02/29/2008
CONTACT: Gregg Thompson, 919-833-9480 or Todd Pack, 615-872-5897
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The National Federation of Independent Business, North Carolina's leading small business association, has named Mary P. Wells as its 2008 Small Business Champion in North Carolina.
Wells has been an NFIB member since buying One Hour Koretizing Cleaners & Laundry in Rocky Mount in 1976.
Since 1995, Wells has been an active member of NFIB/North Carolina's Leadership Council, which advises NFIB leadership on public-policy matters. She maintains close contact with local and federal officials regarding small business issues and is a past delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business.
She serves on the boards of the Chamber of Commerce and the Rocky Mount Merchants Association, serving as that group's president in 1991-92. She was president of the North Carolina Dry Cleaners Association from 1994-96 and remains a member of its Executive Committee. Wells also was a charter investor of Unity Bank, which has since been acquired by Royal Bank of Canada, and continues to serve on the local bank's board of directors.
"Mary Wells has always been extremely aware of political issues and their effect on small business," said Gregg Thompson, NFIB/North Carolina state director. "She has always been quick to volunteer and has been a regular and very valued participant in a number of NFIB's activities."
Wells' political accomplishments include two terms as president and one as vice president of the Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments—Human Relations Commission.
She also has served on the North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry's Small Business Committee as well as committees appointed by then-Gov. Jim Hunt. Wells has served on the Democratic Executive Committee since 1990. She has also run for political office in her county and for a House seat in 2000.
Wells is passionate about access to affordable health insurance, among several issues. Most recently she was appointed by Insurance Commissioner Jim Long to the High Risk Pool-Based Insurance Committee representing small business.
"All small business owners are champions," Wells said. "Small businesses are the backbone of the economy in the United States, and I am proud to be a part of what keeps our state's and the nation's economy going. I want to thank NFIB for recognizing the accomplishment of small business owners. NFIB is an organization that puts its members first and fights for legislation that protects and supports free enterprise. The problems I face on a daily basis are the same problems all small businesses face. No other organization advocates for its members like NFIB does, and I am proud to be a member. As with many other organizations, the time you invest in NFIB comes back two-fold. Words cannot express my feelings for this organization and what the benefits are to all members."
