Lena Simmons was sworn in as chair of the North Carolina Soil and Water Conservation District Area 7 during the district’s spring meeting held Feb. 28 at “The Barn” at Righteous Oaks Farm in Fayetteville. Simmons, who is currently chair of the Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District, was sworn in by National Association of Conservation Districts Executive Director Bryan Evans.
District 7 is made up of nine soil and water conservation districts including Bladen, Columbus, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson and Scotland counties.
In addition to the swearing-in ceremony, leaders from District 7 conducted a business session, to include policy updates, resolutions, and reports. Delegates also heard reports from partners including the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the N.C. Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts. Cumberland County Cooperative Extension Livestock Agent Liz Joseph gave a presentation about the Soldiers to Agriculture program.
“The important work of Soil and Water Conservation takes partnerships, innovation, strategic planning,” said Simmons in a press release. “Every person has something to contribute.”
Simmons holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and anthropology and is currently pursuing a master’s degree. Simmons is also on the Leadership Committee of the National Association of Conservation Districts.
The Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors is made up of five board members, three of whom are elected, and two who are appointed by the N.C. Soil and Water Conservation Commission.
For more information about Cumberland County Soil and Water, go to cumberlandcountync.gov/departments/soil-water-group/soil-water.
To wrap up the first day, attendees were able to meet up for a social event at the Brad Halling American Whiskey Ko. in Southern Pines where a $10,000 check was presented to the Joint Special Operations Foundation for their scholarship fund. Photo pr
The three-story, 200,000 square-foot business incubator space is located at 420 Maiden Lane. The building features an elevator, construction has begun on handicap bathrooms for the first floor and the second and third floors feature window walls offering views of Segra Stadium.
Image provided by FTCCFocused on building the local workforce and streamlining the education process through real world learning, the Hope, Opportunity, Prosperity through Education Program at Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC), also kno