Inside High Point - July 2026 (2)

INSIDE HIGH POINT JULY 2026

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

2024-27 STRATEGIC PLAN

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HIGH POINT CELEBRATES PROGRESS AND PARTNERSHIP AT 2026 STATE OF THE CITY

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MAYOR'S CORNER: BUILDING GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS FOR HP’S FUTURE

8-10

COHP EMPLOYEES HONORED

11

COHP EMPLOYEES RECEIVE PUBLIC WORKS AWARDS

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HIGH POINT POLICE SAFELY CAPTURE BOA CONSTRICTOR

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HP MUSEUM DEBUTED WISH WALL ON JULY 4 AT TWO LOCATIONS

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HIGH POINT LIBRARY UPDATES

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HP THEATRE 2026 -27 SEASON

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PARKS & REC UPDATE

20-24

JUNE/JULY PROMOTIONS AND NEW HIRES

CITY COUNCIL

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2024-27 STRATEGIC PLAN OUR VISION

Creating the single most livable, safe and prosperous community in America.

OUR MISSION

The City will serve as the catalyst for bringing together the community’s human, economic and civic resources for the purpose of creating the single most livable, safe and prosperous community in America.

WE VALUE

WE VALUE

1. STEWARDSHIP

2. PRODUCTIVITY

We manage the city's resources responsibly and make decisions that sustain High Point's future. In other words, we take care of what we have today to build what we'll need tomorrow.

We stay focused on results, fostering creativity, innovation and outside-the-box thinking. We don't just get things done we find smarter, better ways to do them.

WE ARE

WE VALUE

3. WELCOMING

4. INTEGRITY

We create a friendly, open environment where residents, partners and visitors feel valued and embraced. We want everyone who connects with High Point to feel welcomed, like they belong here.

We act with honesty, transparency and ethical responsibility in everything we do.

That means doing what's right - even when no one's watching. This is how we earn our community's trust.

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HIGH POINT CELEBRATES PROGRESS AND PARTNERSHIP AT 2026 STATE OF THE CITY

More than 500 community leaders, business partners, elected officials, and residents gathered at the Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena at High Point University on July 22 for the 2026 State of the City, hosted by Business High Point – Chamber of Commerce, to celebrate the momentum shaping High Point's future.

The annual event highlighted the City's continued growth, collaborative spirit, and bold vision for the years ahead. Attendees heard updates on several transformative initiatives, including the first steps toward developing a shared regional workforce strategy, the announcement that construction on the Shops on Washington development will soon begin, and an exciting preview of what the Congdon Yards Urban Park could become.

Mayor Cyril Jefferson delivered an inspiring State of the City address, reflecting on High Point's recent accomplishments while outlining a vision centered on economic growth, innovation, and community collaboration. His remarks emphasized the partnerships and investments that continue to strengthen High Point and reinforce why so many are proud to call the city home.

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HIGH POINT CELEBRATES PROGRESS AND PARTNERSHIP AT 2026 STATE OF THE CITY

A highlight of the event was the presentation of the 2026 Chamber Hero Award to Assistant City Manager Damon Dequenne. Recognized for his outstanding commitment to public service, Dequenne has served the community as a military officer, small business owner, and City leader. His contributions have helped strengthen High Point's water infrastructure, advance major economic development projects such as SpringHill Suites and EcoLab, and support local veterans through his involvement with Veterans Bridge Home. The Chamber also recognized Truliant Federal Credit Union for its continued sponsorship of the Chamber Hero Award.

The event was made possible by numerous community partners, including presenting sponsor Bank of America, host High Point University, Business Showcase sponsor Novant Health, and SE Logo Wear, which provided commemorative pens for attendees. Business High Point – Chamber of Commerce also expressed appreciation to its sponsors, volunteers, Chamber Ambassadors, and community supporters whose dedication helped make the 2026 State of the City a memorable celebration of High Point's progress, partnership, and promising future.

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MAYOR'S CORNER: BUILDING GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS FOR HIGH POINT'S FUTURE

It was a privilege to welcome Stephen Kwaku Darku, Executive Director of the Ghana India Chamber of Commerce and JCI Senator, along with Rob Cook and other distinguished guests to High Point City Hall. Their visit provided an opportunity to strengthen relationships, exchange ideas, and explore how international partnerships can create lasting opportunities for our community.

What made this visit particularly meaningful was our shared connection through Junior Chamber International (JCI). As a former member and Past President of the High Point Jaycees, I have seen firsthand how JCI develops leaders while fostering friendships and partnerships that extend well beyond local communities. Those relationships continue to open doors for collaboration and economic growth.

During our discussions, we explored ways to strengthen ties between North Carolina and Ghana, support entrepreneurship, expand international trade, and collaborate through the upcoming 2026 Level Up Business Summit. Conversations like these reflect High Point's commitment to thinking globally while creating opportunities that benefit our residents and businesses.

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MAYOR'S CORNER: BUILDING GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS FOR HIGH POINT'S FUTURE

As the Home Furnishings Capital of the World and a city driven by innovation, High Point is uniquely positioned to contribute to the global economy while learning from partners across the world. Building international relationships can help attract investment, encourage innovation, and create new opportunities that strengthen our local economy.

I am grateful to Rob Cook, JCI, and our guests from Ghana for their visit and for reminding us that leadership rooted in service can connect communities across continents. By continuing to build meaningful partnerships, we are creating a stronger future for High Point and expanding opportunities for generations to come.

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CITY OF HIGH POINT EMPLOYEES HONORED WITH NC BUILDING INSPECTORS' ASSOCIATION'S HIGHEST RECOGNITIONS

The City of High Point proudly celebrates an extraordinary year of achievement as employees and their families were recognized with both highest honors presented by the North Carolina Building Inspectors' Association during the Association's 2026 Annual Conference in Wilmington, NC. For more than 70 years, the Association has served North Carolina code professionals through its mission of Education, Integrity, and Professionalism, recognizing individuals whose dedication strengthens the safety of communities across the state while supporting the next generation of industry leaders through educational scholarships.

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CITY OF HIGH POINT EMPLOYEES HONORED WITH NC BUILDING INSPECTORS' ASSOCIATION'S HIGHEST RECOGNITIONS Scholarship Recipients

The City of High Point family was well represented among this year's scholarship recipients.

• Riley Barker, son of Brian Barker – Inspector Supervisor • Kerigan Edmonds, daughter of Josh Edmonds – Inspector Supervisor These scholarships recognize academic excellence and support students pursuing higher education while honoring the commitment of NCBIA member families.

Association Award Recipients High Point professionals earned several of the Association's most prestigious awards.

Mark Walker – Inspections Division Manager • District 4 Inspector of the Year • NCBIA Inspector of the Year (the association's second-highest individual honor)

These awards recognize exceptional professionalism, leadership, technical knowledge, and dedication to the code enforcement profession.

Chris Whaley – Inspections Services Director · President's Choice Award (Dedication to the Association) · Edison Hubert Johnson Award (the association’s highest individual honor) The Edison Hubert Johnson Award recognizes a career of outstanding service, leadership, and excellence in the building inspection profession. Named after the Association's first president, it represents the highest distinction an NCBIA member can receive.

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CITY OF HIGH POINT EMPLOYEES HONORED WITH NC BUILDING INSPECTORS' ASSOCIATION'S HIGHEST RECOGNITIONS

Leadership Appointment In addition to these distinguished awards, Chris Whaley was nominated and sworn in to serve as Vice President of the North Carolina Building Inspectors' Association, reflecting the confidence and trust placed in his leadership by code professionals from across North Carolina. He currently serves as a cochair of the Education Committee and chair of the Public Relations Committee within the association.

A Tradition of Excellence These recognitions highlight the City of High Point's continued commitment to excellence in code enforcement, professional development, and public service. The accomplishments of Chris Whaley, Mark Walker, Brian Barker, Josh Edmonds, and their families demonstrate the City's longstanding leadership within North Carolina's building safety profession and the City’s commitment to the development community by ensuring members of the Inspections Department are the best in North Carolina.

The City of High Point congratulates each recipient on these well-deserved honors and thanks them for their continued dedication to protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of the City of High Point and the State of North Carolina.

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CITY OF HIGH POINT EMPLOYEES RECEIVE PUBLIC WORKS AWARDS

Special congratulations to both Melanie Bruton, who was honored at the NCAPWA Solid Waste Division Conference with the Dale James Award; and Gabriella Zanzarella, who received the Public Works Leadership Award.

Melanie was selected as this year’s recipient of the Dale James Award for her 16 years of management and leadership at the only publicly run Material Recovery Facility in North Carolina. She has seen several pivotal upgrades at the facility, led hundreds of individuals professionally, and plays a priceless role in the capture and recycling of thousands of tons of recyclables from the Furniture Market. She is an excellent partner, both internally and externally in the community, and serves on the board of Keep High Point Beautiful. She is an example of sustainability in the High Point Community.

Gabriella’s recognition is a wonderful reflection of her leadership, expertise, and commitment to making a positive impact through her work. Her dedication to environmental stewardship, solid waste management, and serving the High Point community exemplifies the outstanding work happening every day across the City. Her leadership and passion are helping make High Point a cleaner, more sustainable, and stronger community.

Dale James Professional Manager of the Year Award in Solid Waste (Solid Waste Manager of the Year) is a distinguished honor presented annually by the Solid Waste Division of the North Carolina Chapter of APWA. This award celebrates and recognizes outstanding managers who have made significant contributions to the field of Solid Waste. Dale James dedicated over 40 years to Public Works and NC Chapter, notably serving as Chapter Treasurer in retirement.

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HIGH POINT POLICE SAFELY CAPTURE BOA CONSTRICTOR FOUND CROSSING BRENTWOOD STREET

Stormwater Superintendent Tommy Andrews spotted a boa constrictor crossing Brentwood Street. Originally thinking it was a pipe or large debris that had fallen from a truck, he noticed movement and quickly realized it was not a native snake.

Animal control officers responded to a call, arrived at the scene, and safely secured the snake before taking it to a local reptile zoo.

The boa constrictor is believed to be someone's pet and has been given a temporary name: Ramen Noodle.

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HIGH POINT MUSEUM DEBUTED WISH WALL ON JULY 4 AT TWO LOCATIONS

As the United States approached its 250th anniversary, the High Point Museum debuted the High Point Wish Wall on July 4 at Uncle Sam Jam at Oak Hollow Festival Park and Social Saturday at Stock + Grain.

Beginning in April, the Museum invited the community to participate in a local Wish Wall, a nationwide initiative capturing Americans’ hopes and dreams for the future. Visitors were able to stop by 17 locations throughout High Point to submit a personal wish — from small acts of kindness to big visions for change — for the next 50 years in America. The final Wish Wall featured wishes from more than 200 community members.

The initiative, coordinated by Made By Us and rolled out nationwide across dozens of museums, libraries, parks, community hubs and gatherings, created a powerful opportunity for individuals to participate in envisioning and shaping the future. Since the summer of 2025, more than 135 Wish Walls had been held, with additional installations planned at locations ranging from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and The New York Historical to smaller, local hosts.

“The Wish Wall gives everyone a voice in imagining what comes next,” said Museum Director Edith Brady. “It’s a simple act of civic engagement that will result in a collective snapshot of what we value most at America’s 250th birthday.”

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HIGH POINT MUSEUM DEBUTED WISH WALL ON JULY 4 AT TWO LOCATIONS

“We are glad to have people from so many different backgrounds and perspectives participate in the Wish Wall experience,” said Caroline Klibanoff, executive director at Made By Us. “We all have a role to play in shaping history, and these installations offer everyone an easy way to get started.”

Phase two of the Wish Wall project will focus on turning community wishes into action. Later this fall, the Museum will host a series of programs centered on the most common themes represented on the wall. These events will bring people together with subject matter experts and related community organizations to help individuals identify ways to take action at the local level and work toward realizing their vision for the future.

To learn more about High Point’s Wish Wall, visit highpointmuseum.org or contact Tamara Vaughan. For more information about national Wish Walls, visit OnOur250th.org.

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EVENT UPDATES STEPHANIE DRAY JUNE 27

The library hosted best-selling author Stephanie Dray for a book talk and signing at the High Point Museum. Stephanie and co-author Laura Kamoie recently released a novel about Abigail Adams, A Founding Mother, and she shared about her research and writing process for this book.

The presentation was a very engaging conversation between Stephanie and Laura Beth Vietor, a Greensboro Bound Book Festival Board member, and podcast creator and host of LB Lover of Books.

Reese Witherspoon also chose this title to be her July Book Club read.

The library appreciated partnering with the Museum as the event host and wants to thank Scuppernong Books of Greensboro for handling Book Sales for the event.

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EVENT UPDATES FARMERS’ MARKET JULY 4TH KICKOFF JULY 2 The High Point Farmers’ Market had a “Kickoff to the Fourth” evening market.

The vendors and participants enjoyed the change in timeframe, and we met several people who hadn’t come to the Farmers Market before. This is something we may consider doing again in the fall.

WELLNESS EVENT JULY 18 The High Point Farmers Market hosted a Community Wellness Event that was coordinated by Healthy Blue NC and Growing High Point. Triad Adult and Pediatric Medicine was on site doing blood pressure and blood glucose screenings, and the Guilford Co. Health Dept. was available to do back-toschool vaccinations. Growing High Point offered food vouchers for the first 100 adult participants.

We always enjoy partnering on community events such as this, and the healthcare partners who participated were pleased with the attendance.

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EVENT UPDATES “FIND YOUR JOY IN THE LIBRARY” ARTISTS RECEPTION JULY 18 The High Point Public Library and High Point Arts Council hosted a “Meet the Artists” Reception to recognize the over 100 local artists who participated in the “Find Your Joy in the Library” mural project.

Each artist used an 8 x 8-inch canvas to convey how they find joy at the High Point Public Library. The canvases will be permanently installed in three locations in the library by the end of August.

You can view the installations on the third floor, behind the Graphic Novels and in the Children’s Room, and in the Story Room on the first floor.

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JULY DECLARED AS NATIONAL PARKS & RECREATION MONTH

High Point Parks & Recreation was honored to receive a proclamation from the High Point City Council, declaring July 2026 as National Parks and Recreation Month in our city.

The proclamation was presented by Councilman Michael Holmes; he was joined by Councilwoman Vickie McKiver, a former parks and recreation professional who now serves as the Council's liaison to the volunteer Parks & Recreation Commission. The proclamation was accepted by Director of High Point Parks & Recreation Lee Tillery and Assistant Director Tracy Pegram.

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JUNE PROMOTIONS ANGELA CRAVEN Recreation Attendant to Rec Center Supervisor, Assistant JOSH EDMONDS Code Enforcement Officer III to Inspector Supervisor KATE BETTS Telecommunicator II to Assistant Shift Supervisor RYAN MARTIN Motor Equipment Operator II to Stormwater Crew Lead STEVEN GROSE Special Projects Coordinator to Emergency Manager VICENTE LUNA-VARGAS Code Enforcement Officer III to Facilities Project Manager

JUNE NEW HIRES AIDEN NADEAU Park Attendant

ANDREW SHUMAKER W/S Technician I

CHELSEA BRADSHAW Library Associate

CONRAD CHAPIN Park Attendant

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JUNE NEW HIRES DEWITT MCADOO Seasonal Park Attendant

MIKEY YATES Scale House Operator

JEFFREY MADDEN Sight Distance Trimmer

NADIA MORRIS Transit Operator I

KIARRA MUELLER Park Attendant

NIGEL BAKER Summer Camp Counselor

LAMAR LEE Park Attendant

PERCEIVE GURUNG Police Officer I

LANE MCLEAN Parks Maintenance Crew Supervisor

RILEY IRISH Motor Equipment Operator I

LATIA BROWN Transit Operator I

SHANIA MAHONE Customer Service Rep I

MARK MCDOWELL Sight Distance Trimmer

TAMMY GIBSON Permits Specialist II

MAYA KAPILESHWARI Lifeguard

TIMMY CARTER Sanitation Equipment Operator III 21

JUNE NEW HIRES TREISHA DYER Alternate Response Team Crisis Counselor VEE CARTER Program Activity Leader VIRGIL COOPER Sanitation Equipment Operator I ZACHARY FRANK Code Enforcement Supervisor

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JULY PROMOTIONS GREGORY CARTER W/S ELECTRONICS TECH I TO W/S ELECTRONICS TECH I

JULY NEW HIRES ALEXANDER SELL Traffic Signal Tech I

CAMERON MILLS Firefighter

ALEXANDER VILLALPANDO Firefighter

CHARLIE MILLS Firefighter

AMELIA POOVEY Librarian I

CHASE KOCH Firefighter

AUSTIN SWINK Firefighter

FARRON KENDRICK Telecommunicator Trainee

BLAIR CUMMINGS Firefighter

JADEN LAIL W/S Technician I

BLANE KREGER Firefighter

JADEN WILLIAMS Firefighter

BRADLEY HEDRICK IT User Support Agent

JEREMY SMITH Fire Inspector I

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JULY NEW HIRES JILLIAN MACKEY Transit Operator I

STACY YOKLEY Groundskeeper I

JOSHUA JORDAN Fire Inspector I

STEPHANIE MALDONADO Environmental Specialist I

LANDON HAINES Firefighter

SUSAN OLLENDIECK Telecommunicator Trainee

LEE GUZINSKI Civilian Traffic Crash Investigator

TALEN GOYETTE Firefighter

NOAH HILL Firefighter

TIERRA ROBINSON Community Relations Specialist

PATRICIA PITTMAN Transit Operator I

TYLER GAROUTTE Firefighter

RACHEL BROWN Firefighter

WILLIAM EAKER W/S Technician I

RYLAN COFFEY Firefighter 24

INSIDE HIGH POINT BROUGHT TO YOU BY: CITY OF HIGH POINT COMMUNICATIONS & PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENT

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