GRANVILLE COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: Charla Duncan has been selected to serve as the next Granville County Economic Development Director. Duncan returns to Granville County government with over ten years of experience in economic development and local government administration. She will lead economic development recruitment and retention efforts on behalf of Granville County with a particular focus on the development of the Triangle North Granville Business Park.

Duncan comes to Granville following six years in Warren County in various roles, most recently serving as Director of Community & Economic Development after initially being appointed to the position of Senior Assistant to the County Manager before becoming Warren’s Interim Economic Development Director.

Her time in Warren County featured major accomplishments including identification and land acquisition of three county- owned sites for future development, securing over $5 million in development grant funding, spearheading Warren County’s 2022 Comprehensive Plan update, and establishing a Board of Directors plus hiring professional staff for the Warren County Tourism Development Authority.

Duncan also served as the county lead on the NC Department of Transportation S-Line passenger rail project, led efforts to expand local broadband internet access, and oversaw efforts to cultivate the expansion of Glen Raven fabric manufacturing –a project that invested over $80 million and created over thirty new jobs at their Norlina plant.

Duncan’s accomplishments led to her being named a Trailblazer by Business NC in 2022 and the Emerging Leader of the Year by the NC Economic Development Association in 2023. She currently represents the North Central Prosperity Zone on the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) Economic Development Advisory Council (EDAC) – a fifteen-county region that includes Granville.

Duncan is also no stranger to Granville County Government. Before her time in Warren County, Duncan spent over three years in the Granville County Administration Office as Grant Coordinator and Management Analyst. “I cut my teeth on county government with Granville County, and I'm truly excited to come back to an organization and a community that feels like home in many ways,” said Duncan. “I developed a lot of great relationships while I was a public servant here from 2016-2019, and I look forward to building on that history. As a native of Warren County, I'm grown from Kerr-Tar soil, and I bring with me a deep respect for our rural communities and what we have to offer, as well as protect. I believe in responsible development, and I'm eager to work with Granville County residents, businesses, and leaders on a thoughtful, creative, and intentional pathway forward for the community.”

Duncan is an NC Certified Economic Developer (NCCED) and a graduate of the UNC School of Government Municipal and County Administration program. She received her bachelor’s degree in English with a Secondary Education Licensure from UNC Greensboro and a master’s degree in public and Nonprofit Management from New York University. Duncan resides in the Warren County community of Wise with her husband Daniel. She has a planned start date of May 1, 2025.

For more information about Granville County Economic Development, visit www.growwithgranville.com