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Founding trustee receives Order of the Long Leaf Pine

2018-01-23
Above is a tribute video that was shown during the Jan. 23 ceremony when Mr. Holt received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.

Before the first shovel pierced the earth on what is now Southwestern Community College’s Jackson Campus, Paul Holt drove out to the land behind the County Home to see for himself.

From that day in 1964 until the present, Holt’s passion for helping the college succeed has never wavered.

The longtime Sylva attorney served on the initial “advisory panel” even before the college started out as a satellite of Asheville-Buncombe Tech, and he’s served on Southwestern’s board of trustees for all but a few months of its existence.

He established the SCC Foundation in 1973 and continues to serve on its board of directors.

In recognition of that service and all he’s done to serve Jackson County over the years, Holt was honored on Tuesday, Jan. 23, with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine at SCC’s Jackson Campus.

One of the most prestigious awards conferred by the governor, it is “awarded to persons for exemplary service to the State of North Carolina and their communities that is above and beyond the call of duty and which has made a significant impact and strengthened North Carolina” according to longleafpinesociety.org.

Gov. Roy Cooper approved Holt’s nomination, which was submitted by SCC officials late last year.

“Southwestern Community College and our students are so fortunate that Mr. Holt has made a personal commitment to support this institution in every way possible for more than five decades,” said Dr. Don Tomas, president of SCC. “Over the years, Mr. Holt has worked alongside all of our college’s great leaders and visionaries. His selfless contributions and countless hours of service have been vital in helping SCC become one of the top community colleges in the nation.”

A Greensboro native, Holt attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for his undergraduate and law degrees.

After spending two years in the U.S. Army, he relocated to Jackson County.

In a letter to Gov. Cooper, J. Vance Davidson – a current member of SCC’s board of trustees – wrote: “My almost 20-year relationship with Paul Holt has convinced me that he is most worthy of this recognition of outstanding service to North Carolina, his community, region and to his profession.”
 

SCC trustee Paul Holt and SCC president Dr. Don Tomas holding award.
Paul Holt (left) is presented the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by SCC president Dr. Don Tomas on behalf of Gov. Roy Cooper.

Added Conrad Burrell, who served with Holt on SCC’s board for two decades, “Paul Holt is a revered member of the western North Carolina community and has devoted his life in service to his fellow citizens.”

Over the years, Holt has established numerous scholarships through the SCC Foundation – making it possible for dozens of students to pursue and attain their academic degrees, diplomas and certificates at SCC.

He’s also been in the room for every consequential decision the trustees have made in Southwestern’s history.

“I look up to Paul Holt as a mentor,” said Terry Bell, current chair of SCC’s board of trustees. “I have set beside him since 1995, and I have watched him make decisions. I have tried to listen intently to his rationale – because he always gives one – for the decisions he makes. He brings to the board the knowledge of how the college was first formed. He is always acting unselfishly in the interest of Southwestern Community College.”

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