2009 Hometown Spirit Award Nominee:
Stan Latta

Nominated by: Jim and Martha Fields, who both state on the nomination form:

“Dr. Stan Latta exceeds the criteria for the Town of Cary Hometown Spirit Award. Since relocating to Cary in 1994, he has been extraordinarily involved in making the Town of Cary a wonderful place to live, work, play and visit. He was recognized as a Daily Point of Light (2/28/05) and with the President’s Call to Service Award for over 4,000 hours of volunteer service.

Stan is known for his unparalleled volunteer service. He is currently the Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Cary Walnut Street branch of the NC State Employees’ Credit Union, and he has been a volunteer with SECU for six years. From 2005-2007, he was appointed by the Governor and served on the NC Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service.

Stan is widely known for his southern manners and pride. He’s been known to give up his new state highway map to a recent ‘transplant,’ and then invite them to Sunday morning worship at church.

Because volunteerism is so important to Stan, he spent two years earning his doctorate (while working full time) in order to research/write his dissertation on the value of companies that allow/permit/encourage their employees to serve their communities.

Stan is an officer in the ‘other Cary lodge’ of Green Level #277 – Ancient, Free & Accepted Masons. His lodge just completed their 28^th annual fundraiser for a local orphanage and a local retirement community, and he has worked this event each year since joining.

Stan has a real commitment to promote/preserve traditional American past-times, whether serving as a Boy Scout leader, contributing to Friends of the Page-Walker, or speaking at a Cary Teen Council meeting. He is anxious to be able to attend a future Town of Cary School of Government so that he can even better work toward improving his local area. Many people know him as ‘Stan the Flag Man’ because of his extremely strong patriotic pride. When he served on the Cary Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Advisory Board, he attended/fervently supported a myriad of local sporting, cultural, historic, musical, dramatic, parks, and volunteer events. As a 7^th generation North Carolinian, Stan consistently does business with locally owned stores, ensuring that his money is spent here at ‘home’.

Stan has served as the President of his homeowners association for many of the last 15 years. Only a mile from downtown Cary, he helps neighbors get to know one another and to enjoy living within walking distance from Cary’s historical and shopping district.

Stan is a strong supporter of the development of the Cary National Veterans Freedom Park. He also regularly attends the local Independence Day and other veteran/national holiday events. He gives to multiple veteran organizations and causes. He flies his personal US Flag every day of the year, and his house is practically a patriotic museum.

We are proud to nominate Dr. Stan Latta for the Town of Cary’s Hometown Spirit Award.”