By Natalie Anderson
natalie.anderson@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — City Council members have been appointed as liaisons to various boards and commissions based on areas of interest they indicated during the campaign and from past terms.

The city has more than a dozen boards and commissions for council members to serve as liaisons.

Alexander, architect and owner of KKA Architecture, will remain the liaison to the Rowan/Kannapolis ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Control) Board, where she said she’s served since first appointed and subsequently elected to the council in 2013. Additionally, since Alexander is a current executive board member of the Centralina Council of Governments, she will remain the liaison, with Mayor Pro Tem Tamara Sheffield serving as an alternate. The Centralina Council of Governments comprises leaders across the region who work to make connections and share information within the region.

Alexander also currently serves as the president of the North Carolina League of Municipalities.

Alexander will remain the liaison for the Cabarrus/Rowan Metropolitan Planning Organization, with Sheffield as an alternate. Members of that board are required to take ethics training and disclose financial history, which she and Sheffield have done. The MPO administers the transportation planning process that’s required under federal law, and it plans for regional transportation needs spanning highway, transit, air, bicycle and pedestrian facilities and other infrastructure-related projects.

Alexander will also remain a liaison for the Salisbury Tourism and Cultural Development Authority and Rowan County Tourism Development Authority.

Sheffield will remain a liaison to the Community Appearance Commission, which works to advance programs and projects that improve the overall physical appearance and quality of life for Salisbury residents, including the annual BlockWork program.

Sheffield also will be the council liaison for Downtown Salisbury, Inc., a public-private collaboration with the Main Street Program. DSI has played a key role in redevelopment plans for the Empire Hotel on South Main Street and assisted the city in 2018 with the N.C. Main Street Conference.

Council member David Post, a certified public accountant and attorney, will remain on the Rowan County Economic Development Council along with the nonprofit Rufty-Holmes Senior Center. The center provides health and wellness, recreational programs and assistance for adults aged 55 and older throughout the county.

Post will also remain on the nonprofit Salisbury-Rowan Community Action Agency, which Alexander said the agency requested since Post has been assisting them with accounting and other financial tasks.

Council member Harry McLaughlin Jr., a former U.S. Secret Service agent and owner of McLaughlin’s Grocery, was appointed liaison to the Fireman’s Relief Fund, which has not yet established a time or date for its meetings. The Relief Fund is part of the North Carolina State Firefighters’ Association and financially assists firefighters who experience injury or loss of life in the line of duty.

McLaughlin will also serve as liaison to the Housing Advocacy Commission, which works to develop programs and receive reports on activities related to housing and neighborhood conditions. It also serves as a forum for fair housing and tenant-landlord relationships.

Additionally, McLaughlin will serve on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, along with the Tree Board, which advocates for the preservation and planting of trees on public rights-of-way and properties.

Rev. Anthony Smith, pastor at Mission House Church, a Navy veteran and Social Security Administrator, was appointed to the Human Relations Council, which works to foster inclusiveness, acceptance and appreciation of diversity throughout the Salisbury-Rowan community.

Smith will also serve as liaison to the Salisbury Youth Council working with high school students to encourage leadership, teamwork, responsibility and life skills for the future. Smith has worked with nonprofit Inside Out Global to mentor young people, and during his campaign, among his top priorities was providing more mentoring and creative outlets for the community’s youth.

Contact reporter Natalie Anderson at 704-797-4246.