On Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017 Rachel Ramsey was inducted into the Second Wind Hall of Fame at the Tryon Rotary Club meeting held at the Tryon Presbyterian Church. The SWHF board was pleased to accept this application submitted by Steps to Hope for this most qualified candidate.

Rachel was presented her certificate by Lee Lindsay, executive director of Steps to Hope upon Rachel’s retirement.

Rachel is a native of Polk County, even born at St. Luke’s Hospital, where she was recently chosen to serve on the board of St. Luke’s Hospital Foundation.

Rachel and her late husband, Jerry, lived and traveled the world with the military with their two daughters, Christy and Beverly, but returned to Polk County upon retirement.

Her career was exciting with such jobs as working for Montgomery Ward, JC Penney, and the American Embassy Shop in Taiwan, as a loan officer for Northeast Bank, magistrate for Polk County, and the executive director of Steps to Hope for many years.

Rachel has held membership on many boards in North Carolina, including: Board of Directors N.C. Council for Women; Western Regional Representative to N.C. Coalition Against Domestic Violence Commission; director, American Institute of Banking; chairman, Polk County Mental Health Advisory Board; Polk County Partnership for Children; secretary, Rotary Club of Tryon; St. Luke’s Board of Trustees; and most recently, Tryon Presbyterian Church elder and co-chairman of the capital campaign at the church.

She received many awards during her career and in retirement including “Foothills Person of the Year” from the Chamber of Commerce; Polk County Mental Health Norman Boyer Service Provider of the Year; and she also received the prestigious Ambassador, North Carolina Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award.

Rachel would like to be remembered as an inspiration to her grandchildren, and what an inspiration she is.

The Second Wind Hall of Fame is a 501c3 organization that seeks to identify those outstanding volunteers over the age of 60 who have contributed so much to the quality of life in our community.

– submitted by Judy Warden