Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler has recently promoted Evan Davis of Wake Forest to serve as director of the Farmland Preservation Division and Jon Lanier of Raleigh to serve as General Counsel.
Davis previously served as Farmland Preservation’s assistant director since 2018 and has been with the division for nearly a decade. Davis replaces Dewitt Hardee, who retired from the department at the start of 2022.
“Evan has worked his way up through Farmland Preservation since he came to the department, and he brings a deep understanding of the division’s mission with him. As assistant director, he was instrumental in managing the conservation easements that have preserved thousands of acres of farmland across North Carolina,” Troxler said. “I can think of no one else more qualified to lead this division than Evan, and I am excited to see what he accomplishes in the years to come.”
Davis is a 2011 graduate of Elon University and holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science as well as master’s degrees in Public Administration and Project Management from UNC Chapel Hill and Western Carolina University, respectively. He joined Farmland Preservation in 2012 as an information processing technician before being promoted to administrative officer in 2017 and assistant director in 2018.
Lanier had served as assistant general counsel since June 2019. He replaces outgoing general counsel Tina Hlabse.
“Jon Lanier was a natural choice to fill the role of general counsel, and I am proud to have him step up into that position,” Troxler said. “Jon has been with the agriculture department for nearly 20 years, and his wealth of experience across all facets of our work will be invaluable.”
Lanier holds a bachelor’s degree in Trust Management and a Masters of Business Administration from Campbell University, and a Juris Doctor degree from Campbell Law School. He joined NCDA&CS in 2004 as an agency legal consultant before being promoted to Assistant General Counsel. While at NCDA&CS, Lanier has served as counsel for the Agricultural and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund and handled human resources and real estate work for the department.
-jp-1