Sweet Union Republican Women Jun 22

Please join Sweet Union Republican Women as we spotlight Union County Commissioners, Chair Richard Helms and Vice Chair Dennis Rape.  The restrictions have been lifted on the number of people who can attend. Social hour is from 6:30 to 7pm, with the program starting at 7pm.

If you have any questions, please  email me at [email protected]

Chairman Richard Helms was elected to the Union County Board of Commissioners in November 2012. He has served as Chairman and Vice-Chairman multiple times.

With the exception of his time in the Air Force and his time moving with IBM management assignments, Chairman Helms has been a resident of this area his entire life.

Chairman Helms spent 30 years with the IBM Corporation. At IBM he served in various management positions and spent the last 10 years as a customer service executive responsible for computer support across the US for several of the largest banks in the country. He retired from IBM in 2000 and formed Consulting IT Professionals, a management consulting company that taught management principles and performed audits on financial facilities across the county.

Chairman Helms has been married to his wife, Ann, for 37 years. They have five children; four of whom graduated from Union County Public Schools. The family has fond memories of working with the Sun Valley and Weddington High School band associations. For the past several years, Chairman Helms has served on the CMC Trustee Council and had the privilege of participating in the formation and signing of the new CMC hospital contract. Additionally, he has served on the Board of the Catawba River Water Supply Project, Centralina Regional Transportation Organization, Rocky River Transportation Authority, Union County DHS Board and the Local Emergency Planning Committee.

Chairman Helms is focused on the conservative principles of limited government, public safety and low taxes. This has to be accomplished by being good stewards of our tax dollars and proper management of our county resources. He looks forward to serving the citizens of Union County and welcomes their input on all areas of our county government.

Vice-Chairman Dennis Rape was elected to office in November 2018. He has served as Vice-Chairman since December 2018. He was previously elected to the Union County Board of Education in 2016.

Commissioner Rape was nominated for the John Motley Morehead Scholarship to UNC and accepted an Associate Trustee Scholarship to Wingate College his senior year. He attended Wingate College from 1972-74 and also worked as a Vice President for Piedmont Farm Credit Service. He married his wife, Helen Baucom of Oakboro, NC in 1973.

After a two year stint as a loan officer in Farm Credit, he went in the Fertilizer and Grain Business, serving farmers in Union County and surrounding counties. He continued this service to the agriculture community for 20 years. In 1996 he began his teaching career in career technical education and taught for 16 years until he retired in 2011.

Commissioner Rape and his wife are the proud parents of three children. Jamie born in 1975, was their oldest and only son. He died of a brain tumor in 1989 after living a very full and outgoing life. They also have two daughters. Megan Rape, 34, a nurse with Novant Health and Vanessa Evans, 39, a school Nurse with UCPS at Weddington Elementary. Vanessa is married to Josh Evans and they have two daughters, Lydia Louise Evans and Adelyn Cate Evans. The two grandchildren helped their “PAW” be sworn in by holding the bible as the oath was administered.

Commissioner Rape has been active in his adult life in helping young people. He enjoys serving people with a Servant’s Heart.