Former School Social Worker Named RichmondCC’s Alumni Award Winner

Oct. 23, 2025 - Richmond Community College honored its 2025 Outstanding Alumni of the Year, Evonne Moore, at Convocation held Wednesday at the Cole Auditorium.

Moore graduated from RichmondCC when it was known as Richmond Technical College. Upon learning that the college had just launched a new program, Human Services, Moore decided to enroll, a decision she said that changed her life.

“This institution became a place of transformation for me. It’s where I learned the value of teamwork, advocacy, diversity, resilience, and community engagement,” Moore said. “It was here that I discovered my true calling: helping others.”

Not only was Moore one of the first graduates of the Human Services degree program, but she was also the first president of the newly created Human Services Club.

Moore worked as a school social worker for the Richmond County School District for 32 years. Her impact was immediate and lasting, earning her the distinguished title of North Carolina School Social Worker of the Year in 2004, and more recently in 2018, she was named National Association of Social Workers’ NC Member of the Week. She retired from the Richmond County School District in June 2020, but she continues to work part-time at Richmond Senior High School.

A proud graduate of Richmond Senior High herself, Moore has earned multiple college degrees that reflect both her determination and her passion for service: an Associate of Science in Mortuary Science from Fayetteville Technical College, an Associate of Science in Human Services from RichmondCC, a Bachelor of Science in Human Services from Gardner-Webb University, a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, and most recently, a Master of Science in School Social Work from Fayetteville State University.

Moore has held leadership roles in numerous organizations, including the NC State School Social Workers Association, where she held positions as Parliamentarian, Regional Chair of the Southwest Region, and Hospitality Chair. She currently serves on the Richmond County Healthy Carolinian Board, has given over a decade of service to the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, served nearly five years as a Richmond County Jury Commissioner and gave more than 25 years of service to the Richmond County Health Advisory Board. She represented social workers statewide on the Governor’s Task Force for Safer Schools since its inception in 2013 and transitioned in 2025 when the Task Force became the NC State Bureau of Investigations Multidisciplinary Task Force. In 2019, she was appointed by the Richmond County Commissioners to serve on the Richmond Community College Board of Trustees.

Dr. Wendy Kelly Jordan, Associate Vice President for Development at RichmondCC, said it was an honor to present the Alumni Award to Moore, a former colleague during Jordan’s employment with Richmond County Schools, but also a true friend.

“Evonne’s story is no different than many of our students here at RichmondCC. She was born and raised by a single mother in public housing right here in Richmond County. But Evonne’s strong family roots, resilience and drive to be a high achiever in all areas of her life truly made magic happen for not only her future but the future of her family,” Jordan said.

Moore said when she got the call about receiving RichmondCC’s Alumni Award, she was caught off guard.

“Honestly, I was a bit in shock. I thought to myself, ‘How could a girl raised in public housing, growing up with so many obstacles, be considered for such an honor?’ And then, a still, small voice whispered in my spirit, ‘My time. My turn,’” Moore said.

Moore, who has seven siblings, said her mother was her greatest motivator.

“She believed in the power of hard work and wanted each of her children to have a path toward success. She taught us not to complain about the challenges, but to face them with thanksgiving in our hearts,” Moore said.

Moore is married to Earl Leonard, a retired GE plant manager of 38 years. They have been married for 12 years.

Moore has two daughters, Dr. An’gelique Denise Spencer of Rolesville and Cherice Washington McClure, who is an AVID site coordinator for Lee County Schools and a professional cake designer in Sanford. Her sons-in-law are Dominic Spencer and Michael McClure, and her grandchildren are Christian, Camille and Micah.