Former District Court Judge J. Henry Banks was named the 2025 Citizen of the Year Thursday at the 88th annual banquet of the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce. State Farm Margier White received the Small Business of the Year award and Stephanie Harp was recognized as the 2025 Chamber Ambassador of the Year.
2026 Board Chair Dr. Abidan Shah shared highlights of the recipient’s long career and association in the community. He established a practice in October 1973 with his law partner after graduating from N.C. Central ‘s law school and later served on the Henderson City Council from 1983-1996. He was mayor pro tem from 1993-1996 and was appointed district court judge by then-Gov. James B. Hunt, Jr. He served on the bench from 1996 to 2025.
He also has a long association with the NAACP and served as the Vance County NAACP counsel for 23 years.
In his remarks, Shah called Banks a “quiet hero” whose honesty and integrity inspire others.
“This is overwhelming,” Banks admitted when he took the podium to receive the award.
“This is a great event, but more importantly, this is a great community. I’m proud to be a member, a citizen, of this community.”
Banks said he’s always considered himself a public servant. And as a public servant, he keeps three things top of mind: family, community and religion.
One particular Bible verse he called his focus, his “primary guiding star” comes from Micah in the Old Testament. It’s Chapter 6, verse 8:
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
“That is what I’ve tried to do over the years,” Banks said. “I hope… I have succeeded.”
Duke Energy’s East Region Director for Government and Community Relations Beth Townsend presented the Small Business of the Year award to Margier White.
In the 10+ years that the company has been in business, the staff has doubled – from 3 to 6 – and the commitment to community organizations is far-reaching. From youth organizations like Scouting programs, rec programs, the Boys & Girls Club, Smart Start to Shop with A Cop and the Hubzone, White and her team provide support to a wide range of “meaningful causes that matter to the people they serve,” Townsend said.
In accepting the award, White said she and her team are driven by more than business goals.
They share a deep commitment to the community they serve she said.
“Vance County, Henderson you are our community,” White said.
“We believe that success is measured not only by profits but by the positive impact we can leave,” she continued. “That’s why we’ve dedicated ourselves to giving back in meaningful ways through volunteerism, sponsorships, supporting scholarship programs and providing financial support to numerous organizations in our community.”
She and her team truly care about the people and the neighborhoods that have given them support and trust over the years.
“Our commitment to community is at the heart of everything we do and it fuels our passion to keep growing and improving,” White said. “We’re striving to make a meaningful difference every single day.”
Red, white and blue were the colors of the evening as a nod to the America 250 celebration. The theme for the banquet, Heritage – Where History meets Opportunity, featured a video with Shah as he shared a history of the county going back to the pre-Revolutionary era. Find a link to the video on the Chamber’s Facebook page.
