Woody Washam: Living a life of service

Jan 28 – By Dave Vieser. For many Cornelius residents, former Mayor Woody Washam is best known as the man at the dais who introduced agenda items and conducted town board meetings twice each month, always with a smile and a kind word.

That perception is accurate but incomplete for a man who has dedicated much of his life to serving others and the town he loves.

Washam recently concluded 12 years as an elected official, including eight years as mayor. Beyond his public role, he has contributed to the community in countless ways that are less visible during political campaigns or Town Board meetings.

Sunday service

Washam’s presence is perhaps most evident on Sunday mornings at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, where he has been a member for decades and has served as the church’s official organist for more than 50 years. His long-standing role makes Sunday mornings especially busy, a commitment that has not gone unnoticed by fellow congregants.

“I sit in our Sunday class watching out the window as Woody makes his way between the education building, where Sunday school services are held, and our beautiful church,” said Mt. Zion member Theresa Schwab. “He plays both the organ and piano and adds the beauty of his music to our services. He works so hard to make our Sundays very special, and his talent is deeply appreciated.”

Sunday school teacher Debbie Johnson agreed and recalled the role Washam’s father played before him in the church community.

“Woody was at the organ when we joined Mt. Zion in the late ’90s, and our Sunday school class — the Woody Washam Friendship Class — is actually named after Big Woody, his father,” she said. “I understand that he served as the face and heart of Mt. Zion, greeting everyone as they entered the church. His dad may have greeted congregants with a handshake, but Woody greets them with his wonderful music.”

Washam’s absence is rare enough to draw concern. That was the case during a recent Christmas cantata service when he was not at the organ. Congregants later learned he had fallen and been briefly hospitalized, then expressed relief when word spread the following day that he was resting comfortably at home.

“Just wanted to assure everybody that I am at home and healing up after a trip and fall last Friday,” Washam posted on social media days later. “Sharon and Lily Mae (their Aussiedoodle) are great nurses with lots of rules. My sincere appreciation to so many that have reached out to check in. Thank you all so much.”

Cain Center approach

The Cain Center for the Arts opened during Washam’s tenure as mayor, and many involved with the project credit his leadership as instrumental to its success.

“I can confidently say that while this project was the result of many people and an entire community coming together, the lynchpin may well have been Mayor Washam,” said the center’s executive director Justin Dionne. “He championed the idea before we even knew what it would become, insisting that performing arts be a central part of the vision.”

Dionne said Washam’s relationships were key to opening doors, particularly with donors and experts who helped navigate the public-private partnership needed to build the center.

“I can think of several moments when the project hung in the balance, and without his leadership and influence, it might not have survived,” he said.

Dionne added that Washam always had Cornelius and its future top of mind.

“He always seemed to be at multiple events stacked on top of each other,” Dionne said. “In the early days of Cain Center planning, whenever we met with stakeholders, Woody would always have a second or third topic to discuss after we finished talking about the arts center. He was never single-issue focused; he was single-location focused — on Cornelius and Lake Norman.”

Looking back—and forward

Asked to reflect on his time in office, Washam first emphasized the role of his family, especially his wife of 26 years, Sharon.

“She’s been by my side all the time, and I couldn’t have done all this without her,” he said.

Washam pointed to several accomplishments during his tenure, including state transportation projects. When he first took office, Cornelius had no approved state road projects. Today, the town has 13 approved projects, four of which are under contract or construction, with two more expected to begin early next year.

He also cited expansion of the town’s parks system, including progress on the Emerald Necklace greenway system; recruitment and opening of the North Regional Recreation Center; renovation of Legion Park; and the opening of Bailey Road’s synthetic turf fields, along with a new tennis and pickleball complex.

Major community events — including Symphony in the Park, Laketoberfest and Light Up Cornelius — were expanded, and the town completed the purchase of 36 acres on Bailey Road for potential future green space.

Public safety improvements were another focus, Washam said, including strengthening the police and fire departments, the town’s takeover of lake patrol operations, the opening of the Joshua Murray Boating Safety and Education Center, acquisition of a new armored emergency response vehicle, and the ongoing transition of the fire department to a full-time operation.

Washam also acknowledged frustrations during his tenure, particularly the pace of government action and a desire for residents to become more engaged earlier in the decision-making process.

“I found the amount of time it takes to get important things done at all levels of government frustrating,” he said. “That mainly involves building roads and solving our problems with gridlock more quickly. With so much work in progress, the negativity of some citizens and misunderstandings about available information were often disappointing.”

Asked what advice he would offer future elected officials, Washam returned to the importance of collaboration.

“Progress has to be made through relationships at every level of government,” he said. “Elected officials must understand they are chosen to make very difficult decisions to best serve all the people of Cornelius. They should be determined to leave the town in a much better place than they found it.”

“I hope that I did.”