After 20 years leading the Town of Holly Springs’ governing body, Holly Springs Mayor Dick Sears is retiring from public office. Sears helped lead the town from a small bedroom community of just 3,500 residents with almost no commercial opportunities to a thriving place to live, work and play for its 42,000 residents and businesses both big and small. Through it all, the face of Holly Springs has championed the small-town spirit of his beloved constituents with a twinkle in his eye and an uncanny ability to bring people together to create positive change.
“You have to decide to listen to everyone with respect, even if you totally disagree,” Sears said. “Then your challenge is either to learn from them and slightly change your position a little bit or convince them to change their position. The key word is respect. I personally believe if you don’t do that you won’t be able to accomplish much at all.”
The mayor ran for office 20 years ago on a dare from a Town Council member and friend. At the time, he was enjoying the good life after retiring from Sears, Roebuck and Co. in New York City and moving down south to Holly Springs. He was spending his time golfing and fishing until getting the nudge from the Town Council member who thought he could make a difference.
“It was a job I didn’t want,” said Sears. “But as I was campaigning and knocking on doors and talking to folks, I decided then and there that I could bring something to the table. My goal was to bring my marketing experience to create a town that offered citizens almost everything they needed, so we didn’t have to go to another town for everything.”
And he did just that. Once elected, Sears learned that there were no full-time mayors in the state of North Carolina. But, instead of treating it as a part-time job, he made a commitment to be in Town Hall 35 to 40 hours a week. On any given day, you will see citizens, pastors, community leaders, and local movers and shakers sitting across the desk from him.
Sometimes they come to complain or share suggestions, but they almost always end up feeling that their voice was heard and leave with a handshake and a smile. This open-door policy harkens to an earlier, more simple time, but it’s this personal approach to governing that defines his time as mayor. His office is decorated with photos and memorabilia of family, awards and events and now overlooks a very different downtown than when he began his political career.
“One thing that strikes me as significant is the idea of building a downtown from scratch,” said Sears. “When people drive by Town Hall Commons or The Block on Main and see people sitting outdoors having a meal or shopping in small businesses they say ‘isn’t that wonderful.’ In the past, people would compare our downtown to neighboring communities who had existing infrastructure to renovate, but the obstacle we had to overcome was a lack of viable buildings. We couldn’t just renovate, we had to create. And this is just the beginning.”
Just down Main Street from his office is one of the jewels in the crown of Sears’ legacy – securing Holly Springs as the site for the new UNC Health Rex Holly Springs Hospital. Many people do not realize the sheer amount of time and effort Sears and other community leaders put into getting a full-service hospital in Holly Springs.
For years, he argued the town’s case to state officials, and his ability to forge coalitions and his unwavering tenacity became a driving force behind the hospital opening its doors this fall. “I always say if it’s good for the kids, then it’s good for Holly Springs,” said Sears. “The hospital is the ultimate example of why it’s so important to have everything we need here in town. Not only is it a comfort for all citizens, but our strategic location in Wake County makes it a smart decision on the part of the stakeholders. I’m glad they listened to us.”
Mayor Sears is always making jokes. But he is serious when he talks about how important it is for everyone to have a support system, no matter what line of work you are in. On his way out of Town Hall for the last time, he wants to thank all the current and former town staff who have worked diligently to create the Holly Springs everyone enjoys today. He also says he couldn’t have worked all those hours and nights and weekend events, without the support of his wife Mollie.
“You’d better have a partner who is supportive and passionate about what you are trying to accomplish,” said Sears. “I know a lot of mayors who were one-time mayors because their spouse couldn’t handle the long hours or the times of crisis or negativity that sometimes come with the job. I feel very fortunate that I ran five times with Mollie’s full support.”
There are photos lining the walls of Town Hall that tell a story. The walk down memory lane shows groundbreaking and ribbon cutting ceremonies that feature Sears as they document the steady growth of Holly Springs. When asked about the future that lies ahead, Sears is optimistic.
“Attracting major companies like Seqirus, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, Amgen and more shows just how far we have come,” said Sears. “When I began as mayor, we were just building out Sunset Ridge. The future is only limited by our space considerations and our imaginations. People need to remember that we are a big, small town, not a small, big town. There is a major difference. We haven’t lost our small-town feel because of the attitudes of the people who make this town great. I believe we will never lose that and I couldn’t be prouder to have represented this community through two decades of transformation and citizen support.”
