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Durham County Manager, Commissioners Receive N.C. Cooperative Extension Partnership Award

@SpectacularMag

Durham, NC – The Durham County Board of Commissioners and County Manager’s Office received the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Partnership Award in front of their peers at the annual N.C. Association of County Commissioners Conference held in Cabarrus County earlier in August.

(left to right) Durham County Commissioners Nimasheena Burns, Wendy Jacobs, Brenda Howerton (Board Chair), Extension Director Donna Rewalt, Durham County Manager  Dr. Kimberly J. Sowell, and Commissioner Heidi Carter. (Submitted Photo)

The purpose of the County Partnership Award is to recognize local governments for their outstanding partnership with N.C. Cooperative Extension. The award recognized the County’s support for the Durham County Center through a competitive process reviewing the County’s involvement and investment in Cooperative Extension programs. The Award was presented by Dr. A. Richard Bonanno, Director of NC State Cooperative Extension, and Susan Kelly, Director of County Operations.

“Our county partnerships are the foundation of what makes Cooperative Extension work across North Carolina. And it is not just about the resources they provide that make it work, it is also about the relationships and trust created between a County and NC Cooperative Extension in serving our local communities throughout the state. We are thrilled to recognize these county partners who exemplify this unique partnership at the highest level.” said Susan Kelly, Director of County Operations for N.C. Cooperative Extension.

This award celebrated Durham County Government as a consistent collaborative partner of the Durham County Center.

“I am so pleased and honored on behalf of the Board of County Commissioners and County Manager to receive this award from the North Carolina Cooperative Extension,” said Board Chair Brenda Howerton. “We are honored to have the individuals in Durham County continue to do the work that is recognized locally, statewide, and across this country! I thank Durham County Cooperative Extension staff for their amazing work and dedicated service to our community.”

The award presentation noted the County’s value for collaborative leadership and innovative approaches from the staff and the programs they implement to benefit Durham County residents. This includes Durham Extension’s programs in Agriculture & Horticulture, 4-H Youth Development, Food & Nutrition, and programming in Community Development and Early Childhood/Welcome Baby, and three newer countywide programs in Food Security, Early Childhood, and Immigrant and Refugee Affairs.

“Our staff knows that the work they do in the Durham community is valued by and supported by our Commissioners and County Leadership,” said Extension Director Donna Rewalt. “We appreciate the County’s investment in both the resources and relationships with our team that make the work we do for our residents better—from increasing support for farmers and improving food security to helping parents and families access the information they need to parent their young children or providing enriching programs for youth.”

In recent years, Durham County has responded to increased community need for agricultural resources and food and nutrition services at the Durham County Center through a new Agriculture Agent position for small farms and local foods; additional support for food and nutrition and agriculture; and asked the Extension to provide leadership for key County initiatives, including food security, which resulted in a multi-million dollar effort during the pandemic and beyond to improve food security through a more systemic and long-term approach.

For more information about the Durham County Cooperative Extension, contact Rewalt at 919-560-0525 or visit https://durham.ces.ncsu.edu.