An elected public official representing the Town of Navassa for 40 years, Mayor Willis has served as Mayor for over 18 years. Willis graduated from Lincoln High School in Leland, North Carolina in 1966 and received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology from North Carolina A & T State University in Greensboro in 1971. Willis was employed by the Union Carbide Corporation in Somerset, New Jersey from 1971 – 1976 and by Progress Energy Corporation at the Brunswick Nuclear Plant as well. Willis was a member of the Navassa Town Council from 1977 through 1999 and was elected as mayor of Navassa in 1999, a position he still holds! He is an active community leader who has served on many Brunswick County boards, as a member of the Navassa Volunteer Fire Department and as coach of adult and youth athletic teams. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has honored Willis as a champion for his community.
The town of Navassa has a rich cultural heritage supported by strong roots in the Gullah-Geeche culture. Gullah describes a group of African Americans along the southeast coast of the United States from Jacksonville, North Carolina, to Jacksonville, Florida. They have a distinct culture, language, and lifestyle that have been preserved since the early 1700s.
