Lumbee Legend - Glenn Maynor
Mr. Glenn Maynor is a notable figure in the history of Robeson County, particularly for breaking racial barriers in local law enforcement. He was born in 1946, in Lumberton N.C. and is a member of the Lumbee Tribe. According to The Carolina Indian Voice, “Mr. Maynor’s family roots began in Sampson County in the form of Mr. William and Keziah Maynor – who emigrated to Robeson County by way of Cumberland County somewhere around 1830.
Once settled in Robeson, this family became a productive part of the religious community, producing a long line of ministers. This humble beginning was a basic ingredient in the life and spiritual outlook of Glenn Maynor.”
He went to Magnolia High School and played on the basketball team. Later, he studied at Fayetteville Technical Community College and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
Mr. Maynor has spent 38 years in public service, including 18 years as director of the Robeson County Housing Authority. Prior to his election as sheriff, he had served with the Lumberton Police Department (where he was the department’s first Native American patrol officer) and on the Lumberton City Council, including as mayor pro tempore (temporarily).
On December 05, 1994, Mr. Maynor was elected Sheriff of Robeson County, becoming the county’s first Native American (and first non-white) sheriff – a significant milestone for Lumbee Nation. As sheriff, Mr. Maynor served as the chairman of the North Carolina Sheriff's Association.
Mr. Maynor served as sheriff from December 1994 until his resignation in December 2004. His election reflected growing political influence of Native American and Black voters in Robeson County at that time. As a result of his hard work - Mr. Maynor was named the 2002 Eastern North Carolina Sheriff of the Year.
Residents and county leaders say Mr. Maynor should be commended for bringing community policing to the Sheriff's Office. He opened about a dozen satellite offices in the county. He also developed neighborhood-improvement teams for high-crime areas. Other specialized task forces included an interstate drug team, a civil warrant squad and special response task force. He worked with the Robeson County Department of Social Services to help collect child support and established a domestic violence unit.
Mr. Maynor said he was following in the footsteps of his father, Jordan, who served as the first elected constable in the Saddletree community. “I remember that as a little boy my father would come home wearing that pearl-handled gun and I really thought that was something,” he said shortly after his election in 1994. “That's when I probably started thinking about law enforcement.”
The sheriff said his priority when he took office was to create a Sheriff's Office that was color blind. “There was a stigma that when I was elected in 1994, that I would be one-sided with hiring or in how I dealt with people. - I think I’ve shown I’ve included everyone and not excluded anyone. I see people as people.”
Mr. Glenn Maynor’s election as sheriff in 1994 stands as a landmark moment for Native American representation in law enforcement leadership with Robeson County.