SURRY COUNTY, NC (LOOTPRESS) – Surry County is pleased to announce the appointment of C. Jamie Edwards as Director for the Office of Substance Abuse Recovery. Mr. Edwards will begin in the position on December 1, 2023. He will succeed Director Mark Willis who was appointed on May 25, 2018.
Mr. Edwards has served as the Data Analyst and subsequent Assistant Director for SCOSAR since January 2019. He has a lengthy career in Post Secondary Education, Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Services, Criminal Justice and Human Services while serving as a past Academic Dean and Associate Professor of Sociology and Human Services at Wytheville Community College (VA), Director of the North Carolina Training and Technical Assistance Center and Program Head and Instructor of Human Service Degree Programs at Forsyth Technical Community College. He has served as a subject matter expert and consultant in the fields of substance use prevention, the addictive process and community needs assessment, planning and evaluation for the past 15 years.
Mr. Edwards holds a post master’s degree Certificate in Addictions Counseling and a post master’s degree Certificate in Gerontology from Appalachian State University. He also completed a Master of Education Degree from Radford University, a Master of Arts Degree in Liberal Studies from Wake Forest University and a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management and Development from Bluefield College. He is a Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist (LCAS), a Certified Clinical Supervisor – Intern (CSI), Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS), Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS) and Recovery Coach (RC). He also holds certifications as an Associate Credentialed Coach (ACC) by the International Coach Federation and a Board-Certified Coach (BCC) from the Center for Credentialing and Education.
He has served as the past Director of Educational Opportunity Center Programs at Surry Community College and the past Director of the Surry County Day Reporting Center.
Mr. Edwards grew up in Southwest Virginia and Northwest North Carolina. He and his wife have two sons and enjoys travel and photography. He values a continual love of learning, and is committed to facilitating meaningful conversations with individuals, families and the community.
Mr. Edwards stated, “I’m honored to serve Surry County and its citizens while looking forward to supporting staff and community organizations in efforts to prevent and respond to the impact of substance use. SCOSAR will remain committed to building a Recovery Oriented System of Care that supports all citizens and builds a sense of hope and connection.”
County Manager Chris Knopf said, “Jamie brings extensive experience to his new position, including significant time working in Dobson with Surry County Pretrial Release Services and Surry Community College. He has deep community connections and has been a valuable member of the department for a few years now, so we anticipate a smooth transition over the coming months.”