Board Members
Melinda Q. Porter
Chairman and Public Member
Mrs. Porter is a native of Raeford, North Carolina. She moved to Plymouth, NC in 1986. In Plymouth she worked as a licensed Property & Casualty insurance agent for Seaboard Insurance Agency where she serviced existing policies, processed new customers and resolved claims for clients of the agency. In 1994 she left insurance and started working full time for Porter Properties & Mini Storage, a family-owned business. Porter Properties has residential and commercial rentals and a 311-unit storage facility. In 2017 she obtained a Real Estate License and first worked for Riverfront Realty then moved to United Country Forbes Realty and Auctions. She continues to work independently as a Real Estate Agent. She also holds the position of Music Director for First Christian Church in Plymouth, NC. She recently concluded multiple terms of service on the Washington County Board of Elections.
T. Kyle Swicegood
Vice Chairman
Mr. Swicegood is a licensed real estate broker and auctioneer. He is a first-generation auctioneer and a second-generation real estate broker. He is a graduate of Catawba College and the Reppert School of Auctioneering. He is an active member of the Auctioneers Association of North Carolina, where he previously served on the Board of Directors. He has taught in auctioneer education programs at both the national and state levels. Mr. Swicegood holds the Certified Auctioneers Institute (CAI) designation and the Accredited Auctioneer of Real Estate (AARE) designation through the National Auctioneers Association. He also holds the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation, which is conferred upon commercial real estate leaders with a proven record of success in financial, market, and investment analysis. Mr. Swicegood was named the 2012 North Carolina Bid Calling Grand Champion Auctioneer. He currently serves on the National Auction Association Board of Directors and is the organization’s elected Vice President. He previously served on the NAA Education Institute Board of Trustees and is a past Chair of the Certified Auctioneers Institute.
Donald L. Horton, Sr.
Member
Mr. Horton has been engaged in the auction business since 1973, selling Real Estate, Business Liquidations, Machinery & Equipment, Vehicles, as well as Antiques and Collectibles. He attended East Tennessee State University and served in the Army National Guard. He attended Reich Auction College in Mason City, Iowa in 1973, and achieved professional certification from the Certified Auctioneers Institute (CAI) in 1984 and the International Society of Appraisers in 1989. Mr. Horton has successfully conducted thousands of sales in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, New Jersey, Michigan, and Texas. He formed Asset Services Corporation with his son Troy in 2004 serving as President and lead auctioneer providing auction services for major banks, the Federal Bankruptcy Court, Manufacturing and Industrial institutions as well as Trust departments, attorneys and individuals. He was the first auctioneer in North Carolina to provide live internet with live auctions and served as auctioneer for Koch Industries, the largest privately owned industry in the United States and was the auction provider for BB&T traveling to the states where they operated. In 2025 Mr. Horton was recognized by the North Carolina Auctioneer Licensing Board for having been a licensed auctioneer for 50 years. He is a 3rd Degree Master Mason and is a member of Scotch Ireland Lodge in Cleveland and a 32nd Degree Mason and a member of the Scottish Rite, a Shriner, and a member of the Oasis Shrine in Charlotte. Mr. Horton has been active in the Auctioneers Association of North Carolina serving as Director, Vice President, President, and Chairman of the Board, and instructor of continuing education classes. He is active in the community and Amity Lutheran Church.
John M. Harris
Public Member
Mr. Harris holds degrees from Appalachian State University in both History and Philosophy & Religion, as well as degrees in Finance and Economics from Winston-Salem State University. He earned his juris doctor degree from the North Carolina Central University School of Law. Mr. Harris has extensive business experience ranging from insurance sales and personal financial planning to founding and operating micro businesses, planning residential communities, and agriculturally based homesteads. Mr. Harris holds licenses to practice law both in North Carolina and in the District of Columbia, providing a wide range of legal services to businesses and individuals including Estate Planning, Real Estate Transactions, Contracts Formation and Review, Business Litigation, Criminal Defense, and Virtual Legal Support. His firm, J. Harris Legal, focuses on being a "Fractional General Counsel" offering "right sized" general counsel services to businesses that don't have a dedicated legal team or cannot afford to have an attorney on staff.
Buck Lattimore
Member
Mr. Lattimore is a North Carolina licensed Auctioneer and Real Estate Broker. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from Wofford College and is also a graduate of the Mendenhall School of Auctioneering and the J.Y. Monk Real Estate School. He is an active member of the Auctioneers Association of North Carolina, where he has served on the Board of Directors and as an instructor for continuing education classes for auctioneers. Mr. Lattimore has more than 38 years of senior management experience. Before his retirement in 2009, he was Chairman of the North Carolina Industrial Commission. He also worked as Deputy Commissioner of Insurance and was Vice President of George Shinn & Associates, where he helped the Charlotte NC company win the Charlotte Hornets NBA franchise. He served six years in a Mechanized Infantry Unit of the Army National Guard, and he is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Raleigh and Apex American Legion Post #124. Mr. Lattimore is a former NCDRC licensed North Carolina Superior Court Mediator.