Hood honored with Order of the Long Leaf Pine
Long time Lenoir Community College board of trustees member Mrs. Carol Hood of Trenton was presented the prestigious honor of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine at the October board meeting held at the LCC Jones County Center. Senator Harry Brown on behalf of the Honorable Governor Roy Cooper presented the honor at the beginning of the meeting recognizing Mrs. Hood’s dedicated service to her community and to education.
Surrounded by her fellow board members and a room full of Jones County family and friends, Mrs. Hood was surprised by the presentation, which had been in the works for months. Humbled by the honor, she thanked everyone for their support and kindness.
Pictured left to right: Adam Hood, grandson, and Carol Hood, Order of the Long Leaf Pine recipient; standing, Beth and Paul Hood, daughter-in-law and son, Martin and Beth Hood, son and daughter-in-law, Anne and Bobby Gilmore, sister and brother-in-law, and Lawrence Mallard, brother. Photo by Richy Huneycutt / Lenoir Community College
Mrs. Hood has always been a champion of education. Her teaching career of 24 years culminated to serving as the Finance Officer for the Jones County Public School System before she retired. She is a long time member of the Trenton United Methodist Church and has served as treasurer for more than 20 years.
Mrs. Hood has also been a member of the Lenoir Community College Board of Trustees from 1988 until present where she has served on the Instructional/Curriculum Committee, the Executive Committee, and the Finance Committee, where she has chaired since 2012.
She has had the opportunity to watch LCC grow from its humble beginnings to a multi-campus educational facility. Mrs. Hood has been a long time supporter of education and works tirelessly to promote the opportunities and services available to citizens in the service area.
“Representing Jones County on the board of trustees, she is instrumental in securing supporters for the institution and has always provided sound counsel in all matters relating to the College,” LCC President Dr. Rusty Hunt said. “It is a privilege to work with her as she is a champion of education and to the citizens we serve.”
As an active trustee, Mrs. Hood was an instrumental participant during the construction of a new Jones County Center in 2005 and also during the construction of a new Technical Trades Center at Jones County Center in 2013. The new addition funded by the Golden LEAF Foundation added 6,390 square feet to the current center, for a total of 18,890 square feet. The facility is home to three workshops, two state-of-the-art computer labs, two nurse aid labs, five classrooms, nine offices and the Jones County NCWorks Career Center.
