Cabarrus Today

Former City Council Member David W. Phillips has been awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, a distinguished civilian honor in North Carolina. The award recognizes his over two decades of service to Concord and Cabarrus County.

Phillips was presented with the award during a special ceremony at the March council meeting, attended by members of City Council and Mayor Bill Dusch. Expressing his gratitude, Phillips said, “Not too many times in my life have I been at a loss of what to say, I’m overwhelmed.” He added that any contributions he made were due to the support of others: “I’m extremely humbled and grateful.”

The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is given for exemplary service that significantly impacts North Carolina. Reflecting on receiving the award, Phillips remarked, “I remember when this award was created in 1963...never then did I think I would be standing here holding this today.”

The event was also attended by former Council Members Jim Ramseur and Ella Mae Small, former Mayor Scott Padgett, former City Manager Brian Hiatt, and Mark Fowler from WSACC. Former Mayor Padgett praised Phillips: “Dave is extremely conscientious about his job – he takes it very seriously – and when I think about somebody that I would want to be a leader...he is a man of integrity.”

Phillips' career includes 36 years at Duke Energy Carolinas and 20 years on Concord City Council (1995-2015), where he served as Mayor Pro Tem twice. In 2018, an activity center was named after him in Concord. He returned to City Council in 2019 following Sam Leder's passing. His community involvement extends to serving on the WSACC board for over 20 years and being active in several organizations including the Concord Rotary Club.