Daniel and Michelle Lancaster

Daniel: Instructor, Basic Law Enforcement Training, Rowan Cabarrus Community College
Michelle: Kindergarten Teacher, Knollwood Elementary School

Native of
Michelle: Salisbury
Daniel: Snellville, GA

Industry: Education & Law Enforcement

Michelle Lancaster says that Rowan County is home. “It’s a place where people look after each other,” she says. “Rowan County is filled with citizens who care about the well-being and success of their neighbors. Neighbors feel like family, and everyone is welcome. There is something here for everyone. We think Rowan County is the best place to live, regardless of what phase of life you are entering!”

The Lancasters enjoy attending car shows and the Farmers’ Market, as well as dining in local restaurants and frequenting small businesses as much as possible.

Michelle has lived in Rowan County all her life, and Daniel moved here with his family 18 years ago when he was in high school. Michelle went away for college but chose to come back to raise their family here.

The Lancasters have three children — Daniel Jr., 10; Kirsten, 8; and Aubree, 5. The young children have made Bell Tower Green Park a favorite family outdoor space to visit. “We enjoy sitting and watching them play,” Michelle says.

Their favorite restaurant is Pinocchio’s in Spencer for its family feel, Michelle says. The owners, Anthony and Amy, “pour their heart and soul into the restaurant,” she adds.

The Lancasters like the annual holiday parade through Spencer and Salisbury as a favorite family event. The ’Tis the Season parade is a reunion of people coming home for the Thanksgiving holiday and seeing each other along the parade route. “Everybody is in a good mood,” Michelle says. 

A “must-see” for newcomers to Rowan is the architecture of the Salisbury Historic District and for families, The Lazy 5 Ranch. “It’s a unique experience for kids,” Michelle says. 

The Lazy 5, a drive-through experience with exotic animals from six continents, is one of the many ways that Rowan County expresses its originality and lives up to the county slogan, Be an original™.

To Michelle, the slogan means: “There are plenty of ways to express yourself and make a life here in Rowan County without limits.”