If Grant Lyons has any reservations about leaving the bright, city lights for small town America, he’s putting on a really good show.

Lyons’ smile says that he couldn’t be happier to be in Pike County. The only reservations he has about stepping into the role of Pike County Extension coordinator is the shoes that he has to fill.

“There’s no way to fill Tammy Powell’s shoes but I’m going to do the best I can,” Lyons said. “Tammy has been phenomenal trying to get me on the ground running. I’ll continue to depend on her for advice and guidance because nobody knows this job better than her.”

Lyons will bring a lot of experience and knowledge about public relations and marketing to the role of county extension coordinator but he admits that he has a lot to learn on the agricultural side.

“I don’t know a lot about agriculture but I’m learning and I’m eager to learn,” he said. “And, I’m confident that I’ll get a quick education because of the very knowledgeable people working around me.”

Lyons is originally from Knoxville and attended Samford University in Birmingham. He worked at the university as assistant athletic director and enjoyed the college atmosphere.

But his wife, Vaughan, is a New Brockton native and had the itch to get back south.

“We have a little girl and are expecting a little boy any day now,” Lyons said. “My wife is a stay at home mom and we didn’t want to raise our family in the city. We are living in the country and I love every minute of it. I’m excited to be here. The position of Pike County Extension coordinator is a great opportunity for me. I’m looking forward to getting to know the people of Pike County and building relationships to move us forward in the extension system.”

Lyons is a huge sports person. He played tennis at Samford and is enjoys both salt and freshwater fishing. His is looking forward to being a part of the sports’ scene at Troy University and taking advantage of the opportunities to participate in leisure sports in his “free” time.