Asheville-Buncombe Community Relations Chairman Retires

When Dr. Larry McCallum retired from his long-time role on the board (and as chairman) of the Asheville-Buncombe Community Relations Council, the party coincided with the Council’s annual “thank-you” luncheon.

And that thank-you couldn’t have been more appropriate. Everyone at the recent celebration wanted a chance to thank Dr. McCallum for his thirty years of service, both with the Council and throughout the community.

Dr. McCallum has spent his life as an educator in the Buncombe County Schools for nearly 40 years, including principal of Charles D. Owen High School and T.C. Roberson High. Since his 2011 retirement, he has continued to teach and mentor youth in the public school systems of Buncombe County through fraternal organizations such as Kappa Alpha Psi and the Gamma Upsilon Boulé of Sigma Pi Phi.

Dr. McCallum’s impact on the growth and development of the Community Relations Council for the past 30 years has had a broad impact on the city and county as well. His experiences as an educator gave him the insight to recognize the importance of addressing tensions before they can grow into divisive issues; he helped shape that approach as a central tenet of the Council, which took a pro-active stance from its earliest years.

Lucia Daugherty, ABCRC Executive Director, was joined by such current and former board members as Willie Mae Brown, Linda McDaniel, and others in recalling Dr. McCallum’s service. The gathering brought together several leaders in civil rights and community relations, including Kathryn Liss, Cassandra Ingram, Rev. Scott Rogers, Pastor Spencer Hardaway, Maria Roloff, and many others.