The Presbyterian Women Organization has a rich heritage of more than 200 years. It is committed to nurturing faith, supporting the church's mission, working for justice, and building community.

Since 1912, Honorary Life Memberships in the Presbyterian Women have been conferred upon women in recognition of faithful service in numerous areas of the church's work. These recipients are selected by a committee made up of past recipients in their individual churches. It is an honor for us to recognize one of our own who has spent her lifetime in service to the First Presbyterian Church, in Wilson, North Carolina.

This year's recipient has a rich heritage herself. Her parents were both born in Beirut, Lebanon but met in Norfolk, VA and married shortly thereafter. Nasry and Nellie opened a candy store there but later with into the wholesale produce business. They then moved to Wilson, NC with their two sons and here is where our recipient was born and received her education.

Our Honorary, Helen Saleeby, has been active in the First Presbyterian Church and the community of Wilson. She has been a member in the Night Circle since 1964, Chair in 1965 and again in 1985. She also was treasurer of her circle. She has been a deacon for two terms as well as an elder in 1994. She was the chair of Christian Community Action and began baking our communion bread following her Aunt Helen Saleeby's example and did this for 19 years. 

The town of Hope Mills, NC has a new finance director. Jeff Saleeby, 36, will start work April 2, according to Mayor Eddie Dees.

Saleeby is a graduate of East Carolina University and has more than 10 years experience as a certified public accountant. He has worked at Systel for the past five years, Dees said.

Saleeby’s predecessor, David Stafford, was fired in December after seven years in the job. The reasons for the firing were not made public, but the town violated statutes during Stafford’s tenure by filing late audits and overspending on capital projects, according to the state Treasurer’s Office. The state also criticized the town for not adequately covering Stafford’s absence during three kidney stone surgeries he had in three years. Stafford said he had asked for additional personnel. “In my opinion, part of that was Stafford didn’t want anybody else to know how to do (his job),” Dees said. “He didn’t want any cross training going on.”

That cross training began after Stafford left and will continue under Saleeby, Dees said.