From the editor: Meet the Fayetteville Observer's 40 Under 40 Class of 2022
Hello, readers. I have some good news to share. Today, I’m proud to introduce the Fayetteville Observer’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2022.
For 12 years, The Fayetteville Observer has celebrated our area's best and brightest young professionals. The 40 Under 40 award is designed to spotlight those who excel in their professional roles as well as in the ways they serve their communities.
To be considered, nominees had to live or work in Bladen, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Moore, Robeson, Sampson or Scotland counties and be younger than 40 as of June 1, 2022.
More: PHOTOS: The Fayetteville Observer's 2022 40 Under 40 event
This year’s nominees were considered by a panel of judges, including myself as the Observer news director; Myron Pitts, Observer opinion editor; Latreicia Allen, principal of William H. Owen Elementary School and a 2021 40 Under 40 recipient; Lindsey Graham, marketing and communications coordinator at Cape Fear Valley Health and a 2021 40 Under 40 recipient; and Wayne McDonald, operations manager at Maxim Healthcare Services and a 2021 40 Under 40 recipient.
We reviewed more than 250 nominations — all of them impressive — to select this year's recipients. Trust me, it wasn’t an easy task; we have an abundance of service-minded, talented people living in our community.
This year’s honorees come from a variety of professions, including education, law enforcement, medicine and real estate — but they're alike in that they are all successful professionals who have demonstrated leadership in their fields.
Where they also share common ground — and what really sets them apart from the crowd — is their passion for giving back. You have only to read the 40 honorees’ profiles to see examples of their commitment to serving something beyond themselves.
What really stood out to me about the 40 Under 40 Class of 2022, though, is their acknowledgment that success doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It takes a village.
Honoree after honoree wrote about the important role family, friends and mentors play in molding them into the successful, dedicated people they are today.
Brian Graybill, the owner and CEO of Graybill Hospitality, sums it up perfectly: “Nobody gets anywhere all alone. Community is everything.”
Indeed.
Congratulations, Class of 2022!
Here are this year's 40 Under 40 honorees
News director Beth Hutson can be reached at bhutson@fayobserver.com
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Meet the Fayetteville Observer's 40 Under 40 Class of 2022
