The following is reprinted with permission from the Roanoke Beacon. Written by Dale Heberlig. Long-time Beaufort CCC employee Tracey Johnson currently works as an assistant to the business office in the print shop.
[Washington County] Commissioner Tracey Johnson says she was “on cloud nine” after her recent selection to the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) Hall of Fame class of 2025.
NCACC Director Kevin Leonard named Johnson, a Washington County commissioner since 2006, to the Hall in a ceremony at the organization’s 118th annual conference in Pitt County in August. She becomes the Hall of Fame’s 32nd member inducted since its origins in 2011.
In his remarks, Leonard cited Johnson’s advocacy for rural communities, describing her as a “dynamic leader on the state and national stage,” specifically for her efforts focused on “increasing engagement, sharing innovation across county lines, and breaking down barriers to broadband access.”
Broadband connectivity has been an ongoing Johnson focus. She says, “I had the honor of having a Broadband presidential initiative (during my term as NCACC President) that allowed me to be the voice of broadband in the state and speak on a national panel during the infusion of funding for connectivity. I am still involved and look forward to the future of broadband.”
She also points to her attention to other issues. “I have worked with the Lottery Commission Advisory Board, the New Schools Advisory Board, the Sentencing Commission, the Airport Advisory Board, STEM project, the Northeast Commission, NC East Alliance, and the Albemarle Commission,” Johnson notes, while also mentioning testimony about the plight of rural hospitals she provided in Washington, D.C., while Washington County tried to maintain the local hospital.
As much as she has accomplished thus far, Johnson says her work is not done. “I don’t take the job I do lightly, and I hope to continue to be a voice for Washington County across the state and country.”