On August 20, our friend and neighbor Sallye Liner received one of the Over Seventy Impact Community Awards, joining six other remarkable individuals whose lives of service have made a lasting difference in our region. For those who know Sallye, the recognition comes as no surprise. Throughout her life, she has led with compassion, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to caring for others.

Although Sallye built her distinguished healthcare career in Forsyth County, she and her husband, David, chose to raise their family in Davie County, where they found the perfect place to call home. Over the years, her influence has reached far beyond hospital walls, touching patients, families, colleagues, friends, and now the community she has long called home.

Sallye’s nursing career began with a simple desire to care for others. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from East Tennessee State University and later completed her Master of Science in Nursing at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Those educational achievements laid the foundation for an extraordinary 38 year career with Novant Health and Forsyth Medical Center.

Throughout her career, Sallye became known as an innovative leader who kept patients at the center of every decision. She pioneered a redesigned patient care delivery model that focused care around the needs of patients while significantly increasing the amount of time bedside nurses were able to spend with them. Her vision helped improve the patient experience while also strengthening the role of nurses in providing that care.

Her leadership abilities led to increasingly important responsibilities within the organization. In 1997, Sallye was named Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President. She later became President of Forsyth Medical Center and ultimately served as Novant Health’s Chief Clinical Officer before retiring in 2015.

Through each of those roles, Sallye earned the respect of colleagues throughout the healthcare community. Her influence was found not simply in the positions she held, but in the way she approached leadership, with patients, caregivers, and families always at the heart of the work.

As impressive as Sallye’s professional accomplishments are, family has always held an equally important place in her life.

Following a divorce, Sallye met David Liner with her sweet seven year old daughter, Lindsey, by her side. Their relationship blossomed, and Sallye and David were married on May 19, 1991. Lindsey was raised in Davie County and attended Davie County Schools, and family life soon became filled with the activities and milestones that come with raising children.

Over time, children’s sporting events gave way to cheering for grandchildren from the sidelines. Sallye and David also developed a shared love of travel, exploring Europe, Canada, Africa, and all 50 states together. Those adventures created countless memories and became an important part of the life they shared.

One of Sallye’s greatest tests came when David became terminally ill. Drawing on decades of nursing experience, she became his fiercest advocate and devoted caregiver. She provided exceptional care, comfort, and unwavering love until his passing in December 2023.

In many ways, it was a deeply personal reflection of the compassion Sallye had spent her career extending to others. The skills she had used to advocate for patients and families were now given to the person she loved most.

Service has always been woven into Sallye’s life. During her years working in Forsyth County, she devoted countless hours to volunteer organizations and frequently stepped into leadership roles wherever she served.

After David’s passing, Sallye began thinking more intentionally about the community she had called home for so many years. Although she had lived in Davie County for decades, much of her professional and volunteer life had centered on Forsyth County. She decided it was time to become more deeply connected to the people and organizations closer to home.

In 2024, Sallye joined the Davie Women’s Auxiliary, where she currently serves as Treasurer. The organization gave her an opportunity to combine meaningful community service with friendship and fellowship.

Then, in 2025, she accepted an invitation to serve on the Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity Davie County. There, her years of leadership experience, knowledge of healthcare, and heart for serving others continue to benefit the community.

Retirement, it seems, has not changed Sallye’s desire to make a difference. It has simply given her new ways to do it.

The Over Seventy Impact Community Award recognizes a lifetime of service, but Sallye’s story is far from finished. The compassion, wisdom, and leadership that guided her throughout nearly four decades in healthcare continue to shape the way she gives back today.

Her life offers a reminder that meaningful service can take many forms. It can be found in caring for a patient, leading an organization, advocating for someone you love, serving alongside neighbors, or simply recognizing where your experience might help someone else.

Congratulations, Sallye, on this well deserved recognition. Your life has touched countless patients, families, colleagues, friends, and neighbors. We are fortunate to call you our friend, our neighbor, and a valued member of the Bermuda Run community.

The impact you made throughout your career in Forsyth County continues today in Davie County, where a new chapter of service is already being written.