The City of Lenoir City Council recently named the lobby and entrance hall at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center in honor of long-time manager Lester Whittington.
Whittington and City staff have been working on major renovations at the center during the past several months. The City has replaced the flooring at the center, installed new exterior doors, replaced the gutters, improved ADA accessibility, resurfaced the tennis courts, and restriped the basketball courts.
City Council felt it was a good time to recognize Whittington for his efforts with the renovation and his three-plus decades of the service with Lenoir.
“This is a great honor,” Whittington said. “It shows that people really do appreciate the service and the hard work that I put in here at the King Center.”
Whittington has worked 32 years at the MLK Jr. Center. He started working part-time in summer of 1993 and moved to full-time in June 1994. Whittington was promoted to MLK Jr. Center Manager in 1997. He said he is very thankful for the support the community has given to the center during the past three decades.
“I want to thank my coworkers, community, family, and friends for volunteering and helping make this center go,” Whittington said. “I really appreciate that.”
During his career with Lenoir, Whittington continued and improved the Harambee Arts Festival, the longest-running festival in Lenoir. He helped create the ATC Basketball Camp. He founded the Jump Street Drive Music Festival in 2015, and helped found the Caldwell County Black Sports Hall of Fame in 2023. During his 30-plus years at the center, Whittington also organized many community and holiday events including Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations, Black History Month events, Halloween trunk-or-treats, and Christmas toy giveaways.
Whittington said he is very proud of the success of the Jump Street Drive Band Music Festival.
“I’ve been thankful to see the festival grow from two bands when we started to a large event that drew 4,500 people this year,” Whittington said. “Everyone is excited about the festival. It’s a really good event for the community.”
Before coming to Lenoir, Whittington attended North Carolina A&T and then served 10 years in the US Army. Whittington did two overseas tours of duty – one in Germany and one in South Korea.
City Council revealed the “Lester E. Whittington Lobby and Entrance Hall” sign during the Harambee Arts Festival Recognition Banquet on Aug. 7, 2025. Mayor Joe Gibbons said the banquet was the perfect time to honor Whittington and give him the recognition.
“Lester has given more than 30 years of service to Martin Luther King Jr. Center and the City of Lenoir. Has been a driving force in developing the programs and events at the MLK Jr. Center and providing opportunities for the community,” Mayor Gibbons said. “Lester has worked with community partners to develop support for the center and create new programs, and he has worked to mold the MLK Center into the wonderful community asset it is today. We are proud of Lester and we are proud to serve with him.”
The MLK Jr. Center is located at 313 Greenhaven Dr. NW in Lenoir. Click the following link to learn more about the center, MLK Jr. Center.
Lester Whittington poses beside the new “Lester E. Whittington Lobby and Entrance Hall” sign in the Martin Luther King Jr. Center. The sign is located on the far wall to the right as you walk into the center.
City Council presented the new lobby sign to Lester Whittington on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, during the Harambee Arts Festival Recognition Banquet. Pictured from left: Mayor Pro Tem David Stevens, Mayor Joe Gibbons, MLK J. Center Manager Lester Whittington, and Councilmembers Kimmie Rogers, Ralph Prestwood, and Ike Perkins.