McDowell County Commissioners Directory Clarifies West Virginia and North Carolina Contacts

McDowell County contact information must be read by state: the directory data for Welch, West Virginia and for Marion, North Carolina are separate and use different offices and phone ranges. The McDowell County Commission office in Welch is listed at 109 Wyoming Street, Welch, WV 24801 with a main contact of 304.436.8548; the McDowell County Commission on Aging office is at 725 Stewart Street, Welch, WV 24801 with phone 304-436-6588 and fax 304-436-2006.

The Welch-area contact list reproduces a detailed county roster. The McDowell County Commission contact list names Gordon Lambert, Commission President, 304-436-8568; Harold McBride, Commissioner, 304-436-8585; A. Ray Bailey, Commissioner, 436-8579; Jennifer Wimmer, County Administrator, 304-436-8582; Clif Moore, county manager, 436-6569; Cathy Patton, County Commission P.R. Director, 304-436-6681; Judy Heath, executive director, CIAD, 304-436-8558; Jerry Stepp, Regional Jail Coordinator, 436-2894; Motor Vehicles Office Number: 304-436-4399 and Motor Vehicles FAX: 304-436-5312. County Clerk’s Office listings show Don Hicks, County Clerk, 304-436-8517 and deputies including Tina Jones, 436-8545 and Crystal Greer, 436-8543; County Clerk’s Office FAX: 304-436-8576.

Welch-area municipal and service contacts are listed in the same directory. The McDowell Health Department Office Number is 304-448-2175 with FAX 304-436-3777; McDowell Public Service District Office Number: 304-297-2622 with FAX 304-297-2810. Town mayors include Welch Mayor Reba Honaker, 304-436-3114; War Mayor Kitten Cempella, 304-875-3111; Iaeger Mayor Joe Ford, 304-938-3035; Kimball Mayor Randy DeLoach, 304-585-7913; Gary Mayor Larry Heizer, 304-448-2209; Keystone Mayor Tishie Myers, 304-862-2239; Northfork Mayor Marcus Wilkes, 304-862-3414; Anawalt Dorothy Wilson, 304-383-2993; Bradshaw Lawrence Crigger, 304-967-7370; Davy Kenneth Gentry, 304-656-7145.

The McDowell County Commission on Aging, Inc. (non-profit established 1973) lists services and funding lines for Welch-area seniors. Contact is donald@mcdowellcoa.org and social posts are shown as “Tweets by mccoa6588.” Program descriptions include: “In home help provided for bathing, dressing, grooming, laundry, shopping, and cleaning.”; “In home support provided for bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, walking, transferring, grocery and/or pharmacy shopping, laundry, and light house cleaning.”; “In home program designed to provide care for individuals with Alzheimer's or a related dementia. The service provides stimulation and socialization for the person with dementia and gives caregivers a needed break.”; and “In home family caregiver support program that is designed to provide short periods of relief for full-time caregivers who care for frail, older family members.” Funding sources listed include the Bureau of Senior Services, Appalachian Area Agency on Aging, State of West Virginia, UMWA, United Way, Medicaid Waiver, and Donations.

McDowell County, North Carolina contact lines are distinct and use Marion/Old Fort addresses and 828-area numbers. The McDowell Chamber of Commerce lists the county commissioners as Patrick Ellis; Chris Allison; Tony Brown; Lynn Greene; and David Walker, the Chamber header phone is 828-652-7121 and the Chamber phone is given as 828-652-4240 with address 1170 W. Tate St., Marion, NC 28752. The McDowell County, NC BOE/elected official records give Tony Brown (R) at 159 Brown Farm Dr, Marion, NC 28752 with Business Number and Cell Number 828-442-3803 and email tony.brown@mcdowellgov.com, labeled COUNTY COMMISSIONER-VICE CHAIR; David Walker (R) at 163 West Payne Rd, Marion, NC 28752 with Business Number 828-659-6869 and email david.walker@mcdowellgov.com; Brenda Vaughn (R) at 897 Bethel Church Rd, Marion, NC 28752, Business/Cell 828-442-8702, brenda.vaughn@mcdowellgov.com; Chris Allison (R) at 98 Long St, Marion, NC 28752, Business/Cell 828-450-3325, chris.allison@mcdowellgov.com; and Patrick Ellis (R) at PO Box 939, Old Fort, NC 28762, Business Number 828-442-1600, patrick.ellis@mcdowellgov.com. Sheriff Ricky Buchanan is listed at 618 Forest Hill Dr, Marion, NC 28752, 828-652-2235.

McDowell County, NC departmental and partner contacts shown on the county site list the central switchboard as (828) 652-7121; Foothills Health District Main Number (828) 652-6811 and Environmental Health (828) 652-2921; VAYA Health (800) 849-6127; Human Resources Anna Lee (828) 652-6306; Information Technology Rayburn Davis (828) 652-2943; Library Marlan Brinkley (828) 652-3858; Register of Deeds Lydia Effler (828) 652-4727; Parks and Recreation Aikman Kazee (828) 652-3001; Senior Center Weyland Prebor (828) 659-0821; and Social Services Sarah Brewer (828) 652-3355. The county site notes: “In North Carolina the courts are a State function. Local court officials are state employees and are not subject to oversight by the McDowell County Board of Commissioners.”

Several Welch-area records show incomplete fragments or seven-digit numbers that lack the 304 area code and require verification. Examples include A. Ray Bailey, Commissioner, 436-8579; Clif Moore, county manager, 436-6569; Kevin Sturgill, truck driver, 436-8549; and an incomplete line for Dean Pruitt, truck driver, with a trailing quotation mark. The Circuit Clerk’s Office entry shows Francine Spencer, Circuit Clerk, 304-436-8560 followed by an incomplete “Theresa” fragment. Verify those lines with the McDowell County, WV clerk or webmaster before calling.

When using these contacts, call the 304 prefix for Welch and the 828 prefix for Marion listings and confirm any seven-digit entries with the county clerk’s office, the McDowell Chamber of Commerce at 828-652-4240, or the recorded switchboard at (828) 652-7121 for North Carolina contacts.