On Sunday, Benson Mayor William Massengill honored Commissioner Frederick D. Nelson, Jr. with a proclamation, thanking him for his time on the town board as well as declaring Oct. 15, 2017 as Frederick Nelson Day in the Town of Benson.
“Twenty years of continuous service as an elected public official is a milestone. It is a milestone of a person’s commitment to their community and service and it is a milestone of the confidence that has been placed in that public servant by the citizens they serve. That is the case with Fred D. Nelson, Jr.,” said Mayor Massengill.
A native of New York, Commissioner Nelson moved to Benson in 1989 and married Hazel Peacock. He has served as a Town of Benson commissioner since 1997 and as Mayor Pro Tem since 2007. He is also a member of the Benson Museum of Local History Board of Directors and a Deacon at St. Marks Christian Church in Dunn.
Commissioner Nelson had previously announced he would not seek re-election in November.
“Fred has been a key partner with me and the other board members as we have worked to move Benson forward. I am in awe of his ability and fortitude to continue this work for 20 years and to have continued to do so with energy and to have an ever present positive attitude about the possibilities which can be attained for the betterment of Benson,” the Mayor added.
An excerpt from Sunday’s proclamation:
“(Commissioner Nelson) bears part of the responsibility for the progress that has been made in Benson over the past two decades. He has served as a faithful servant for the citizens of Benson. Always present, always prepared and always engaged. Slow to anger but quick to address issues that affect the people of Benson, particularly those who may be overlooked and their concerns not represented. He is a man whom God has blessed with wisdom.”
