Schumata Brown named North Carolina Rural Leader of the Year
RALEIGH, N.C. - Schumata Brown, the Maysville town manager and chairman of the Jones County Board of Education, has been named the 2026 North Carolina Rural Leader of the Year by the NC Rural Center.
“Receiving this award affirms what I have always believed — when you love your small town enough to invest in it, advocate for it, and fight for its future, real change happens," said Brown, pictured center above with Rural Center Director of Leadership Programs Olaunda Green (l) and Rural Center President and CEO Patrick Woodie (r).
The award recognizes a graduate of the Rural Center's Rural Economic Development Institute or an alumnus of the Center's Homegrown Leaders program who, through strong leadership, hard work, and dedication, has enhanced the quality of life in rural North Carolina and made significant improvements in their community, region, and/or the state.
