Kannapolis Mayor Darrell Hinnant and Council Member Tom Kincaid were honored for their years of service to the City of Kannapolis Monday during a reception.
Mayor Hinnant has served the residents of Kannapolis for 24 years. He was first elected to the Kannapolis City Council in 2001 and served as a Council Member until 2013 when he was elected Mayor. He has served three terms as Mayor, making him the longest serving Mayor in the history of Kannapolis.
“One of the greatest honors of my life to serve the citizens of Kannapolis for 24 years and one of the joys of my life has been to work with City Manager Mike Legg and a staff that is filled with commitment, passion and love for our community,” commented Hinnant.
A native of eastern North Carolina, he earned a BA and MAT in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and an Executive Management Certification from Duke University.
Mayor Hinnant was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North Carolina’s highest public service award by Governor James Martin.
During his professional career, Mayor Hinnant has held executive positions in several national companies including Rollins Environmental Services, SouthEastern Labs, Radiator Specialty Co., and Executive Director of the N.C. Hazard Waste Commission. He also taught wastewater treatment operator classes for the State of North Carolina.
He has been active in many state and local organizations including serving on the boards of Metro Mayors Coalition, Centralina Council of Governments, Cabarrus College of Health Sciences, Water & Sewer Authority of Cabarrus County, and CK Rider Transit Authority.
Mayor Hinnant volunteers for many community groups and teaches a weekly Sunday School class. When he is not serving the community, he enjoys time with his wife, Mary, his two children and seven grandchildren.
Council Member Tom Kincaid has served on the Kannapolis City Council for 15 years, since 2010. “I never thought I would become involved in government, but Mayor Ray Moss encouraged me to serve years ago, and it has been the best experience of my life. Even though we are a diverse city council we had one common goal – to restore Kannapolis’ economy and revitalize downtown. I have enjoyed working with each member of the council. Look at what we have been able to accomplish – from where we started 15 years ago to where we are now – it is a dream come true,” Kincaid said.
Tom is a native of Avery County, and he served in the U.S. Air Force and worked at the VA hospital in medical service for eight years. He then moved to Kannapolis 35 years ago and he and his wife, Teresa, opened the Caremoor Retirement Community.
He has volunteered with various organizations over the years including serving on the boards Cabarrus Health Alliance (chairperson) and the Red Cross. He also served as an Elder at Bethpage Presbyterian Church for 25 years.