William Justice

I was born and raised in Onslow County. My family has long time ties to the county, dating back to the early 1700’s. Growing up in Jacksonville my father was a local businessperson, Clerk of Court for Onslow, and a Juvenile Judge until his death in 1966. My mother was a loving housewife. My wife, Elaine, is a retired principal who had the distinction of having her school designated as one of the first “Green’ Schools” in North Carolina. We have been married 35 years. Likewise, her family also has ties to the area, as her family has been in Carteret County since the 1700’s, where she was born and raised. We have three grown children and a very bright one year old granddaughter! All three are adults that we are proud of! Two work presently in other states (twins < Adam and Tatum), while our oldest, Michael (Captain Mikey) lives and works here in Swansboro and the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort. All three of them call eastern North Carolina their true home and come home every chance they get! Elm Street in the downtown area of Swansboro has been our home for twelve years but we have been coming to Swansboro as far back as we can remember.

I was raised in Trinity Methodist Church in Jacksonville and now attend Swansboro United Methodist Church, where I am an active member of the “Peanut Ministry” which cooks peanuts and sells them to raise money for the community. The Hem of His Garment is also another charity I volunteer with several days a week. This nonprofit charitable Catholic organization supports our community in many ways, especially our schools and families.

I retired four years ago and was asked to set up the catering and event management procedures for the educational nonprofit, Sturgeon City, located in Jacksonville. I was able to experience, firsthand, the services Sturgeon City provides when I served on the planning board of our 50-year high school reunion held at the event center. I enjoy my volunteer work, the expression of loyalty and the ability to give back to our county and community.

I attended East Carolina University where I met Elaine. Following college, I worked forty-two years in the restaurant industry starting with Golden Corral in 1977 as a Partner/Manager. In addition, I have owned my own restaurant and was Vice President/ Operations Director of Smithfield Management Corporation and franchisee of two Smithfield’s Chicken and BBQ’s. At Smithfield I oversaw three hundred plus individuals, developed a manager hiring/training process, wrote the manager training manual, and oversaw the opening and operation of restaurants from the ground up. I was one of three people responsible for the operation and direction of the company. I retired in 2019 as a partner/manager with Panera Bread. I then started focusing on volunteer work in the county, leading to where we are now.

Through working in the service industry, I learned the importance of being an active part of the community, being flexible, giving back, decision making under stressful circumstances, and working with others to achieve a common goal. I ran to be a commissioner because I have a deep passion and love for Swansboro – its heritage, its beauty, its people, and its small-town feel. We who live here are so lucky to call this town home. Yes, we will grow, change is inevitable, but we can balance growth with who we are, to keep what is special for our children and grandchildren.

I will listen to all citizens and viewpoints to try to bring about a common ground that all citizens can support. I realize this is a challenging task, but my goal will be to do my best for the citizens of Swansboro. In serving you I will bring my experience, contribute my knowledge, and make decisions that will support the unique challenges our town faces now and in the future.