Councilmember Benton H. Dry II joins the Albemarle City Council as an at-large representative after winning election in 2020. He previously served on the Albemarle City Council from 2013 until 2018 representing District 2.

Benton was born and raised in Albemarle. He attended Albemarle public schools, graduating from Albemarle Senior High School in 1967. He earned Bachelor of Arts in history and political science at High Point College, now High Point University, in 1971. From 1971-1977 Dry served in the U.S. Army Reserve 227 Transportation Company. 

Dry spent three years in the family business, Dun-Rite Laundry & Cleaners, founded in 1922 by his great grandfather for more than 100 years a part of the Albemarle business community. From 1974 to 1988, he worked in both sales and sales management with the Gillette Company and Blacker and Decker. He returned to Albemarle in 1988 to become the 4th generation co-owner of Dun-Rite Cleaners, Dun-Rite Carpet Care, and Dun-Rite Restoration.

For more than three decades, he has been actively involved in the community, previously serving as president of the East Albemarle PTA, president of the Albemarle Booster’s Club, Chairman of the United Way of Stanly County, President of the Albemarle Optimist Club, Chairman of the Wachovia Bank Advisory Board for Stanly County, and business instructor at Stanly Community College. He founded Dun-Rite Cleaners’ annual Coats for Kids program and served on the City of Albemarle Historic Resources Commission.

He has been recognized by the Stanly Community College Phi Beta Lambda Club as “Business Person of the Year,” by the Albemarle Optimist Club as “Optimist of the Year,” and by WSOC for the “9 Who Care” award for his Coats for Kids program.

He is married to the former Cindy Whitley. They have four children and four grandchildren. He’s a member of the First Baptist Church where he served as deacon and taught Sunday school.

His more than 50 years of business and community-service experience has prepared him to effectively serve Albemarle as City Councilmember.