Initially, extension services were created over 100 years ago to facilitate the connection between farmers and new knowledge and technologies to increase agricultural production. Extension services were first introduced in the United States through municipal libraries and by staff at the Massachusetts Farmer Institute Experiment Station (Seevers, Graham, & Conklin, 2007). Extension work gradually expanded to rural populations in other parts of the United States, helping to create a national system, as 50% of the U.S. population lived in rural areas nearly century (United States Department of Agriculture, 2010). The Smith-Lever Act was passed by the US Congress in 1914 and the Cooperative Extension Service (CES) was established (Seevers et al., 2007). The term cooperative referred to its three sources of funding: federal, state, and local governments (Graham, 1994). After its creation, the CES became enormously established in American society. It serves as an educational outreach network between the Land-Grant Colleges and the USDA, which is "a vast network of interdependent but relatively independent institutions across all states and territories" (Boone, 1988, p. 11). It is dedicated to the development of the agricultural system, which requires continuous adaptation due to technological and demographic developments. Programs vary within states and local areas as CES responds to local needs and problems (Graham, 1994). CES program areas are agriculture and natural resources, family and consumer sciences, 4-H and youth development, and community development (Seevers et al., 2007). The mission of the CES was to disseminate useful and practical information in the fields of agriculture and housing. economics and related subjects... middle of paper ...... needs of the population. Their ability to carry out extension tasks depends on their professional skills. According to Swanson (1996), high value should be placed on basic skills in business and industry, primarily referring to their knowledge and expertise in these areas. In 2002, ECOP challenged Extension leaders to prepare its administrators, faculty and staff to value diversity. and accept that change is necessary for the viability of the organization. The committee suggested that the Extension system should allocate resources to ensure that all employees spend at least 10% of their time on training and professional development that improves skills related to engagement and critical issues. Due to the need for staff training and development identified by ECOP, many states have implemented their own competency standards, including North Carolina..