Visit from Mike Miller, Senior Director of Operations at Campbell Soup in Maxton, NC

Mike Miller, Senior Director of Operations at Campbell Soup in Maxton, toured the Lumbee Tribe’s headquarters earlier today with Tribal Chairman Harvey Godwin. The chairman he was pleased to have Miller as a special guest at the tribal office. He said it’s important for the tribe to develop corporate partnerships to let others know what the tribe offers to the community.“It was a pleasure to have Mr. Miller with us today,” Godwin said. “I think it’s important for our tribal government to reach out to the various businesses and organizations within our communities to keep them informed on what our tribe is doing. We have a lot of wonderful activities and functions and we need to make sure we keep everyone informed about what the tribe has to offer.”Godwin said it is especially important to reach out to businesses and companies like Campbell Soup. The major food manufacturer prides itself on its long-standing commitment to the communities where they live and work.Campbell Soup donated more than $2 million in food locally last year, Miller said.And, a group of local Indians called the Maxton American Indian Network, volunteered at this years Dance of the Spring Moon powwow May 6-8. The three-day event at the Lumbee Tribe’s Indian Cultural Center drew thousands of spectators and organizers say the Campbell Soup volunteers greatly contributed to a successful event.Godwin explained the tribe’s governmental process to Miller as they toured the spacious council chambers. He also took the Campbell Soup executive through the tribe’s enrollment office and other departments before heading to the Boys and Girls Club next door.Kelvin Melvin is the manager of the Pembroke club. He gave Miller a brief history of the tribe’s Boys and Girls program during a tour of the facility, which is located just behind the main tribal complex.Melvin pointed out during his presentation to Miller how one club member convinced his father to donate a pallet soup to a recent food drive the club sponsored. The member who raised the most can goods was awarded a prize, which the child won hands down.“He had a definite advantage,” Melvin said laughing.The tour concluded in the spacious full size gymnasium adjoining the Boys and Girls Club’s main building.Campbell Soup’s Maxton plant has been honored numerous times through it’s nearly 35-year history in Robeson County.The United Way of North Carolina honored the soup manufacturer with its Spirit of North Carolina Campaigning for Excellence award two years ago after the company’s 850 Maxton employees pledged more than $200,000 to various Robeson County and Scotland County United Way activities in Robeson and Scotland Counties. Campbell Soup also donated hundreds of bicycles and thousands of pounds of food to families at Christmas. The Maxton soup company also sponsors teams on the annual Relay for Life event, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.In addition to the plant’s annual involvement with United Way activities, Mike Miller, Senior Director of Operations at Campbell, serves on the United Way of Robeson County board of directors and Meredith Hale, Senior Manager of Human Resources, serves on the board of directors for the United Way of Scotland County, according to the Campbell Soup website.Company officials say that they “are proud to continue our commitment to our local communities and are proud of our Maxton employees for bringing that commitment to life in so many ways,” according to the website.