A lifetime of giving back

Wilma Daniels was named the winner of WILMA Magazine's 2026 Icon Award, which she accepted at the annual WILMA Women to Watch Awards on Sept. 11. Immediately after her acceptance speech, she was also awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, which is North Carolina's highest civilian honor. 

Key takeaways

• The bigger picture: Wilma Daniels has spent decades helping shape Wilmington through her leadership, philanthropy and commitment to education, affordable housing and opportunities for young people.
• The details: Daniels was the 2026 WILMA Magazine Icon Award recipient and was presented with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North Carolina's highest civilian honor, at the Sept. 11 WILMA Women to Watch Awards. Her name is also attached to several Cape Fear Community College landmarks, including the Wilma W. Daniels Art Gallery and Wendell Daniels Hall.
• The more you know: Daniels' community involvement includes leadership with organizations such as the YWCA Lower Cape Fear, Wilmington Business Development and the American Heart Association, as well as 11 years as a UNC Wilmington trustee. She also continues to lead Daniels Development Company, which operates the William Hooper Apartments, a 50-unit affordable housing community for older adults.

Wilma Daniels' stamp can be found around Cape Fear Community College’s campus.

It can be found at the school’s former Hanover Art Gallery, which in 2013 was renamed the Wilma W. Daniels Art Gallery in recognition of her longtime support of the college.

Wendell Daniels Hall, named after her husband, is a 700-seat ballroom that sits atop CFCC’s Union Station building. The first event held there: her son, EURAN’s, wedding.

“That was so special, and even when they announced it was going to be named after my husband, that was shocking,” Wilma Daniels says. “So, I could really go on and on and on because there’s so many things that happen here at Cape Fear Community College that touched my heart, and it still touches my heart.”

But beyond a concentrated few blocks downtown, the Daniels family’s connections extend throughout Wilmington – especially from Wilma Daniels.

Over the years, she’s given her time and many talents to an array of groups – from the YWCA Lower Cape Fear to Wilmington Business Development to the local chapter of the American Heart Association. She has helped shape numerous others – like the Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington – even when her busy schedule kept her from accepting a board position.

Daniels has long blazed a trail as a Wilmington change agent, but Windell’s heart attack death spurred her into accelerated action.

“My husband passed away in 2008 with a massive heart attack,” she says. “He left behind him a legacy that I’m very, very proud of.”

Like her late business owner husband, Daniels has both a ready helping hand and a heart for service. Windell Daniels’ involvement with the Wilmington Housing Authority and concern about homelessness led the couple to purchase, in 1998, an entire block on Meares Street that included the former William Hooper School. They converted the property into the William Hooper Apartments, offering 50 units of affordable housing for older adults.

Wilma Daniels took over and continues to serves as president and CEO of Daniels Development Company.

Education is also close to her heart. A Williston High School and Shaw University alum, Wilma Daniels served on the CFCC Foundation board. She also served eleven years as a trustee for the University of North Carolina Wilmington and chaired the trustees board for two years.

Having grown up in a musical family, Daniels says she taught music for many years, helping children discover their own gifts through her philosophy of “Yes, you can.” And she has enjoyed helping build the confidence and skills of girls and young women from underserved neighborhoods, sharing her belief, “You can do anything you want to do. Make up your mind and stay focused.

“I used to go into the housing projects and pull out some of the girls and do a reception for them, bringing in professionals from the city – women from different fields,” she continues. “They talked to the young ladies, made them feel good about themselves. Unfortunately, everybody’s so busy now, we don’t have those services. Those girls are not getting the attention they need, so we are losing them. The same for the young guys; they need mentors who will make sure they have the tools they need to grow their interests.”

-Jenny Callison contributed to this story.