Man travels state to meet all 551 mayors

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY)– A recent college graduate setting a lofty goal for himself, meeting every mayor in the State of North Carolina.

That mission recently brought him to our area.  

Mitchell Whitley is a native of Greensboro. His project to meet all 551 mayors is appropriately called “Mitchell’s Mayors”.  

So far, Mitchell has met 231 mayors in a year and nine months, with the most recent ones being from Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, Northwest, Bolton, East Arcadia, and Wilmington. 

Mitchell says it’s a tall task, but one that he knows will help him learn more about what makes North Carolina so special.   

“Any opportunity we get to meet with a mayor and speak with them is a blessing to me,” said Whitley. “Each one of them, my dad calls them, the ‘most salt of the earth people’ that they are because they are amazing local folks. They are people who are dedicated to making a positive local difference to listening and learning themselves from the citizens in their town and seeing what they can do to make a positive difference each day for everyone in the community.” 

Mitchell says he plans to return to the Cape Fear at the end of July to meet Mayor Bozeman of Leland and Mayor Eulis Willis of Navassa.