History Buff
Jean Lawler focuses on the area’s history while also working on its future
If the city selected an ambassador, Jean Lawler would be in the running. Whether this passionate Wilmington native is on the job as advertising director for the Wilmington International Airport or volunteering for the North Carolina Azalea Festival, the World War II Wilmington Home Front Heritage Coalition, or any of the many other organizations to which she belongs, Lawler strives to make Wilmington the best it can be – and to share its many charms with visitors.
“I love Wilmington and its people,” she states. “We have the best people in the world, and it’s the best place to live.”
One of Lawler’s passions is the military and veterans – she hails from a military family and her husband, who was in the U.S. Navy, served three tours in Vietnam.
Therefore, it’s no surprise that she volunteers for the World War II Wilmington Home Front Heritage Coalition and was recently named its vice chairwoman.
In addition to other responsibilities, she is working with Captain Wilbur Jones, group’s chairman, to get Wilmington named the first American World War II City, a designation she says it deserves because of its rich WWII history.
The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives last month. Under the measure, though Wilmington would be the first designated city, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs could name at least one city in the country with the title each year in recognition for the area’s contributions during World War II and work to preserve history from the era.
Lawler is also overseeing another celebration, the coalition’s 75th anniversary, which will be held in November at the Hannah Block Historic USO Building.
When not working to preserve the area’s history, Lawler is focused on helping build its future.
She is the force behind ILM’s advertising strides, and even, to an extent, its welcoming atmosphere. She brought a new spirit to the airport’s advertising, which was outsourced before she was hired. Lawler, who works one-on-one with local businesses on their advertising, significantly increased revenue for ILM. But that’s just part of Lawler’s objective.
By selling them advertising at ILM, she promotes local businesses and, in the process, showcases the city. She also ensures ILM’s volunteers are up to date on what’s hot locally and that brochures representing the city and its events are available to visitors.
“We are thrilled to have Jean as part of the team,” says Julie Wilsey, the airport’s director. “We rely on her all the time.”
Lawler brings the same cooperative, can-do attitude to her work with the Azalea Festival. She has served as an Azalea Festival volunteer for fifty-six consecutive years. In that time, among other duties, she oversaw the festival’s 4,000 volunteers and created its souvenir book. Under her leadership, that has grown from a simple booklet to a full-color volume of more than seventy information-packed colorful page, and it is distributed nationally to 7,000-8,000 people.
Now, as president-elect, Lawler is working with more than 100 committee chairs, doing all she can to help make this year’s festival the best it can be. She is also planning next year’s 70th Anniversary Azalea Festival. One of her many goals is to include inspirational role models such as an astronaut, female pilot, or medal-of-honor winner in the celebrity honorees.
“I want to bring mentors, people others can look up to the festival,” she says.
As usual, Lawler, who believes in team efforts – you can’t do anything by yourself, she says – wants to ensure those who helped the festival succeed for 70 years are recognized.
“We’ve already had conversations about next year,” says Alison Baringer, the festival’s executive director, “and Jean wants to thank the volunteers who helped us get the festival to seventy years.”
Lawler, who loves everything about the festival, is proud of its contributions to Wilmington’s economy and its promotion of the city. The festival brings $50 million to the community each year and donates over $90,000 to nonprofit military organizations and nearly $40,000 to student scholarships, she says.
Lawler’s handiwork can be seen at Enchanted Airlie, Airlie Gardens’ holiday light show, too. She and her husband initiated the project and worked with three directors to see it become the extraordinary display it is today.
Given her many contributions, it’s not surprising that Lawler received the Outstanding Community Service Award from the Daughters of the American Revolution. But Lawler doesn’t think she does anything special. She just does what she can to improve her hometown.
“I’ve gotten so much from living here,” Lawler says. “When you love a place, you want to do everything you can to make it better.”
To view more of photographer Chris Brehmer's work, go to www.chrisbrehmerphotography.com
