Faulkner, Beasley leave extension office
By Sam Atkins
Published in News on August 10, 2004 1:59 PM
The Wayne County Cooperative Extension Office will soon have two vacant positions.
Bert Beasley, a former row crops extension agent, and Bonnie Faulkner, livestock extension agent, have accepted new positions elsewhere.
Beasley started his new job on July 1, teaching agriculture at Spring Creek High School in Wayne County. His two subject areas are animal science and agricultural production and management.
He had been with the extension office since February 2003, and his areas of expertise were small grains, corn, forestry and agritourism. He also worked with the Young Farmers Organization, the Forestry Association and wrote a column for the News-Argus Farm Page.
Beasley has a bachelor's degree in agriculture education, and the new position has provided him with the chance to teach on that subject.
"I have really enjoyed working at Spring Creek and with the FFA," Beasley said. "I look forward to working with people in the Spring Creek community."
Howard Scott, director of the Wayne County Cooperative Extension, said the office has been advertising for Beasley's position through North Carolina State University, and the closing date for the position is Sept. 1. His goal is to fill the position by Jan. 1. The new agent will be responsible for row crops and tobacco, corn, small grains and agritourism.
Bonnie Faulkner, who has been the county's horticulture extension agent since January of 2003, has accepted a position to teach applied plant science, nursery management and plant propagation at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte. Her last day with the extension office is Friday, and she begins her new job on Monday.
She said she enjoyed teaching at Lenoir Community College in its horticulture department before coming to Wayne County, and the opportunity to teach in the area does not come around too often, so she jumped at the chance again.
It is a 10-month position, and she plans to continue teaching at the college once her contract is up.
Ms. Faulkner was involved with the county's Master Gardeners and also wrote a column for the News-Argus Farm Page. The articles were on topics ranging from nursery and greenhouse production, gardening and plant diseases. Scott said the office plans to continue the articles.
He said he will advertise Ms. Faulkner's position through N.C. State University beginning Sunday through Sept. 15 and will start the interview process in October.