Distinguished Citizen of the Year McLaurin to Be Honored at Gala

Jan. 8, 2025 - Richmond Community College’s Foundation has named Rockingham native Gene McLaurin its 2025 Distinguished Citizen of the Year. McLaurin is President/CEO of Quality Oil Company with offices in Rockingham, Laurinburg, Wadesboro and Lumberton

He was a student at RichmondCC from 1974 to 1975 when it was known as Richmond Technical Institute. He continued his education at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, graduating in 1978. McLaurin enjoyed a 25-year career as general manager of a division of TOTAL Energies before moving into his current leadership role with Quality Oil Company in 2007.

“This recognition means a lot to me. Fifty years ago, I was a student at Richmond Tech for one year before transferring to UNC Charlotte. I have many positive memories of that year, getting a quality education, playing on the basketball team, and learning valuable lessons about life from my instructors, staff, and fellow students,” McLaurin said. “I am so proud of RichmondCC and the positive impact our college continues having on the business community, on the workforce and in this region of our state.”

McLaurin will be honored at the Foundation’s Gala on Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Cole Auditorium.

“Gene has a sincere appreciation for the impact RichmondCC has on its students and the communities it serves,” said Dr. Hal Shuler, Associate Vice President of Development. “His success as a businessman and community leader is a shining example to our students as to what they can achieve with an education that starts at RichmondCC.” 

Active in civic life, McLaurin is past president of the Richmond County Chamber of Commerce, the Rockingham Rotary Club, the Scotia Village board, Our Daily Bread food ministry and the NC Petroleum Marketers Association. The Richmond County Chamber of Commerce named McLaurin Citizen of the Year in 2014. 

McLaurin currently serves on the boards of the Cole Foundation and Foundation of the Carolinas.

McLaurin was elected to eight consecutive terms as mayor of Rockingham and was then elected to serve one term in the NC Senate, representing the citizens of Anson, Richmond, Scotland and Stanly counties and a portion of Rowan County.

In 2017, Gov. Roy Cooper appointed McLaurin to the board of the Economic Development Partnership of NC (EDPNC), a public-private partnership responsible for recruiting new businesses to NC, assisting existing businesses and promoting tourism. McLaurin has been Chair of EDPNC since 2021. For the past three years, Business NC magazine has named McLaurin to its Power List of NC leaders in economic development.  

An elder at First Presbyterian Church of Rockingham, McLaurin and his wife, Donna, have been married 49 years and have three children and six grandchildren.

When McLaurin was a student at Richmond Technical Institute (RTI), he was on the basketball team, and Donna, who was his girlfriend at the time, was a cheerleader. While he spent only one year at RTI, McLaurin met people from all walks of life. Some were like he and Donna, fresh out of high school, while others were Vietnam vets returning from service, mothers with children trying to balance family life while getting an education and others who were trying to get their life back on track after some wrong turns.

“I learned about the value of an education and how necessary it is to compete in the job market,” McLaurin said. “I also learned another valuable lesson. To have success in life, you must first believe in yourself.”

While McLaurin may have a successful career to point to, he said he defines success by “having true friends, providing for your family, serving one another in your church or community and being a good citizen, being happy, being kind and being a good neighbor.”

The Gala on Feb. 22 is an annual fundraiser for the RichmondCC Foundation. Starting at 6:30 p.m., the Gala includes music, dancing and a catered meal from Rick’s Catering of Laurinburg. Tickets are $75 per person and $125 per couple. Sponsorships are also available. To learn more, call the Foundation office at (910) 410-1808.