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under the sun
THE BRUNSWKKfefEACON
THURSDAY. MARCH 28. 1991
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Yvonne Bright Pursues Life With Zeal
BY SUSAN USHER
"La;e to bed and early lo rise".
That's ?he way Yvonne Lewis Bright describes her
typical day.
It's a direct reflection of her vigorous approach to
living, motivated by her beliefs and a desire to make
changes.
A woman of strong personal convictions and a
sense of mission, the new District 5 representative on
the Brunswick County Board of Education works hard
for anything to which she commits herself, whether it's
Dixie League ball, her job at Federal Paper Board Co.,
doll collecting or the school board.
She maintains a tight schedule that attempts to bal
ance family, work, church and community interests. She
believes in the adage, "If
you want something done,
give it to a busy person."
Her new responsibilities
with the school board have
involved more hours that
she had anticipated, but
Mrs. Bright is tackling the
job with enthusiasm and no
regrets.
"I'm a real active per
son anyway," she said in a
recent interview. "I'm up
real early and I stay up late
at night. Once you get the
adrenaline going it's a
shame you have to go to
bed."
After making the com
mitment a yetr ago to run
for the school board as a
Republican candidate, she
threw herself into the effort.
To gain election she would
have to unseat a popular in
cumbent, James "Jimbo"
Cicmmons, retired principal
of Lincoln Primary School
and a five-year member of
the school board who died
suddenly earlier this month.
The campaign reflected
Mrs. Bright's persistence.
She attended candidates'
forums before the May pri
mary even though she was
unopposed for the nomina
tion. Considered a dark
horse candidate, she came
from behind in November to win on a results-oriented
platform that emphasizes a return to the three R's,
greater classroom discipline and renewed emphasis on
academic excellence and the work ethic.
She told voters she thought board members should
stand up for what they believe in. "If one member has a
firm belief in something, I don't think they should be
nullified by the rest of the board," she said in an
October 1990 interview. "I think you should try to ex
plain your position and win them over to your side, es
pecially if it's in the interest of education."
YVONNE BRIGHT pauses daily for a quiet visit
with her next door neighbor, friend and brother
in-law, Joseph Marion Coston. A sudden illness
left him quadriplegic.
Now she's redirecting the energy spent on cam
paigning into learning her new responsibilities and
learning how to work within the system for the changes
she believes are in order.
"I have a real concern about how you get a handle
on a basic education," she said. "There are so many oth
er things we have to deal with first It takes a long time
to make change. But I really hope we can improve the
quality of education in Brunswick County."
In December the board reorganized into committees
in an effort to get more done. Mrs. Bright was named to
the long-range planning and policy committees. "It
means a lot more meetings," she said. "I've already
dipped into vacation time."
But she's enjoying the opportunity of serving the
school system where she
was educated. Mrs. Bright
was bom in Las Vegas,
New Mexico, and reared in
Brunswick County, the
daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Wayne Lewis of Winna
bow. She attended Bolivia
High School and Miller
Motte Business College in
Wilmington, and worked a
variety of jobs before she
and her husband, David,
settled in Leland. He is em
ployed at nearby DuPonL
She went to work at Fed
eral in 1968.
Mementos of her past
efforts and interests sur
round Mrs. Bright as she
chats in the den of her
home on Ml Misery Road,
the house family members
helped the Brights build 20
years ago. Collector quality
dolls rest on the steps and
in nearby cabinets. A cer
tificate lauds her work on
behalf of the Republican
Party. Photographs, tro
phies and an unusual wall
clock attest to her work
with National Dixie Youth
National League softball
over the years at the local,
state and national level.
But Yvonne Bright said
the He's First bumper
sticker on her car reflects
her first priority. She lives and acts on her beliefs, and
supports her church. New Jerusalem Outreach. "1 think
church attendance is something that should be automat
ic," she said. "Not 'Are we going this week?"'
She travels frequently with her daughter-in-law,
Lorraine, a gospel singer.
Linking all she docs: a concern for family and tradi
tional values.
Her work with Dixie Youth was a natural out
growth of her sons' involvement in sports. They're
grown now ? David Jr. is a filter plant operator at
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?1991 THE BRUNSWfCK BEACON
STAJF PHOTOS BY SUSAN USHER
DISTRICT 5 BOARD OF EDUCATION member Yvonne Bright responds to a friend's teasing as she
points to keepsakes of her various pursuits, including this Dixie Softball anniversary clock.
Federal Paper Board Co. and Scott a deputy sheriff in
New Hanover County. But she's still in Dixie League
after 1 1 years, having served as slate director and now
national secretary for the 11-state organization. In 1979
si.? was instrumental in bringing the League's World
Ser es to Leland. And, from the rear of her laundry
room she runs the league's supply center, dispensing
rule books, patches and other materials on demand.
"It really starts in January, with calling and ordering
things," she said, followed by a last-minute rush as the
season nears. "They know they can't put the girls on the
Held without the shoulder patches, but they wail until
the night before the season begins to call. Then they
want overnight delivery and the? may pay more for
^hipping than the patches cost"
Even after a late night, she's a morning person. Mrs.
Bright likes getting off to an early start at Federal's
technical division office where she is secretary. After 20
years in the same office, she says she still enjoys her
work and work team. At Federal she alio serves as trea
surer for the Employees Benefit Association, handling
business such as sick claims.
Her experiences on the job as well as in the commu
nity helped convince her of the need for change in edu
cation and in the role of the family.
"One thing 1 see that reflects on the schools and on
families is the values of workers who are hired.
Students need to be taught to do quality work and to do
it to the best of their ability," she said. "We just have to
get back to doing quality work and being dependable
and being responsible. I truly think it stems from the
family."
Her concerns as a parent, taxpayer and school board
member are similar: She wants to find new ways of
reaching parents and showing them why it is important
to get involved in their children's education and she
wants to find ways to motivate students to want to
learn.
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