Dan Weatherly is wasting little time settling in as chief executive officer of Cape Fear Valley Health, as he and predecessor Mike Nagowski were on their way Thursday to the Association of American Medical Colleges conference in Washington, D.C., in anticipation of the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine, which will welcome its first class of 64 students on July 20.
“I’m excited,” Weatherly, 59, said about a vote Wednesday by the health system’s board of trustees for Weatherly to succeed Nagowski, who announced his retirement effective July 1 after 18 years. “Mike had a vision to not only the health system, but to the community. He thinks so big. It’s been such an honor to work with him, and we’re going to continue to strive for health care. The first thing I’m going to do is make sure I’m listening to our health care team of physicians, nurses, and health providers so we can continue to provide care to our patients.”
Weatherly has been chief operating officer at the health system since 2016, and Nagowski said he is the “right guy 100%” as chief executive officer. “I’ve had the privilege of working with hundreds of health care leaders the past 30 years, and Dan is the finest example of a health care executive. He is the absolute right guy.” Those of us who know the down-to-earth Dan Weatherly echo Mike Nagowski’s words.
Dr. Chris Aul is another community health care provider at Cape Fear Valley Health heading into retirement and known for his long commitment to patient safety and quality care, and Jamie Lucas, Jennifer Reach, and Mark Jackson are following in Aul’s footsteps. “These awards reflect the heart of our mission—ensuring every patient receives safe, high-quality care,” Sabrina Brooks, vice president of the Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation, said in a news release recognizing Lucas, Reach, and Jackson as recipients of the Dr. Chris Aul Patient Safety and Quality Award. “We are proud to recognize team members who consistently go above and beyond to support their colleagues, patients and our community while continuing Dr. Aul’s legacy.” All of us, no matter our walk in life, stand on the shoulders of those who taught us the way.
There is always something poignant about Palm Sunday for followers and believers in Jesus Christ, and it marks the beginning of Holy Week, which culminates with Easter on April 5.
The small azaleas of white, red, and pink are in bloom, and the flowering George Taber azaleas are following behind, and it’s a landscape of splendor and beauty in this community.
Driving Miss Daisy is selling like hot cakes at a church fundraiser, so much that the Cape Fear Regional Theatre has added another performance for 6:30 p.m. Sunday at 1707 Owen Drive. After Sunday, the production has only six performances remaining from April 1-4. For more information, visit the Cape Fear Regional Theatre or call the box office at 910-323-4233.
Marvin Bell is the gifted actor who portrays Hoke Coleburn as the chauffeur in the play, and he attributes his favorite quote to the late playwright August Wilson: “Have a belief in yourself bigger than anyone’s disbelief.” Those are words worth sharing.
“Bill, thanks for the humorous column on your tax preparations,” Drew Ziegler, a loyal CityView subscriber, wrote in an email about my Wednesday column on preparing my 2025 tax returns as the April 15 deadline nears. “You’re way ahead of me. For my tax return, I follow this (un)wise adage: If you wait until the last minute, it only takes a minute.”
“He had a ‘Never Give Up’ attitude,” former Fayetteville City Manager Bob Cogswell wrote in an email about our March 22 CityView column remembering the late Dr. Menno Pennink. “Where we saw lemons, he saw lemonade. Good article.”
Lynne Woods is being remembered for her “generosity of spirit” and as one who was always there for others with a helping hand and an ear to listen. She had a love for all children and a heart for animals. A retired nurse, she also is remembered for her volunteer work with The CARE Clinic. For the underserved. Lynne Woods died at age 90 on March 20. A service is scheduled for noon on Monday at her beloved Hay Street United Methodist Church.
Cape Fear Botanical Garden has received an $11,000 Project Support Grant from the North Carolina Arts Council, according to Meg Suraci, development, grants, and membership manager for the garden. Suraci said the funding will help with cultural arts and environmental education programs.
You can see the works of former Cape Fear Studios artists Greg Hathaway, Rob Helsel, Karen Moore, Merle Prewitt, Herta (Frankie) Ray, Lechi Oggeri Rodriguez, and Stan Simmons at the studio’s Echoes: An Exhibition of Former Artists exhibit, which opens today at 148 Maxwell St. in downtown Fayetteville. The exhibit, according to the studio, runs through April 21, with hours from 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m.–2 p.m. each Saturday.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Theodore Dudley is among seven in uniform recently celebrated as USO Service Members of the Year. “The USO Service Members of the Year have shown remarkable commitment to protecting and serving others, often stepping in during critical moments for both fellow troops and civilians,” Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Michael Linnington, chief executive officer for the USO, said in a news release. “These awards highlight the incredible people who serve in our nation’s military.” A Fayetteville native, Dudley was honored for his part in saving 14 lives during an apartment fire at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
Coming Sunday: Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by candlelight.
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
We’re nearing our fourth year of CityView Today, and so many of you have been with us from day one in our efforts to bring the news of the city, county, community, and Cape Fear region each day. We’re here with a purpose to deliver the news that matters to you.