NEW HANOVER COUNTY — At the New Hanover County commissioner meeting Monday morning, a new board member was sworn in with unanimous approval.
Dane Scalise took a seat at the dais, filling the vacancy left behind upon Deb Hays unexpected death last month.
READ MORE: NHC Republicans select Hays’ replacement, commissioners to vote on appointment Monday
“This is a tremendous honor,” Scalise said Monday. “It is without question difficult, a bit painful, to be here. Deb, as many of you know, was a close friend of mine. And she was a close friend of many of the people in this room. The consummate public servant really gave herself to the work of the people in New Hanover County. There’s a lot that I could say, but there’s a lot to do. There’s work to be done and I’m going to do it in my friend Deb Hays’ honor.”
Scalise was appointed by the New Hanover Republican Party which opened applications two weeks ago to fill Hays’ position, per state law. Commissioners had the final say in voting to accept the nomination.
A lawyer and insurance broker, Scalise served on numerous boards locally, including the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, Wilmington Downtown Inc. and the New Hanover Bar Association.
Joined by his family — wife, two sons and mother — Scalise thanked them for their support and the board for his appointment.
“It truly is the honor of a lifetime,” he said. “I will not let you down.”
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