TE Support Ltr Goodmon

May 22, 2020

The North Carolina Awards Committee
NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
109 East Jones Street, Suite 315
Raleigh, NC 27601

Dear NC Awards Selection Committee:

Please accept this letter in support of Thomas Earnhardt’s nomination for the North Carolina Award for Public Service.

Tom has spent his entire career in service to our state. For more than 60 years, he has immersed himself in showcasing the beautiful and natural diversity of our state through his celebrated writings and Emmy-nominated television series Exploring North Carolina. No one tells a story better than Tom particularly when it comes to highlighting what makes North Carolina special.

In the early days of transitioning to high definition, our station (WRAL) shared HD camera equipment with Tom for experimentation. The new world of HD coupled with Tom’s keen eye for capturing the perfect image further illuminated scenic attractions across our state from the mountains to the coast. Forever the educator, Tom skillfully draws you in with his artistic storytelling and then before you know it, you have learned something new and exciting about North Carolina while growing closer to nature.

It is obvious that Tom intends for his work to serve as a valuable resource for future generations. His recent gift to the North Carolina State Archives from his personal collection of over 100,000 photographs documenting landscapes, rivers, small towns, and biodiversity from every region of North Carolina is evidence of his commitment to ensure generations to come will have access to a repository representing the natural diversity across our state.

As an environmental activist and protector of NC’s natural and cultural resources, Tom’s leadership and advocacy on behalf of the Friends of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences (NCMNS) board and its Advisory Commission further exemplifies his personal investment to steward one of our state’s most important institutions. Dix Park is another such example where Tom currently serves on the Dix Park Legacy Committee to ensure our state’s diverse plant life is showcased throughout the 300-acre park.

Tom’s lifetime work is truly a source of pride for our state. He is a real life “Johnny Appleseed of the outdoors” sharing his in-depth knowledge while planting seeds of appreciation for what is best about this state; and while Tom has received many accolades for his outstanding contributions, I am enthusiastic about the prospect of having him receive this high and well-deserved honor.

Sincerely,

James Goodmon