Edsel is a member of Mitchell Chapel Church. He serves on the NC Food and
Agricultural Council, the NC Outreach Council of the NC Farm Service Agency,
Special Populations Committee of Chatham County Schools, and is Chairman of
the Cooperative Extension Strategic Council of NC A&T State University.
His hobbies are photography, music, and wood work
In addition, he coordinated a comprehensive university-wide outreach project for 18 years. The Powell River Project focused on reclamation of surface mined land and economic development in seven coal mining counties in Virginia. Funding was provided from public and private sources for faculty efforts across the university.
In retirement, John and his wife, Shirley, are enjoying their new
home on a small farm in the Silk Hope area of the county where he
raises Gelbvieh and Angus cattle.
Tommy is a retired poultry grower and now raises beef cattle and
owns and manages timber lands on an 150-acre farm. In his "spare
time" Tommy enjoys restoring and showing antique tractors and
antique tractor pulls.
Shirille Lee is a fifth generation native of Chatham County. She was employed by Southern States in Pittsboro, then Siler City for a total of 10-1/2 years. She is currently employed by Chatham County Together!, a mentoring program that works with Chatham County youth, ages 6-17, that are at risk of court involvement or school failure.
Shirille is a foster parent for Chatham County Department of Social
Services, on the advisory board for the Chatham County Coalition for
Adolescent Health, Systems of Care Grant board (a federal grant given
to Orange, Person Chatham Counties' Mental Health Departments to build
community collaborative), and a youth leader at her church in Siler
City.
Jim is a partner in Sunny Slope Greenhouses and has produced greenhouse tomatoes and vegetables for over 20 years. Jim is a member of the North Carolina Greenhouse Vegetable Growers' Association and has served as an officer and on the board of directors several times. Jim is an advocate of sustainable and alternative agriculture systems and spends his free time promoting family farms. He has been involved in the establishment of several local farmers' markets and has served on their boards. Jim was involved with the inception and development of the Sustainable Farming Program at Central Carolina Community College, has served on their board of directors, and also teaches classes for the program. Jim has been a collaborator with NCSU on several grant projects to educate extension agents and farmers on organic, sustainable, and greenhouse techniques.
Jim has served as a volunteer to the Cooperative Extension
Service for almost 15 years, the last 8 of which have been on the
Extension Advisory Council. He has served as chairman for the
last several years.
John has been a resident of Chatham County since 1983.
Dr. Walton has practiced in a mixed animal practice and small animal emergency work. She
enjoys small animals as well as large animals and has been know to do exotics and wildlife.
Dr. Walton is currently concentrating on companion animals and small ruminants.
Brenda is actively involved with Farm Fun Day each year in the fall. She serves as Chairperson of the Area 3 SWCD Education Committee, is a member of the Soil Conservation Society, District Employee Association, and has served on strategic planning subcommittees.
She was recognized in 1999 for NC Earth Team Employee of the year for recruiting volunteers to help with clean up after Hurricane Fran.
Brenda and her husband, Billy Williams, have been married for
over 25 years and have three sons, Wade, Tory & Todd. She loves
to read in her spare time.