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RALEIGH, N.C. (Aug. 30, 2012) —The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission today welcomed two new members to its19-member governing board and honored a former Commissioner for his years of service and leadership.
James Garry Spence of Charlotte and V. Ray Clifton, Jr., of Clarkton were sworn in by Superior Court Judge Douglas Parsons during the agency’s business meeting today. A former Wildlife Commissioner,Parsons resigned from the Commission earlier this year when Gov. Bev Perdue appointed him to the Superior Court bench for the 4-A Judicial District.
Spence will serve as an at-large Commissioner, appointed by President Pro Tempore of the N.C. Senate PhilBerger. Spence replaced Doc Thurston, who resigned in January. Spence will serve the remainder of Thurston’s two-year term, which will end on June 30, 2013.
Clifton was appointed by Gov. Perdue as District 4 Commissioner to replace Judge Parsons. District 4 represents Bladen,Brunswick, Columbus, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Robeson, Sampson, and Scotland counties. Clifton will serve the remainder of Parson’s six-year term, which expires June 30, 2013.
A graduate of the University of Georgia, Spence is senior vice president of Lincoln Financial Group and resides in Charlotte. He and his wife Missy have three children, ages 27, 24 and 20.
Clifton is with Big Blue Store in Elizabethtown. He and his wife Mary Margaret have two children, ages 17 and 15.
The19-member Commission establishes policies and regulations governing hunting,fishing and boating, and wildlife-conservation activities in North Carolina. Appointments to the Commission are made by the Governor, the Speaker of the State House and the President Pro Tempore of the N.C. Senate, with commissioners serving until reappointed or replaced.
Parsons Honored
Shortly after Judge Parsons administered the oath of office to Spence and Clifton, he was recognized by Wildlife Commission Chairman David Hoyle for his years of service and leadership to the Commission.
Hoyle introduced a resolution that was unanimously passed to honor Parsons. The resolution lauded Parsons as a devoted sportsman and conservationist. It also acknowledged Parsons for having served on the Wildlife Commission’s governing board for 12 years and for having chaired the Commission’s Land Use and Access Committee for eight years, during which time he advocated for the Commission’s mission to conserve and manage the state’s wildlife resources and habitats.
A high-resolution version of the above photos is available for download here. Please credit Melissa McGaw/NCWRC.