Millie Barbee, interim director of High Country Host, will be honored with the presentation of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine on Monday, Nov. 2 at the Ashe County Chamber of Commerce at 4 p.m.

Rep. Cullie Tarleton will be on hand to present the award to Barbee.

The award is the highest honor a North Carolina citizen can receive and is given out at the governor’s discretion. It is typically given to honor an individual who has made some type of special achievement or contribution to the community. To date, over 13,000 North Carolina citizens have received the award.

Maya Angelou, Billy Graham, and Michael Jordan are just a handful of state celebrities who have received the award since its conception in the 1960s. Local recipients include former West Jefferson Mayor Dale Baldwin and River House Owner Gayle Winston.

Barbee’s main priority as executive director of HCH has been to guide the tourism marketing organization through a restructuring brought on by economic downturn. In the future, Barbee plans to continue many primary functions of HCH, including producing an annual visitor’s guide, maintaining a Website for tourist information, operating a visitor’s center in Boone and working with area chambers of commerce on advertising and marketing initiatives aimed at travelers. She will also be involved with next year’s 75th anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway and its marketing opportunities for the High Country.

Barbee has noted in the past that it is important to promote all aspects of the High Country tourism industry including: lodging, restaurants, attractions, festivals, events, retail, and outdoor fun.

Barbee also serves on the West Jefferson Tourism Development Authority. She was nominated by West Jefferson Town Manager Greg McGinnis.