Title:
Order of the Hornet Induction of Dale Mullennix (Commissioner Harden)
Summary
ACTION:
Induct Dale Mullennix into the Mecklenburg County Order of the Hornet
Commission Contact: Commissioner Susan B. Harden
Co-sponsors: Chair Dunlap and Commissioner Rodriguez-McDowell
Presentation: Yes
BACKGROUND/JUSTIFICATION:
The Order of the Hornet was established in 1972. It is bestowed by the Board of County Commissioners on persons who have displayed valor or high order of service uniquely and specifically to the citizens of Mecklenburg County. This is the highest honor bestowed by the Board. The Order of the Hornet was founded in the spirit of the early Mecklenburg patriots who signed the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence on May 20, 1775, and proclaimed the County’s freedom from Britain more than a year before the U.S. Declaration of Independence was signed. Those early patriots valiantly fought for their independence during the Revolution and gave Lord Cornwallis such difficulties during his occupation of Charlotte that he termed the town a “hornet’s nest” of rebellion. Because Dale Mullennix reflects the honor, strength, and fierce American patriotism that so stung Lord Cornwallis, he is being recommended for membership in the Order of the Hornet.
Dale Mullennix has been the Executive Director for the Charlotte, NC-based Urban Ministry Center (UMC) since its inception in 1994. The UMC is an interfaith organization dedicated to ending homelessness, one life at a time.
Under Mullennix’ s leadership, the Center runs a number of creative outreach ministries, for example:
• Room In The Inn, which invites faith-based organizations in the area to open their doors in cold-weather months to provide shelter and meals to homeless neighbors.
• SABER, one of the most recognized substance use treatment centers in Charlotte.
• Enrichment programs include the ArtWorks 945 Studio, cooking classes, a soccer team, a gospel choir, and an organic garden.
Mr. Mullennix has been a consistent advocate for innovation and involvement. He has brought together more than 150 faith communities, thousands of donors, businesses, and volunteers across Charlotte to participate in the Center’s mission.
He and his team were the first in the area to adopt the research-based “Housing First Strategy,” which prioritizes placing those living on the streets in stable housing before determining what other services are needed.
In 2012 the UMC opened Moore Place, an 85-unit apartment building that provides housing and on-site social services to those experiencing chronic homelessness.
The UMC now houses over 300 formerly homeless individuals and provides services on four campuses and through scattered site housing.
Mr. Mullennix has been recognized over the years for his commitment and dedication to helping those in need, for example, in 2015 he was named Charlottean of the Year by Charlotte magazine and in 2018 awarded the Order of the Longleaf Pine in 2018. Most recently, he helped lead a successful merger with the Men's Shelter of Charlotte. After twenty-five years of dedicated service as the Executive Director of the Urban Ministry Center, he is retiring effective June 17, 2019.
Mr. Mullennix has a Master of Divinity from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. He served as Associate Pastor at Myers Park Baptist Church in Charlotte until selected to lead the UMC in 1994.
Mullennix is married to the Reverend Jane Summey and they have two children.
PROCUREMENT BACKGROUND:
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POLICY IMPACT:
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FISCAL IMPACT:
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