WAYNE COUNTY, NC – The Wayne County Board of Commissioners appointed Dr. Joe Democko to fill the vacant at-large commissioner seat during its first meeting of 2026.
Commissioners interviewed five applicants for the position earlier in the meeting. Applicants Craig Uzzel, Kevin Johnson, Dr. Joe Democko, Freeman Hardison, and Richard Procter each answered questions from the board before commissioners voted on the appointment.
Following the vote, Dr. Democko was officially sworn in as Wayne County Commissioner At-Large, filling the vacancy left by the passing of Commissioner Wayne Aycock.
Democko will serve as county commissioner through December 2026, when a new commissioner will be sworn in following the November election.
Dr. Democko and his wife moved to Goldsboro in 1994 from upstate New York, where he established his chiropractic practice and raised his family. For more than 30 years, he has served Wayne County residents from all walks of life and has remained actively involved in the community.
His record of public service includes prior roles on the Wayne County Board of Education, the Wayne Community College Board of Trustees, and his current appointment to the Wayne County UNC Health Care Board.
