Spirit of the County Award winner proudly carries Benson’s banner

By RANDY CAPPS

Loretta Byrd had big plans when she left South Johnston High School — and not many of them included coming back to her hometown of Benson.

“It’s amazing how God has plans for you,” she said. “You come full circle, and I end up the second time marrying a Johnston County guy and ending up back home. No regrets whatsoever about that.”

After 18 years as the president/CEO of the Benson Area Chamber of Commerce, Byrd has become synonymous with the town, and because of her dedication to the Town of Benson and its citizens, she’s the 2021 Johnston Now Honors Spirit of the County Award winner.

“I do it because I love it,” she said. “I absolutely love my job. I love the people that I work for, and I love my community. I feel like I make a difference in my community, as well as in my county. I have a strong work ethic. I’m not a person that can sit still. I can’t imagine me retiring anytime soon and heading home and puttering around the house or garden. That’s just not Loretta. We have a saying in our family that Honeycutts don’t retire. Our toes just turn up. That’s pretty much how it is.

“I have a wonderful family. The reason I’ve been able to do the things that I do is because of my husband (Medwick), who has been very encouraging and has always supported me. He’s always said, ‘Do what you need to do.’”

What she needed to do when she took the job was to restore the bond between the chamber and the community — and get some storefronts filled up.

“It’s probably five to 10 times busier,” she said. “When I first came in 2003, our Main Street, as most main streets in the area, was empty. Not 100% empty, but empty. We were just in a down time. The chamber had not been in tune with the community in several years. It took me awhile to mend fences and to get people to trust the chamber again. So, now I have the support that I need, and I’m very, very fortunate that I have a wonderful board and great members and they’re very supportive. The one difference I see now in 2021 compared to 2003 is that my members have less time to volunteer. We have a lot of small business owners and they’re trying to run their business.”

Of course, most of them find time to help with the chamber’s signature event, Mule Days.

“We have around 200 volunteers over the four-day span,” she said. “Everything from folding T-shirts to working the parade morning. But, to be honest, we work on Mule Days around the calendar. ... Last year, having to cancel Mule Days, it was difficult to get back into the momentum of the Mule Days season. People have no idea. I have a 1-inch binder, and it’s just the to-do list.”

Mule Days and other events are an important part of the chamber’s mission.

“We’re an events-oriented chamber,” she said, “because we’re in a smaller town and we’re very community oriented. I manage those events along with a group of wonderful volunteers. We advocate for businesses, we try to help promote businesses, we’re there if they need us. I have an open-door policy. People come in and out all the time. Maybe they need to to talk to me about what’s keeping them up at night. We counsel business and try to help them and encourage them.”

It’s the same sort of warmth and compassion that Byrd feels from Benson.

“We’re very lucky in that we have a vibrant Main Street,” she said. “It continues to grow, and it could grow even more. There is a lot of community pride and spirit. People love each other for the most part. I’ve always enjoyed the small town atmosphere, personally. Because I know who my pharmacist is. They know me by my name. My insurance agent, my attorney are all personal friends. I find that people moving in love Benson because there’s just a warm atmosphere. They feel comfortable there, they feel safe there. It’s just a good place to do business.”

It’s an atmosphere built, in part, by Byrd and her work for the Benson Chamber.