Lt. Col. James Mercer US Army (Ret.)
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA 鈥 Lt. Col. James Mercer, US Army (Ret.) was recently named as one of twelve to be inducted into the 2018 Twin County Hall of Fame. He will be honored during the 15th Annual Induction Banquet at the Rocky Mount Event Center on Thursday, November 8, 2018.
Mercer is currently the Director of Military Studies at NC Wesleyan University and also coordinates the Army Reserve Officers鈥 Training Corps (ROTC) program for the college. Lt. Col. James Mercer was born in Edgecombe County and raised in Nash County. He joined the US Army after graduating from North Edgecombe High School. He retired with 30 years of military service in the US Army, US Army Reserve and the Army National Guard. During his distinguished civilian career, he served in multiple roles including: police officer and firefighter for the City of Rocky Mount, Deputy Fire Marshal for Nash County Emergency Services, Public Safety Instructor at Nash and Edgecombe Community Colleges, Director of Public Safety Training for Nash Community College, Director of Emergency Management and Fire Marshal for Edgecombe County, Director of Emergency Management for Fayetteville State University and later for the City of Raleigh, where he retired in 2012.
鈥淭his is a big deal for me and pretty cool, I must say. What an incredible honor it is to be recognized by my community. I want to thank all those who mentored me, impacted me and helped me along the way. It was a village that got Lt. Col. (Ret) James Mercer from Battleboro, North Carolina, to where I am today,鈥 stated Mercer.
The Twin County Museum and Hall of Fame鈥檚 mission is to celebrate the history, culture, people and accomplishments of Edgecombe and Nash counties in eastern North Carolina. For more information about the Twin County Hall of Fame and for tickets to the 15th Annual Induction Banquet, visit .
Walking Trail Coming to NC Wesleyan Campus
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA – NC Wesleyan University is adding a 2-mile walking trail around the perimeter of campus, creating a complete 5K path. The trail will serve as a safe place for Wesleyan students and the Rocky Mount community to exercise or go for a stroll while enjoying the campus鈥 beautiful scenery.
The Longleaf Foundation and the Nash County Tourism Authority each contributed $50,000 to fund the new trail. The trail will start at the front entrance of Wesleyan鈥檚 campus, snake around the perimeter, and connect to the interior loop, forming 3.2 miles.
Wesleyan Director of Security Wayne Sears assures the trail will be safe and well-marked. 鈥淪afety on campus is one of our top priorities. The new trail is a favorable alternative to walking or running on high-traffic roads.鈥 The trail鈥檚 safety features include lighting, 6 footbridges, and 911 Emergency Towers. Two of footbridges are Eagle Scout projects. To rest during your walk or run, benches will be provided at intervals throughout the course.
Wesleyan President Dewey Clark encourages the Rocky Mount community to take full advantage of the new walking trail. 鈥淲e welcome everyone to come and explore all our campus has to offer. We know our new trail will be a way for Wesleyan students and the rest of the Rocky Mount community to connect.鈥 NC Wesleyan鈥檚 Facebook page posted about the new walking trail and received an outpour of positive feedback. Wesleyan students past and present have expressed their excitement about the coming project. The NCWC Facebook page will continue to post updates on the trail as development continues.
NCWC Named 鈥淢ilitary Friendly鈥 Again in 2018
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA鈥&苍产蝉辫;For the fifth consecutive year, 麻豆原创 has been named a Military Friendly School by Victory Media. This year, the college was awarded the Bronze Designation. Bronze Award winners have programs that scored within 40 percent of the 10th-ranked institution within a given category.
鈥淎t Wesleyan, we are committed to serving our active military, veterans, and their families,鈥 commented President Dewey Clark, 鈥淲e want to do our part in helping make college affordable and attainable.鈥
Wesleyan offers a 10% discount on tuition to all active duty military students, veterans and their spouses.鈥
Victory Media鈥檚 鈥渕ilitary friendly鈥 designation places Wesleyan in the top 15 percent of schools nationwide that are embracing military service members, veterans and spouses to ensure their success on campus. Institutions earning the Military Friendly庐 School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey completed by the school. For the first time, student survey data was taken into consideration for the designation. More than 1,300 schools participated in the 2017-2018 survey with 849 earning the designation. Victory Media鈥檚 Chief Product Officer Daniel Nichols stated, 鈥淥ur ability to apply a clear, consistent standard to colleges creates a competitive atmosphere that encourages colleges to invest in programs to provide educational outcomes that are better for veterans.鈥
Wesleyan offers students a program in Military Science (ROTC鈥揜eserve Officers鈥 Training Corps) that combines college courses with summer training sessions to prepare students who show potential to serve as commissioned officers in the Army, Army Reserve, or the Army National Guard. U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, James Mercer heads Wesleyan鈥檚 Army ROTC program. He is a 25-year highly decorated Army veteran and public safety program professional who has worked for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, FEMA and as the Director of Emergency Management Services for the City of Raleigh.
LTC James Mercer USA (Ret) stated 鈥淭he NCWC ROTC鈥檚 aim is to develop student leadership skills, provide an understanding of military customs and traditions, and offer students鈥 excellent ways to jumpstart their military or civilian careers.鈥
Enrollment in ROTC is open to all Wesleyan students, including those at the community colleges that participate in a Comprehensive Articulation Agreement with NC Wesleyan University.
A complete list of the 2017-2018 Military Friendly庐 Schools can be found at . More information on Wesleyan can be found at ncwu.edu. Contact ROTC@ncwu.eduor 252-985-5340 or more information on the NCWC ROTC program.
