City honors main street director
Apr. 5—The city of Lenoir City Council honored retired Downtown Economic Development Main Street Director Kaylynn Horn last month, during a regular city council meeting.
Mayor Joe Gibbons read and presented a retirement resolution to Director Horn during the meeting held on March 19, 2024. After reading the resolution, Mayor Gibbons gave Horn a Key to the city of Lenoir. The full text of the retirement resolution is below.
Horn started serving as the Downtown Economic Development Main Street Director on May 27, 2014. She oversaw the City of Lenoir's Main Street program for nearly 10 years. During her tenure she earned several NC Department of Commerce Main Street Awards for the city, and she helped to usher in new Downtown events including the Wood, Fire, Smoke Festival, and the Carolina Tattoo and Arts Gathering.
"You know, I've tried now for I don't know how long to cancel all these retirements, but nobody will listen," Mayor Gibbons said. "We are going to obviously miss you greatly. You have meant so much to us for these last 10 years. Thank you for all that you have meant to the city."
Mayor Gibbons said the City Main Street program was doing well before Horn came on board, but he said she made many improvements as Main Street Director.
"We became one of the most respected Main Street communities in the state," Mayor Gibbons said. "We actually were the state champions of Main Street several years ago when we won five main street awards [in one year]. I know you're going to tell me that it wasn't all you, but every great place has to have that person who is the leader, the driver, the pusher, the person who gets it going. It's been 20 some years that we have been working on rebuilding our Main Street and Downtown program and making it the best we can make it, and with your leadership, that has happened."
Horn said she was honored to have had the opportunity to serve Lenoir. She thanked Council, city staff, and all the volunteers who helped with Downtown Lenoir events and programs throughout the years.
"Thank you, council, for your support. I greatly appreciate the confidence that you had in me, it meant a lot," Horn said. "We've seen a lot of great things happen over the years with your support."
Horn said the city motto of "Service Beyond Measure" wasn't just words, it really is the spirit of the City staff.
"We have something truly extraordinary at the city of Lenoir," she said. "Service Beyond Measure is not just something that we say that's a little bit cheesy, it really is something we apply and work toward, and we appreciate, internally as well as externally. Knowing that every department head has your back, and can be there to answer the phone when you have a question or when you're concerned about something and you really need some help [means a lot]. It's been an honor and a blessing to be here."
