Dalton Walters talks faith, family, and the importance of community involvement

Dalton Walters takes a seat behind his desk at Mimosa Insurance Agency, making pleasant conversation on a chilly Friday afternoon. The office is comfortable, but the weather still warrants Walters’ green, quarter-zip sweater.

Behind him, his hobbies and achievements are displayed on the shelves. A clock shaped like an airplane and a model of a classic truck adorn the middle shelf, while awards and recognitions span all three shelves.

In the corner of one shelf sits his latest award from the Burke County Chamber of Commerce — a five-sided, glass trophy commemorating him as the 2025 Distinguished Business Person of the Year.

In his 18 years at Mimosa, where Walters is the sales executive, he has always prioritized community engagement.

“If you’re a people-person, it’s a good job. If you’re not a people-person, it might be tough,” he said with a chuckle, adding that he enjoys meeting people.

Mimosa was founded in 1938 by Thomas Garrison. When Garrison died in 1951, his son-in-law Paul Cash took over. Now, the business is run by Paul’s son, Spencer Cash.

Walters said he met the Cash family when he was young.

“I’d always known (them) from growing up at the airport … where my granddad flew,” Walters said. During his last year of college, Walters asked if he could intern at the agency over the summer.

“They told me before I went back to school, ‘Well, if you liked it here, we have a job for you whenever you graduate,’ and I said, ‘Well, I liked it, so that’s what I’m going to plan to do.’”

Growing up, Walters shared his grandfather’s love for aviation and started piloting himself at 15. He said originally, he wanted to be a commercial cargo pilot. The events of 9/11 changed his mind. Instead, he pursued the medical field at UNC Greensboro.

Walters stayed the course for several years but eventually changed his mind.

“I just remember being in class one day and just being like, ‘I’m just not feeling this,’” Walters said. “And then the thought of having to go through that for two more years, plus go to medical school for at least four more years — potentially longer — I was just like, ‘I just don’t think this is what the Lord is calling me to do.’”

After a friend said he was pursuing insurance and it was “pretty cool,” Walters changed his major and transferred to Appalachian State University to finish his education.

But what shaped Dalton Walters into the man he is today?

Largely, his grandparents. Walters said when he was younger, his parents struggled with addiction, so his grandparents stepped up to raise him and his sisters and taught them traditional, Southern values centered on faith, family, and community.

Growing up, Walters and his family attended Burkemont Baptist Church. There was no such thing as sleeping in on Sunday morning, he said. His grandparents always woke him and his sisters, and everyone went to church. Walters said he’s grateful he was raised in church.

Walters is a lifelong music lover and musician. He is a skilled organist and plays at various churches in Burke County.

“I’ve always liked gadgets, stuff that has buttons and switches, and I loved piano. The organ was the perfect combination of the two,” Walters said.

Faith is still an important part of his life, Walters said. It carries him through each day, and has helped him through life’s toughest seasons, like losing his mother.

His mother died from a sudden, massive heart attack in 2009, at only 42 years old.

“To me, (it’s) kind of crazy,” Walters said. “Because that’s only two years older than I am. So, it’s just like, gosh, if I live three more years, I will live longer than my mom did.”

Walters said his grandparents also instilled in him the importance of family and treating each other well.

“My grandparents had what I would consider an ideal marriage,” he said. “They never raised a voice at each other. I’m sure they had disagreements, but we never saw or heard about it.”

Walters said his grandpa showed him how a man should treat his wife — a stark contrast to his stepfather, who abused his mother.

His grandparents were also dedicated to giving back to the community and organizations that had helped them. Today, Walters is active in the Morganton Rotary Club, Western Piedmont Foundation, and more. He was also recently made president of the Historic Burke Foundation.

Involvement with your community is important, Walters said. It’s easy to complain about things going on, he said, but steps towards change start with being involved.

“If you want to help out, help your community grow and thrive, or make a difference around here, you’ve got to get out there and get your feet wet,” Walters said. “You can’t sit around on a computer telling everybody how much you hate this, or how much you wish this would happen.”