WHITEVILLE — Dr. Howard Marshall Wallace II, the County Extension Director for Columbus County, will headline the Southeastern North Carolina Genealogical Society’s May meeting this Saturday at 2 p.m. at Whiteville Alliance Church, 623 Warrior Trail. The program is free and open to the public.
Wallace will present “The History of Strawberry Production in Columbus County and Its Significance to Our Region,” a topic that blends agricultural heritage with the county’s long‑standing identity as a center of fruit and vegetable production. Chadbourn’s historic role as the “Strawberry Capital of the World” is expected to be a key focus of the presentation.
Wallace brings more than a decade of leadership in agricultural education, community development, and applied research. Before coming to Columbus County, he served as Extension Director in Hoke County, where he expanded the staff, created cross‑county agent positions, and worked with local government on a new 50,000‑square‑foot agriculture center.
He holds a doctorate in Agricultural and Extension Education from NC State University, with a graduate minor in Digital Learning and Teaching. His professional work has centered on commercial fruit and vegetable production, field crops — especially cotton — and digital‑literacy initiatives in rural communities. Columbus County has served as a pilot site for several of those programs.
Wallace has presented research at national and international Extension conferences and has published peer‑reviewed work in the Journal of Extension and the Journal of Human Sciences and Extension. He also serves as a reviewer for both journals and for County Agent Magazine.
Organizers say Wallace’s interest in agricultural heritage and community identity makes him a natural fit for the Genealogical Society’s mission of preserving regional history. His talk will explore how strawberry farming shaped local families, economies, and traditions.
Wallace lives in the Cedar Grove community near Cerro Gordo with his wife, Phoebe, and their two sons, Stephen and Benjamin.
The Genealogical Society meets monthly and welcomes anyone interested in family history or the cultural roots of southeastern North Carolina.
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