Pikeville candidates - Wayne-Wilson News Leader, Fremont, NC

4 October 2007 — One thing is a guarantee for the Pikeville Town Board after this November's election - at least one new face will join the men and women at the commissioner's table.

Three seats are up for election this year. Members Bruce Thomas and Al Greene are running for re-election. Johnny Weaver will not seek re-election.

Meanwhile, four new names have been thrown into the ring. Vance Greeson, Dennis Lewis, Todd Anderson, and Talmage "Thigie" Thigpen will also vye for one of the three seats.

Bruce Thomas is seeking election to his fourth term as a town commissioner. He has lived in the town of Pikeville for 36 of his 63 years. Mr. Thomas has always lived in the area, and he graduated from Charles B. Aycock. He and his wife Jane have three children and four grandchildren.

Mr. Thomas is retired from DuPont, and occasionally substitute teaches as Charles B. Aycock. He attends Union Grove Free Will Baptist Church. In addition to serving on the town board, he is also a member of the Athletic Booster Club at Charles B. Aycock, which he helped to start.

He will seek a fourth term, he said, because the town is in the midst of several projects that he would like to see through.

"There is a lot of growth going on out here, and I want to see things continue," he said. "But there is a lot of work to do."

Dennis Lewis has run for a seat on the board before. He is 46 years old, and he and his wife Lisa have lived in Pikeville since 1992. They do not have children, but Dennis said they have a dog that they consider their child. Dennis is a truck driver, and is a graduate of Charles B. Aycock High School. He is a member of Harmony Lodge 340, and helps to coordinate several activities in town including the annual Trick or Treat for kids and the Christmas parade.

He said he is seeking a seat on the board for the simplest of reasons - to serve his town.

"I wanted to serve my community, as I have in the past," he said.

Vance Greeson has experience with serving the town of Pikeville; he has previously been a member of the town board. He has lived in the town 27 years. Mr. Greeson and his wife Connie have three children, and are members of St. Joseph United Methodist Church.

He has worked in the agricultural research and chemical business for 35 years, and graduated with a BS in agronomy from North Carolina State University. He has also worked with the 4-H program in the area. In addition, Vance has served on various boards and committees throughout the years, including the NC Board of Health, the local Heritage Bank board, and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He is also a coach for the the Carolina Powerhockey team.

Vance said he decided to try to return to the board because he wants to have a hand in the future of the town.

"I would like to have a part in planning the operation of this town," he said. "I feel that my lifetime experience allows me to provide positive leadership for those that chose Pikeville as their hometown."

Photos of the candidates, as well as profiles on Mr. Greene, Mr. Anderson, and Mr. Thigpen will run in next week's edition.

A few notes on previous candidate articles:

Fremont
Mayor Devone Jones owns an upholstery business in Fremont. He attends Union Grove Church in Fremont.

Stantonsburg
Ken Horne works for BB&T in Raleigh, and has been there for seven and a half years. He is the assistant vice president for the company. He graduated from East Carolina University with a BS degree in Business Economics. He also graduated from Beddingfield High School.

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