The most valued honor and award the Governor of North Carolina can bestow is The Order of the Long Leaf Pine. This award, created in 1963, is presented to “persons for exemplary service to the State of North Carolina and their communities that is above and beyond the call of duty and which has made a significant impact and strengthened North Carolina,” according to the Long Leaf Pine Society. For 58 years, the honor continues … Read More

Read the original article Written by Will Lingo photography by Smith Hardy Anthony Blackman is a testament to the power of saying yes. He grew up in Sanford, North Carolina, and attended N.C. State University as the first college attendee in his family. He started his own business from the ground up, and gives to more charities than he can count. Blackman is always seeking connection in a world that tends toward isolation.And he’s not … Read More