As published in the Courier-Tribune on December 25, 2011
By Hugh Martin
TROY — Montgomery County Commissioner Dolon Corbett has been awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, one of the most prestigious awards presented by the governor of North Carolina.
N.C. Sen. Jerry Tillman, R-District 29, presented the award to Corbett at the beginning of the Dec. 20 commissioners meeting in Troy.
The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is given to individuals who have a record of extraordinary service to the state, contributions to their communities, extra effort in their careers and many years of service to their organizations.
“It’s wonderful. I am thrilled to death,” Corbett said, adding he was surprised, but had a clue something was up because calls from Tillman’s office kept showing up on caller ID, and his wife, Dorothy, wanted to go to the meeting with him for the first time in 10 years. She was by his side when the award was presented.
“Thank you for this award. I certainly appreciate it. Dot and I do,” Corbett said. He asked Tillman to convey his appreciation to the governor.
Tillman, who presented the award on behalf of Gov. Bev Perdue, said it is not an award that is granted lightly.
“There are not that many of them,” he told those assembled. “It represents a life of service, a life of dedication to your community and to the business world … The hardest jobs in the world are school board and county commissioner. One has to find the money and the other one needs it.”
Corbett, who is in his 10th year as county commissioner, serves as vice chair of the board. He is also a member of the county ABC, Economic Development Corp. and health department boards.
Corbett said public service had always been a part of his and Dot’s life.
“Dot and I have volunteered with many organizations wherever we lived,” Corbett said.
They met at a church youth outing and have been married for 55 years. They have three children, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Forty-four years ago, they built a lake house in Montgomery County for vacations and as a place for both their families — Dot is from Concord — to gather on their trips back to North Carolina. When Corbett retired from a management position with Kroger Food Stores 13 years ago, they built a house on the footprint of his homeplace in the Ophir community.
“We were really happy when we got the opportunity to come back to Montgomery County. It is a great place to live and we love it,” Corbett said.
The Order of the Long Leaf Pine award was established in the mid-1960s and, to date, has been presented around 15,000 times. Past recipients include such famous North Carolinians as Maya Angelou, Billy Graham, Rick Hendrick, Michael Jordan and Bob Timberlake.
Other recipients include long-time state employees, prominent business executives, noted politicians, athletes, musicians, actors and advocates.
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