the US Naval Reserve. He was elected to three terms in the North Carolina House. He has been active in civic, religious and charitable activities in Raleigh and North Carolina and has a long time interest in American history, particularly the American Revolution and the founding of the Republic.

Public Committee Member

Dr. Cary F. Poole

For nearly four decades, Dr. Poole worked with college age students, at various colleges and universities across the country, recently retiring from Gardner-Webb University, where he served as an Associate Professor of Education and Associate Vice President for Title IX and ADA compliance. 

Throughout his tenure, he served twice as a Dean of Students; first at Mars Hill University and secondly at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, TX.  At various higher education institutions, he has 17 years as a Title IX investigator.

An avid researcher on railroad corporate history, he has authored five books on the subject and approximately two dozen magazine and newspaper articles.  He is currently working on editing another author’s works and currently researching a corporate history of the Aberdeen, Carolina & Western Railroad, which is based out of Candor, NC.

Dr. Poole earned his B.A. at Auburn University in Anthropology/Archaeology and his M.Ed. in Counselor Education, also from Auburn University.  His doctorate was earned at Dallas Baptist University in Higher Education Administration.

Dr. Poole and his wife, Carole, are both retired and are enjoying traveling, to both international and domestic destinations.

Public Committee Member

Ms. Tanzy Barrow Wallace

Born into a military family, Tanzy is a native North Carolinian residing in Shelby, NC. She completed her secondary education at the University of NC Greensboro in 1980 in Public/Community Health Education and simultaneously commissioned as a 2^nd Lt in the USAF at NC A&T University and Masters work from Gardner-Webb University in Agency and Group Counseling. Tanzy was honorably discharged as a Captain after 11 years of service.

Her career, including the USAF, totals over 35+ years in the Human Services field from working with military personnel and families to starting her own company serving persons and families with Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance use disorders in 5 area counties in NC with 150 personnel.

Tanzy is now semi-retired, with a consulting background as a Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist and Educator, currently serving on various local and state commissions and boards and a past candidate for Mayor of Shelby, NC.  She enjoys history, storytelling, traveling and meeting people. Tanzy, a widow, was married for 39 years to Stephen L. Wallace. They have 4 wonderful and talented adult sons!