BIOGRAPHY

Looking back at the life and career of Beaufort County native Mitch St. Clair, one pattern becomes clear. He values the community he has called home all his life.

Born and raised in Chocowinity, St. Clair is a 1968 graduate of Chocowinity High School, where he played football.

He made a trip to Fayetteville State University with his uncle. After a closer look at the cost of college, St. Clair made the decision not to pursue higher education. "I said I am going back to Little Washington and get me a job," he explained.

Soon St. Clair was employed at National Spinning, then a large employer in the county.

His sister had also returned to their hometown. She was looking for a job and one day her brother, Mitch, drove her to an interview with Winn-Dixie, when the company was preparing to move into Washington.

As he waited in the lobby for his sister, a man came out and asked, "who's next?" motioning to him.

St. Clair told the man, “No, I have a job. I'm waiting for someone.” After being asked repeatedly, St. Clair gave in and went back for an interview.

On the way home, his sister was surprised, to say the least, Mitch had been hired and she had not. "That ride back to Chocowinity wasn't so good," he recalled.

The unexpected offer from Winn-Dixie led to a 15- year career that St. Clair never expected.

After moving his way up the ranks from the beginning role of bag boy to assistant store manager, St. Clair was told the company wanted to move him to Virginia. "I did not want to go to Virginia," said St. Clair.

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Having worked hard to take his departments to be recognized by the company, he made a deal to stay and move into the meat department at his store.

Later, an ankle injury would put him on the sidelines. At first, all St. Clair could think was, "Now what am I going to do?"

And with a plan, and the money he had built up in his profit sharing - St. Clair Trucking would be what he was going to do. "I had always liked trucks and took to driving them pretty well," said St. Clair Trucking's original driver.

That was 1982. St. Clair drove one truck and hired a driver for the other. If one broke down, he worked on them and the other driver kept things moving.

Early on, St. Clair Trucking was able to get in on work on U.S. 264 as a contract hauler. "That opened a lot of doors for the company," said St. Clair.

Growth led to attaining their own contracts and led to an increase up to 21 trucks.

St. Clair said he has always tried to limit the geographical range the company will work, keeping people closer to home and spending more money at home instead of abroad.

After many years of running hard on the job, St. Clair decided it was time to scale back a bit. "We merged from trucking more to demolition," he explained.

He believes when people did not see the amount of trucks on the road to which they had become accustomed, some assumed he was done. "I've cut back tremendously," he said of present day St. Clair Trucking. "I am 69 years old," St. Clair laughed.

A true believer in giving back to his community, St. Clair has served on numerous boards and for causes close to his heart.

His service includes time with Beaufort County Crimestoppers, the local Boys and Girls Club, WashingtonBeaufort Chamber of Commerce (serving two years as chairman), Beaufort County Health Department Board and the Noon Rotary Club.

Current endeavors include service to the Beaufort County Developmental Center Board, Beaufort County Community College - who nominated St. Clair for the Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award - and Vidant Beaufort Hospital's Advocacy Committee.

Today, St. Clair serves on the North Carolina Outdoor

Heritage Advisory Council, which was an appointment by the governor.

His first stop at state level service proved to be a "real adventure."

After being approached multiple times, St. Clair made a requested visit to Raleigh, where he was offered a seat on the state Community College Board. He turned that down since he was already serving at Beaufort Community College and preferred to stay there.

According to the North Carolina Wildlife Commission, St. Clair began his service as a Commissioner on Aug. 24, 2007. He would serve until June 30, 2013.

St. Clair remembered that first meeting well. "I went to Asheville," he explained. "I remember standing in that door way thinking ‘what have I gotten myself into’?" he said.

It quickly became apparent, St. Clair was the only person of color in the meeting. A little research revealed, according to St. Clair, he was the first person of color to serve in this position. "At first I was a bit overwhelmed," he recalled.

This was a leap from the little boy in Chocowinity who would check his father's rabbit boxes for him. "All I knew was the game warden side of it, and suddenly I am telling them the rules," he laughed.

He quickly took to the role and was welcomed into the fold equally as rapidly. "At that first meeting, a man came up to me, shook my hand and said ‘come on, you are going fly fishing with me,’" explained St. Clair. "From that day forward, I was welcomed and thoroughly enjoyed it."

After much fishing, turkey and bear hunting, he hung up his hunting license.

When there is time for unwinding these days, St. Clair is more likely to be found on his motorcycle, a love he developed as soon as he was old enough to go to work and buy his own machine.

Family and faith are two of the passions he shares his time with outside of work.

A trustee at Mt. Hebron Church, St. Clair may be found in a business meeting or cutting the grass, whichever is needed. "It has been a blessing to go about this business and my life as I have," said St. Clair. "I am grateful." Sarah Hodges Stalls is a Staff Writer for Eastern North Carolina Living, the Martin County Enterprise & Weekly Herald and the Bertie Ledger-Advance.

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