A New County Extension Director is named for Granville County
OXFORD, NC – North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Granville County Center is excited to share that Charissa M. Puryear has been named as the new County Extension Director (CED). Charissa has served as the Youth Programs Coordinator in Granville County since 2004 and has extensive experience in program implementation, grant writing, volunteer coordination, and community development and engagement. She will transition her experience into a focus of Community and Rural Development (CRD) in the Director role. She is a North Carolina native, growing up in Fayetteville, NC then making Granville County her home in 2003. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Shaw University.
Ms. Puryear transitions into the Director role after serving as the Youth Programs Coordinator for N.C.Cooperative Extension of Granville County for 16 years. She has extensive experience in volunteer recruitment, training and management, grant writing management, program development and implementation, group facilitation, and community development and engagement. She holds certifications as a facilitator for Triple P Parenting, Basic Mediation skills, First Aid/CPR Instructor, mental health and first aid, and many more. She has collaborated with many county and community organizations and serves on various boards and committees both personally and professionally.
“I am humbled to fill the role of the County Extension Director for North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Granville County Center. My journey with Extension has been educational, unique, and extremely fulfilling. I am thrilled because this role allows me to continue to do what I love on a larger spectrum. I am passionate about locating resources, motivating change, and empowering people. Community outreach and engagement are important in both my professional and personal life. I am grateful for this opportunity and look forward to partnering with the community to dialogue on how N.C. Cooperative Extension can best serve the Granville County community,” shared Charissa.
Ms. Puryear replaces a retiring Paul Westfall who served the county as CED and livestock agent since 2008, and spent several years also serving as CED in Person County. She can be reached by contacting the office at (919) 603-1350 or emailing her at charissa_puryear@ncsu.edu.
