Southern Jewelry News

Giving back - NC Jeweler/Politicians eagerly serve local communities

10:04

March

2008

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Article Autor: Josh Tenery

The current political climate in America is tumultuous at best and terrifying at worst.

The current political climate in America is tumultuous at best and terrifying at worst. It seems that so many of the candidates vying for their party’s presidential nomination spend more time placing well-timed jabs at their opponents than they do proposing and discussing meaningful and helpful ideas for the future of the country. If asked, they would, to a person, declare that they are running for the good of the nation and it’s people. Yet their rhetoric and their bickering and their power mongering suggest that they seek little more than their own ambition and agenda.

In this whirlwind of political madness, it is refreshing to find leaders who truly and simply wish to serve and give back to their communities. Intriguingly, Southern Jewelry News has uncovered three such precious gems hiding in unlikely places – the local jewelry store. John McNeill, Steve Morris and Bill Thunberg are all southern jewelry store owners who have answered the call to serve as officials in their small North Carolina towns.

John McNeill is the founder and owner of McNeill Jewelers in Red Springs and Lumberton, NC. McNeill opened in 1977 as a clothing store. In 1982 as the jewelry store next door was closing its doors, the owner suggested that John get into the jewelry business. John took that step in 1983 and has since moved out of clothing to focus exclusively on jewelry.

In November, John was elected to his ninth four-year term on the Red Springs Town Board of Commissioners. The Board, consisting of six Commissioners and a Mayor, serves as the governing body for the town. This term, John is serving as the Mayor Pro Tem. He says that he enjoys the process of getting things done, adding, “People working together can accomplish a lot.” To make the process work with people of differing opinions, John says that it is vital to respect the opinions of others – to not only hear what they are saying, but understand where it’s coming from as well.

John also serves on the Board of Directors for the Southeastern Jewelers Association where he encourages jewelers to work together to exchange ideas and get lower prices. When he is not meeting with the Town Board of Commissioners or the Board of the Southeastern Jewelers Association, John can be reached at the Lumberton branch of McNeill Jewelers at (910) 739-6337.
Steve Morris is the owner of Helms Jewelers in Rockingham, NC where he also serves as a City Councilman. Steve had managed two other stores before purchasing Helms in 1975. He enjoys working in the jewelry industry because he gets to work with happy people celebrating happy occasions. Steve is now selling engagement rings to the children of customers who also purchased their engagement rings from him.

Rockingham is a small town. Steve says that his role as a small-town jeweler definitely contributed to his being elected to the City Council. He served for four years from 1979 to 1983. He was then asked to fill an unfinished term in 1999 and was then reelected twice. Steve enjoys the challenge of helping the town. Rockingham is having a rough economic time. The Council is trying to bring new money into the area and they want it to happen now, but it takes time.

Steve and the team at Helms Jewelers can be reached at (910) 895-2936.
The owner of Alexander Zachary Jewelers, Bill Thunberg, is also the Mayor of Mooresville, NC. Bill has worked in the jewelry industry since 1967, starting after school and during the summers in the Jewel Box Stores that his father worked in. Bill opened Alexander Zachary in 1995. To support his business, Bill got involved with the Chamber of Commerce. When the then Mayor announced that he was not running again, several members of the Chamber encouraged Bill to run.

Bill was elected to his second two-year term in November. And while he hasn’t had any thoughts about a third term, Bill is enjoying the sense of satisfaction at helping the community and moving things forward. The challenge comes in trying to work with individuals in order to bring the entire Board to a consensus.
Bill can be found on line at www.alexanderzacharyjewelers.com or reached at (704) 663-3430.

Though sometimes rare and hard to find, there are still leaders who serve in the interest of the public. John McNeill, Steve Morris and Bill Thunberg are a credit to both the jewelry industry and the communities they serve.