Winston-Salem Journal and Senior Services honor 7 Over Seventy

This year’s honorees are Richard Davis, Shirley Eaton, Art Gibel, David Peay, William Reingold, James Rousseau and Martha Wood.

These men and women are an inspiration, passionate about bettering their community and sharing their blessings with others.

We hope you’ll enjoy their stories in the coming pages. Find more photos of our honorees through the years, plus a special video at journalnow.com/7overseventy.

The sold-out 7 Over Seventy luncheon is Aug. 18 at The Millennium Center in downtown Winston-Salem.

This year’s 7 Over Seventy title sponsor is Savers Health. Gold sponsors are Forsyth Medical Supply and Wake Forest University Life Long Learning, and silver sponsors are Goodwill Industries, Baptist Retirement Homes, Salemtowne, Winston-Salem Recreation & Parks and Winston-Salem State University.

Thank you to these sponsors, along with those who nominated and helped select our honorees and to you, our readers, for helping us celebrate these hometown heroes!

“I’ve been able to see all aspects of living in Winston-Salem. I’ve seen progress made in many, many areas. I’ve seen progress made today and eroded tomorrow,” he says.

“I think the most important thing a person can do is to try to make sure they have a good education. There’s nothing that I can think of that changes people’s lives more than education.”

Davis grew up at a time when Winston-Salem neighborhoods were segregated. He’s lived most of his life — minus a few years in the military and college — in the historically Black Boston-Thurmond neighborhood. His grandmother helped his parents raise him and was a great influence. He also admired teachers, principals and business leaders in his community.

“I had many role models,” he says. “I wanted always to have a business acumen, and I always admired Black men who were running businesses.”

Davis admired their professionalism and how they carried themselves.

“They looked dignified and well-dressed,” he recalls. “I thought, that’s what I wanted to be when I grow up, and I ended up in a field where I could wear a necktie every day.”

In college, he served in the U.S. Air Force, which took him throughout the South Pacific and East Asia. After earning an accounting degree from the University of Maryland, Davis worked for the Internal Revenue Service in Greensboro. From there, he went to Wachovia Bank, before starting his own accounting firm, Davis Management Services, which he ran for 41 years.

“He has given generously of his time and financial resources to benefit thousands of people in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County,” says Nicholas Daves, who nominated Davis for the 7 Over Seventy awards.

Davis’ service includes: the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, Senior Services, the United Way, the Rotary Club of Winston-Salem, the Winston-Salem Foundation and Appalachian State University’s Board of Trustees.

He’s also served as chairman of the Board of Equalization and Review of Forsyth County for the past 15 years. In 2021, he was Winston-Salem’s Philanthropist of the Year.

Davis’ community involvement began with two terms on the Board of Aldermen during the ‘70s. He was the first Black member to represent the city’s North Ward.

“It was very challenging. It was educational. I had an idea of what I wanted our city to be, and serving on the board of Aldermen gave me the opportunity to make it happen,” he says.

He worked to improve city streets and services in the North Ward, such as paving roads and installing street lights and sidewalks.

Today, Davis wants to raise the literacy rate at Kimberley Park Elementary School, his alma mater. Upon learning that reading scores there were below average, Davis started The Literacy Project.

“My grandmother used to tell me, live your life so that when you leave it, you leave it in better shape than when you came into it,” he says. “I always tried to make people’s lives better and to look out for the underdog.”

“I’ve always been a peace maker,” she says. “I like to see people come together in understanding each other, no matter where they are in life or where they have been. I have always believed that each individual has something to add to our community and our world, and that given a chance to be heard, will in turn be willing to listen to others.”

Eaton, a widow (Jesse Eaton died in 2021) and mother of five surviving children, isn’t that interested in retirement.

“Age is but a number. As long as I am able, I will continue working. I feel that whatever small contribution the knowledge I have gained over the years can make to our community, then if God is willing, I am too.”

Besides, Eaton adds, “I enjoy what I do. Mediation is the building of insightful communication, and when a mediation is successful, you can see better relationships build.”

She graduated from Russell Business College in 1971 and earned further mediation training and certifications from Blue Ridge Community College, Northern Virginia Mediation Services, and American Arbitration Association (certified mediator for both Superior and District Court).

From 1980 to ‘85, Eaton was an arbitrator for AT&T.

In 1986, she joined Neighborhood Justice Center, which in 1997 was renamed Mediation Services of Forsyth County. At Mediation Services, she created the Truancy Mediation Program that brings together school social workers and parents in a neutral environment to discuss barriers to a student’s educational process and ways to combat those barriers, says longtime Mediation Services volunteer Teresa Wiginton.

She also conducted conflict resolution training with the Winston-Salem Police Department, family and marriage mediation training, Medicare mediation and, in partnership with NC Juvenile Justice Department, started the Victim Offender Mediation program.

When Eaton was promoted to executive director of Mediation Services, she continued providing mediation services to the community and state agencies when invited.

During the COVID crisis, Eaton used new technology to continue mediation services such as Truancy and Medicare, Wiginton says.

When she’s not working, Eaton makes time to reach out the community. For 33 years, she has served the National Women of Achievement with programs that mentor young women, empower youth and enhance the lives of older adults. In 14 years with the Boston Roundup Committee, she’s helped provide school materials to students in need, and she is an 18-year member of Gamma Phi Delta Sorority.

Eaton, who says her sense of humor is necessary to her work, also is a member of the Community Penalties Board, the Mediation Network Board of Directors of North Carolina, Urban League Guild and National Association of Female Executives.

“Mrs. Eaton, throughout her life and career, has strived to make a positive impact in her community and surrounding counties by engaging in opportunities for youth and adults,” Wiginton says.

Gibel, 72, continues to run a CEO-pace schedule as a volunteer. A longtime member of Housing Authority of Winston-Salem, he is chairman of the committee that oversees the HUD Choice Neighborhood Grant to redevelop Cleveland Avenue area homes.

Gibel is chairman of Governance and Strategy Committees for Partnership for Prosperity (P4P), which engages people with life experience in creating solutions that reduce poverty.

Through Greater Winston-Salem Inc. Emerging Leaders, he mentors two young business leaders, preparing them for volunteerism and board service.

He often quotes an African proverb: “Go fast, go alone. Go far, go together.”

“Have collaborations with many for-profit and nonprofit organizations. One nonprofit can’t do all that’s necessary, because the problems people have are so deep and multi-faceted. … Working together, we can deliver services in depth,” Gibel says.

Then there’s Reynolda Rotary, Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center Board, Crosby Scholars Capital Campaign, Northwest NC Community Foundation Board, NC Baptist Hospital Foundation Board.

Despite a lengthy list of honors and awards, Gibel considers his top accomplishments to be his 49-year marriage to wife, Kathy, and their two “great kids,” Jeff and Katie.

In “retirement,” he is enjoying more time with his family, traveling with Kathy and sharing one-on-one breakfasts with each of his five grandchildren. “I can wiggle my ears, much to the delight of my grandchildren,” he adds.

He takes pride in professional and philanthropic achievements, too.

“In 2012, we formed an independent affiliation with the Crosby Scholars Community Partnership, which helps students in public middle and high schools in Forsyth County prepare academically, financially and personally for college admission. This has allowed Crosby Scholars to expand to serve Iredell and Rowan counties as well.”

Goodwill launched the Access Center Adult High School in collaboration with Forsyth Tech in 2014.

“This innovative program gives adults over the age of 18 the opportunity to complete their high school diplomas (awarded by WS/FCS),” says Gibel’s nominator, Jaymie Eichorn, chief marketing officer at Goodwill.

Then came the Goodwill Good Neighbor grant program to financially support other “mission-aligned” nonprofit organizations across northwest North Carolina and an unsolicited $10 million gift to Goodwill in 2020 from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

Born near Cleveland, as the oldest of four children, Gibel recalls a childhood of scouting, fishing, camping and studying. His mother’s devotion to the March of Dimes Campaign didn’t escape his notice.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in general business at Bowling Green University and was soon recruited by Procter & Gamble in Detroit, where he worked in sales for 15 years.

After three years with Ralston Purina, Gibel joined Sara Lee for marketing. He was promoted to president and CEO of Hanes Printables, a large division that sold T-shirts, sweatshirts and screen embroidery apparel. “I loved Printables – it allowed me to do it all,” he recalls. “Sara Lee encouraged community involvement.”

In 2006, he found the best of both worlds as president and CEO of the 31-county Goodwill Industries of Northwest NC.

“Some assumed that I would focus on the business end first, but we were already a highly successful retail operation, so I concentrated on the mission side – helping people, training, advising,” he says. The new mission statement became: “We create opportunities for people to enhance their lives through training, workforce development services, and collaboration with community organizations.”

Eichorn recalls Gibel’s early days there.

“Having worked for Art for half of my adult life (literally), I know that his influence positively shaped the person and leader that I strive to be today… I often apply principles I learned from him and quote many of his adages when coaching my team. I can honestly say that he’s the best boss I’ve ever had,” she says.

Considering he was born in 1929, Peay does indeed fall in the right age range.

But as a longtime math teacher, he likes playing around with numbers.

Peay is a native of Winston-Salem and attended local schools, graduating from Atkins High School and then going to Winston-Salem State Teacher’s College, aka Winston-Salem State University, where he graduated summa cum laude in 1951.

He taught, served in the Signal Corps during the Korean War and then returned to teaching — first in the town of Wake Forest, then back to Winston-Salem, and later in New Jersey for 25 years before finally returning to Winston-Salem.

In all, he has worked in education on the high school and college levels for the past 71 years, including leadership roles with the College of Education at Winston-Salem State University and Forsyth Tech.

“Dr. Peay is a very humble individual who is thoroughly committed educating students,” says Joanette McClain, who nominated him for the honor. “He works nonstop in order to see that they get what they need in both the classroom and community settings in order for them to become productive members of society.”

Peay has always enjoyed the challenges of teaching, and of helping aspiring teachers learn the best ways to reach their students, including those with special needs or who had fallen behind.

“I always had a yearning to be in a classroom setting where kids wanted to learn,” he says. “And I wanted to kind of trick kids into learning, make them interested in a different kind of learning modality.”

By way of example, he recalls when he was supervising student teachers at Winston-Salem State University and would go monitor the teachers in their classrooms. Often he found students who were defiant to traditional learning techniques but who could be intrigued by a different approach.

He met some fifth- and sixth-graders who were at a third-grade level of math.

“We tried to change the way in which they were learning,” he says. He noticed that a group of boys were not interested in their assigned lessons but spent time in the back of the class playing cards.

He brought in decks of cards and said, “The math lesson today is going to be playing blackjack.”

Although he has technically retired from teaching after a long and fruitful career, he is still interested in mentoring.

He recently received Omega Psi Phi Fraternity’s inaugural Dr. David N. Peay Service Award.

“Hundreds of young African-American males can attest to the fact that the assistance they received from Dr. Peay is directly related the success that they have achieved,” McClain says.

Peay appreciates that he hears from former students about how much he influenced them.

“I get cards, emails, telephone calls from one of my students almost every day of the week,” he says.

This has been William Reingold’s lifelong guiding principal.

A native New Yorker, he made Winston-Salem home more than 40 years ago when he enrolled at Wake Forest University School of Law. He stayed, he says, because it was remarkably different from where he grew up.

He started his law career as an assistant district attorney in Winston-Salem, and less than three years later, he was on the bench.

“I chose to stay here, and I’ve never ever regretted it,” he says.

Reingold, a retired Chief District Court judge, 21st Judicial District, served 27.5 years on the bench — 15 as chief judge.

“I have appreciated the opportunities my career has allowed me to make a difference in the lives of people in my community,” he says.

He started a number of specialized courts, including those for truancy, mental health and juvenile drug treatment. His time on the bench also gave him insight into community needs and influenced how he serves.

“I’m aware that community problems are very complicated, but when you boil things down, it really takes so little to make a positive impact on others,” he says. “If many people would give a little of their time, their resources, their energy, then that begins to add up, and you can collectively really move the needle on some of these issues.”

Reingold saw many families in his courtroom because of domestic violence and was moved by it.

“I was very frustrated that anybody would wake up in the morning and be fearful for their lives and their wellbeing and the wellbeing and lives of their children,” he says.

Family Services helped many of these families with services aimed to protect, counsel, support and empower them.

So when Reingold retired, he volunteered with the organization, leading the governing board, creating an internal culture of philanthropy and significantly increasing its fundraising efforts.

Accomplishments under his board leadership include:

• 522 percent increase in unrestricted giving, 2014-2019
• 300 percent increase in number of donors, 2014-2019
• Secured the largest four individual gifts in agency history, 2014-2019
• Grew the leadership giving society (gifts of $1,000 and above) from 11 inaugural members to 185, 2013-2021
• Completed a $3.7 million capital campaign at 107 percent of goal
• Grew from a $6.5 million agency to a $12.5 million agency, 2014-2019

“When Bill commits, he commits 10,000 percent,” says Michelle Speas, who nominated Reingold for the 7 Over Seventy honor. “He is a fierce advocate for women, children and families as reflected in his professional career and volunteer interests.”

She also calls him “a kind, inspiring and thoughtful leader and friend.”

Reingold is the board president for Temple Emanuel and serves on the Wake Forest Law School Board of Visitors. His love of movies led to his serving as board chairman for the RiverRun International Film Festival. He treasures that experience because it’s how he met his wife, Peggy.

All of his work and volunteerism circles back to Tikkun olam.

“That cliche that you get more out of it than you give — it’s true,” he says.

Rousseau summarizes his life career this way:

“Forty years in education; 50 years in community service; 60 years active in my beloved fraternity, the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.; 50-year member of Grace Presbyterian Church; married to my wife, Jean, for 52 years; father of two children, grandfather of six children and one grand-doggie. Server of the Lord all my life.”

Rousseau, who turned 82 in July, says one of his proudest accomplishments is the Minority Male Mentoring Program at Forsyth Technical Community College, which has helped increase the number of minority students graduating from the college since the mid-1990s.

Rousseau was born and raised in Winston-Salem. He had a lifelong interest in science, especially chemistry. An advisor on his student newspaper at Atkins High School helped him arrange a scholarship at her alma mater, Knoxville College, and he went there, where he soon learned his true passion was for teaching.

“I wanted to help young people,” he says. “I did some student teaching when I was in college, and the kids were really interested... and that sort of influenced me that I might want to try teaching.”

He pondered a science career, but after student teaching, he felt strongly about giving teaching a shot.

“So, when I came home, I applied for a position with the school system, and I got the position.”

He worked first as a science teacher and later an administrator in the Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County school system and at Forsyth Tech, where he retired in 2001.

While working as a teacher, he was encouraged to become more active in community affairs after an encounter with Mazie Woodruff, an alderman whose daughter was in one of his science classes.

“She said ‘I think you ought to do more to help the community. You’ve been blessed; why don’t you volunteer some of your time to help with some programs?’”

Her words reminded him of similar advice from his mother, who told him that if the Lord blesses you, you should bless somebody else, and He will keep blessing you.

Rousseau started working with Forsyth Court Volunteers and Family Services, which led to other groups and more opportunities to help kids get on the right path in life.

“From that, people kept asking me to serve on this and serve on that, and it just kept going,” he says. That included the Cleveland Avenue Task Force, the Cooperative Extension Advisory Board, and many more groups and programs.

“As I look back at my career, I hope that I contributed to improving the quality of life for young people and the community,” he says. “Serving on these boards, I tried to impact the lives of people, trying to improve the quality of life.”

The chief voting judge took her under his wing and instilled in an appreciation for American democracy.

“I got the ‘fever,’ which has never left me, and I have tried to pass it on too my children and grandchildren,” Wood says.

Gayle Anderson, a former CEO of the Greater Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, calls Wood “a trailblazer” and “an advocate for diversity and inclusion at all levels of government, business and community service.”

Franklin Shirley — her debate coach at Wake Forest University and a Winston-Salem alderman and mayor — along with family, friends and neighbors inspired her to enter city politics in 1981, Wood says.

She served the city Board of Aldermen, Northwest Ward, from 1981 to 1989, when she made history as the city’s first female mayor.

“Getting to the office took a bruising primary, second primary and general election,” she says. “My dedicated, determined supporters made sure that our election would replace patriarchy in Winston-Salem with a place at the table for everyone,” Wood says.

Wood was ready to go to work. “My paternal grandmother and my parents taught me self-confidence, commitment and tenacity. Dr. Franklin Shirley taught me the necessity of thorough research, clear reasoning, and articulate, persuasive speech,” she says.

Her proudest accomplishment as an alderman was casting the deciding vote to name the new coliseum for Lawrence Joel, Winston-Salem Vietnam War hero and winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor. She was also honored in 1986 as the Winston-Salem Chronicle Woman of the Year.

As mayor, a highlight was recruiting the CIAA Basketball Tournament to Winston-Salem.

Wood is been a strong advocate for neighborhoods and for balancing economic development priorities with the needs of ordinary citizens, Anderson says. “In her retirement years, she has continued to volunteer and to speak out for having everyone at the table when decisions are made,” she says.

Though she retired in 2008, she and fellow Salemtowne Retirement Community residents and a UNCSA student, created and produced the documentary, ‘In Elder words…” The videos highlight the histories, interests and future plans of residents and longtime staff members of Salemtowne, illustrating the “vitality of elders and elder living,” Wood says.

Wood remains a busy volunteer in the community. She and her husband, Frank, sing with the Salemtowne Singers and perform for other continuing care communities, and she manages the Vogler Shop, staffing 40 shifts a month with volunteers. “

“Community service for me is not ‘giving back;’ it’s my duty and responsibility,” she says. “Building community is in my blood.”

Wood’s many awards include  the Wake Forest Faces of Courage award in 2012 for her work on integration.

She received the Martin Luther King Jr. Dare to Make a Difference award in 2018, on what would have been King's 80th birthday.

"On that occasion, I realized that I had, in fact, dared to make a difference. I was humbled by the recognition and grateful for the opportunities I've had to dare," she recalls.

Wood, who turns 79 in September, is happy to devote herself to all things Salemtowne and to her husband, three children and 11 grandchildren.