Citizen Warrior

Nobody has been more involved in rehabilitating Wilmington into the city it is today than Gene Merritt. From farm roots in southeastern North Carolina, to becoming a successful developer and champion of historic preservation in Downtown Wilmington, Merritt has been involved in virtually every move to transform the city from the sleepy backwater of the 1970s to the thriving destination spot it is today. From cleaning up downtown to advocating for a Raleigh to Wilmington I-40 extension, Merritt has spent decades building his vision for a better city. Now his memoir, written with former StarNews editor John H. Meyer, pulls back the curtain on a lifetime of civic involvement and improvement.