Two Granville County Commissioners have been appointed to statewide committees and workgroups that will give them opportunities to advocate for rural communities, build partnerships across county and regional lines, and help identify solutions to challenges facing rural North Carolina.
According to information from the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, Russ May has been appointed to the N.C. Dept. of Transportation’s Strategic Prioritization Office of Transportation workgroup and Mark Griffin has been appointed to the NCACC’s Legislative Goals Committee and the Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources Steering Committee.
May, serving in his second term on the Granville County Board of Commissioners, said his and Griffin’s appointments will give the county an opportunity to be at the table and to make sure the needs of rural North Carolina are part of the conversation.
“Our rural counties are the lifeline to the prosperity of North Carolina. We need to continue building relationships and partnerships that allow us to find ways to bring more resources, projects and opportunities to the communities we represent,” May stated in a press release announcing the appointments.
The NCDOT SPOT workgroup helps review and refine the state’s process for prioritizing transportation projects and ensuring communities’ needs are represented. May also has worked with regional transportation organizations for approximately six years, focusing on the challenges rural counties face in competing for transportation resources.
“Transportation funding is finite, and we have many projects that need attention,” May said. “We have to make sure rural counties have a voice in determining where those investments go and that there is equity in the process.”
May said improved transportation infrastructure is particularly important to Granville County’s agricultural economy, where roads are essential to moving crops and other commodities from farms to markets. “Transportation affects agriculture. It affects economic development. It affects public safety and education. When we improve one area, we can create opportunities in others. The goal is to work collectively to improve the region and, ultimately, the state.”
Griffin, in his first term as a commissioner, grew up on a tobacco farm in Granville County and still enjoys tending a vegetable garden.
His experience in agriculture has shaped his belief that protecting farmland, supporting farmers and introducing younger generations to agriculture are essential to the future of rural communities. “Agriculture is at the very core of everything I do,” Griffin said. “We have to maintain and preserve our farms because agriculture is essential not only to Granville County, but to our state and our country. We also have to make sure young people understand that agriculture can be a career and that there is a future in farming.”
Griffin has been active in a wide range of community initiatives, including Granville County’s Soil and Water Conservation efforts, the local Cooperative Extension’s Advisory Leadership Council and numerous other groups.
Through these roles, Griffin has worked on issues ranging from farmland preservation and agricultural education to healthcare, emergency services, community programs and quality of life.
His experience also includes 35 years with the U.S. Postal Service, where he worked in communities of varying sizes and developed a strong commitment to working directly with residents and community organizations. “I’ve always believed that you have to get out into the community, listen to people and understand what they need in their everyday lives,” Griffin said. “Serving on these committees gives us another opportunity to bring those local concerns forward and work with others to find solutions.”
