Senior Tar Heel Legislature

The North Carolina Senior Tar Heel Legislature was created by the North Carolina General Assembly with the passage of Senate Bill 479 in July of 1993.

The Senior Tar Heel Legislature was created to:

  • Provide information to senior citizens on the legislative process and matters being considered by the North Carolina General Assembly.
  • Promote citizen involvement and advocacy concerning aging issues before the North Carolina General Assembly.
  • Assess the legislative needs of older citizens by convening a forum modeled after the North Carolina General Assembly.

Each of the 100 North Carolina counties is entitled to one delegate to the Senior Tar Heel Legislature. Most counties also have an alternate delegate. Delegates and alternates must be age 60 or older. The North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services provides staff support for the Senior Tar Heel Legislature in cooperation with the 17 Area Agencies on Aging, which are responsible for conducting the selection of delegates and alternates.

Senior Tar Heel Delegates

Camden County
Gwendolyn Wescott

Chowan County
Bill Miller

Currituck County
Joanne DiBello
Rosalie Rose-Alternate

Dare County
Kaye White
Mary Ellen Hawthorne-Alternate

Gates County
Shirley Grimes
L. E. Smith-Alternate

Pasquotank County
Jean Allen

Perquimans County
James Griffin

Washington County
Gail Spiewak
Robert Rowson 

Additional Resources