town board—I was a sign of progress. To Ma Lannie, I represented hope. “It still resonates with me. It’s my core motivation for public service.” Harris also points to his parents, both as motivation and mentorship. His father was a World War II veteran, an active community member, and, as Harris remembers, a disciplinarian. “He taught me what it meant to be involved,” Harris said. “He believed in democracy.” Harris’s mother complemented that influence, teaching the value of the social side of service. One of the first female barbers in the area, Harris recalls watching her interact with customers, build relationships, and develop this strong bond between their family and the families of the community. “Those two worldviews, combined—I gleaned a lot from those two people,” Harris said. The aim wasn’t always public office, however. Harris, a lifelong Fuquay-Varina native, received an undergraduate degree in business administration and worked as a probation parole officer for some time, but his sights were on becoming a professional musician. Harris is an accomplished trumpet player and traveled up and down the East Coast performing. “I thought I was going to be a studio musician,” he said. Inspired by his parents, Harris became active in the community and his church while pursuing THROUGH EDUCATION AND A DEEP CONNECTION TO THE COMMUNITY, HARRIS HAS SUCCESSFULLY LED FUQUAY-VARINA FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES. For more than 30 years, William Harris has been a staple on the Fuquay-Varina town council. It hasn’t been time spent idly. Relying upon education and a passion for public service, Harris has been effective in pushing for change and managing one of the fastest-growing towns in North Carolina, and he’s done it all never outstepping the wishes of his community, which has responded in turn by electing him over and over again since 1989. Yet, when he reflects on the experience, he doesn’t take the credit. The praise and admiration flow only outward. Harris speaks of his parents, his neighbors, his educators, his church and his colleagues. More accurately, he points to the philosophical—notions of hope, progress, and democracy. William Harris understands the weight of his position. As a student of public administration and public policy, he knows full well the impact he can have on his community. As a student of history, he knows the weight of his leadership and what it means to his family, his community, and those who came before him. One story sums it up best—a story told by Harris upon accepting the role of NC League of Municipalities President when he stood in front of hundreds of local officials at CityVision 2023 and recalled his first election. As Harris remembers, it was the night before his first election, and he was speaking with his neighbor and close friend named Lannie McCullers who was about 90 years old. To most in the community, she went by Miss Lannie. Harris called her Ma Lannie. “She was a member of my church, and I just admired her wisdom,” Harris said. “She had so much to teach me.” That night, they were making their election day plans for the following morning. McCullers told him, “The polls open at 7 a.m., so you better pick me up tomorrow at 6:45.” Harris agreed. That morning, however, was understandably busy. Harris didn’t get to McCuller’s house until about 7:15. She was angry, Harris remembers, and he said to her, “Ma Lannie, I’m sorry, but what’s the big deal? We have plenty of time. The polls are open all day.” And McCullers responded with a line that Harris has never forgotten. She said, “I wanted to be the very first person to vote for William Harris.” Harris still uses that moment as a touchstone for his leadership. “Here is this 90-year-old woman, born in the 1800s, who as an African American has lived through segregation and through Jim Crow and through so much. I wasn’t just a candidate for the William Harris: Fuquay-Varina’s Longtime Local Leader JACK CASSIDY NCLM Learning and Development Project Manager SOUTHERN CITY Quarter 1 2024 20
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