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The Fuquay-Varina Downtown Association held its first Downtown Awards and fundraising celebration June 14. “Dinner on Depot” was held on historic Depot Street in the Fuquay Downtown District with more than 120 guests.

Among the winners of the year was Stick Boy Bread Company. Owners Katie and Josh Dies were awarded 2012 Outstanding Downtown Business of the Year.

A destination spot for both locals and visitors to Fuquay-Varina, Stick Boy has grown exponentially since it opened in 2008 with just six staff members. Now, the business has 25 employees, five of which are full time.

The award comes after winning a Silver Spoon at the SAVOR Fuquay-Varina event in late April and earning Best Bakery in the Fuquay-Varina Independent’s readers’ choice earlier this year.

“This is so encouraging to us,” Katie said about the award. “We feel love from the community and other business owners.”

But, she added, it’s definitely a team award. Stick Boy always has been a collaborative effort between Katie, Josh and all of the staff.

Katie said the staff works incredibly hard every day, putting their best effort forward, and it’s nice to see that it’s noticed.

“God continues to bless us and encourage us,” Katie said.

Susan Weis also was honored with the highest honor of the evening, the New Century Award.

“I think that it has to do with the seven years I worked with the Fuquay-Varina Revitalization.”

She completed the application for the N.C. Main Street Program, exemplifying leadership and vision for the downtown area.

“It’s very humbling, actually,” she said. “I think that award could be filled with all of the names of people that helped Fuquay-Varina’s downtown in the last 10 years.

“I hope I made a difference.”

Read more about Dinner on Depot and the other award winners of the evening in next week’s Fuquay-Varina Independent.

Contributed
Dr. Jim Merrill was named superintendent of the Wake County Public School System, effective Aug. 1.

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The Wake County Board of Education voted June 18 to appoint Dr. Jim Merrill as superintendent of the Wake County Public School System, effective Aug. 1.

Merrill, a former Wake County Associate Superintendent of Finance and Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources began his career in 1973 as an English teacher, spending a total of 16 years in Wake County. Merrill is currently Superintendent of the Virginia Beach City Public Schools, the third largest school division in Virginia.

“I am both excited and honored to be chosen as the next superintendent of the Wake County Public School System. This system has a legacy of high student achievement, a community that supports its schools, and is viewed as a leader in the state and the nation,” Merrill said. “We shall continue to herald our student successes and push each child to his or her next level of accomplishment.”

Board Chairman Keith Sutton said, “Dr. Merrill outlined an impressive program of growth for Wake County schools, and brings with him the skill set and institutional knowledge to lead the state’s largest public school district into a new era.”

Prior to his service in Virginia Beach, Dr. Merrill served six years as superintendent of the Alamance-Burlington School System.

Dr. Merrill has earned numerous accolades and awards, including the 2005 North Carolina Superintendent of the Year award and the 2013 Virginia Superintendent of the Year honor. He has also been elected to the Executive Committee of the Governing Board of the American Association of School Administrators. The UNC-Greensboro School of Education awarded him the Outstanding Achievement Award and the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Education honored him with its Distinguished Leadership Award.

Dr. Merrill was a Morehead Scholar at UNC-Chapel Hill, earning a bachelor’s degree in secondary English. He earned his master’s degree in education administration from Appalachian State University and his doctorate from UNC-Greensboro.

Dr. Merrill will become the ninth superintendent of the Wake County Public School System since the merger of the city and county school systems in 1976.