Creating a Network of Support
Kris Cahoon Noble
Manager, Hyde County
Flanked by the Pamlico Sound and the Atlantic Ocean, Hyde County is the second-largest county in North Carolina, the second-most rural and the second-most economically disadvantaged. Like many counties in eastern North Carolina, it struggles with youth retention, limited job opportunities, and increasing challenges related to weather and hurricane resiliency.
It also boasts a vast and beautiful landscape, with abundant natural resources and outstanding land for agriculture. Commercial fishing enterprises thrive with access to the sound and the ocean. Its most significant asset is perhaps its people, who boast an extraordinary work ethic, kindness, and devotion to the land and communities they steward.
Hyde County Manager Kris Cahoon Noble embodies the spirit of the people she serves. A lifelong resident of the county, her family has lived in Swan Quarter for multiple generations. She has worked in Hyde County’s government for 12 years and was promoted to her current position in 2018.
When Noble decided to apply for the LGFCU Fellows program while serving as assistant county manager, it was part of a larger strategy designed to prepare her to take on an eventual leadership role as county manager. Noble knew she would need the help of programs offered by the School of Government to be ready for a new position.
“Hyde County is so reliant on the School of Government,” Noble said. “We take advantage of all the programming, advice, and technical assistance they offer. It’s an invaluable tool.”
For Noble, Fellows was a transformative experience in many ways. She boils down the personal and professional growth to two key areas: leadership and network.
Noble credits Fellows with helping her form the leadership style she would need to take the helm as Hyde County manager. As a manager, she must interface with all areas of county government, lead diverse groups of employees, and interact frequently with citizens.
“It’s helped me become the leader that I am,” Noble said. “It’s hard to accept your weaknesses and remain committed to growth. Now it helps me encourage the leaders who work under me.”
Noble, who describes herself as a conservative leader by nature, was inspired by the possibilities shared by many of her nontraditional Fellows counterparts. She challenges herself daily to approach her work with an “open heart and open mind.”
I don’t know if I can communicate what a phenomenal opportunity it was to participate in the Fellows program. It has changed the fabric of who I am as a leader.
— KRIS CAHOON NOBLE
Equally critical to Noble, however, is the broad network she can tap into as a result of her experiences with Fellows and programs like Municipal and County Administration. This network became especially critical after portions of Hyde County—including Ocracoke—were devastated by Hurricane Dorian in fall 2019. Noble particularly relied on School of Government faculty members for assistance, including near-daily conversations and an in-person visit from Norma Houston and advice from Chris McLaughlin on assessing damages to properties for tax values. She was also immediately able to connect with fellow coastal leaders for advice and aid.
“Many of my friends from Fellows were also leaders who had previously been slammed during Hurricane Florence,” Noble said. “That network was invaluable to me. I could call them to ask about anything: debris removal, contracts to remove flooded vehicles, and more.”
The School of Government and LGFCU’s partnership means that leaders in North Carolina are more equipped to serve and support their communities—in times of calm and in crisis.
“I don’t know if I can communicate what a phenomenal opportunity it was to participate in the Fellows program,” Noble said. “For so many local governments, this type of training would be unattainable. It has changed the fabric of who I am as a leader. It changed how I approach every project.”