News

New ag extension director starts today

Terry Kelley

By Bill Moss, Published: May 1, 2017

Henderson County’s new agriculture extension director is a native of Haywood County who has a Ph.D. and a background as a farm agent in Georgia.

The Board of Commissioners on Wednesday accepted the recommendation of the Cooperative Extension Service to hire Terry Kelley, who has undergraduate and master’s degrees from N.C. State University and a doctorate from the University of Tennessee.
“It’s an honor and privilege to have been selected,” said Kelley, 55. “I’m aware of Henderson County’s rich tradition of agriculture and I know how important it is to the economy of Henderson County.”
Although he did not grow up on a farm himself, Kelley’s grandfather farmed.
“I’ve been around agriculture all my life,” he said.
He has a bachelor’s degree in agronomy and a master’s degree in crop science. His doctorate is in plant and soil science with a minor in statistics. After working for 16 years as an extension agent in Georgia, specializing in vegetables, he took a job with Harris Moran Seed Co., a global commercial supplier and seed breeder based in France. He returned home to Haywood County in 2009. He started his job here on Monday, replacing longtime extension director Marvin Owings, who retired in March.
The hiring decision was made by a search committee made up of apple growers Kenny Barnwell and Trey Enloe; Dunkin Fitzsimons, chairman of the Extension Advisory Council; Dr. Tom Kon, assistant professor, Southeast Apple Research Specialist, NCSU; Sheri Schwab, director of county operations for the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service; Daniel Smith, interim West District Director of the Cooperative Extension Service; and County Commissioner Tommy Thompson.
“I think we made the best selection,” Smith said. “Dr. Kelley has a broad range of experience and degrees. I think we made a good choice and it was a unanimous decision by the selection committee to hire Dr. Kelley.”