NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Rashad Gattison will transition to director of Port City United (PCU) beginning May 2.
Gattison, who was hired as the PCU Connect Supervisor in March 2022, has served as interim director of PCU since February of this year.
“Over the last year, Rashad has shown a commitment to helping others through innovative practices, which has helped Port City United in its mission to create a community that is equitable, healthy and safe for everyone,” New Hanover County Manager Chris Coudriet said. “His steadfast leadership and deep roots have helped PCU make inroads quickly, which has resulted in great successes. We are excited to see what the department can accomplish under his guidance.”
A Wilmington resident since childhood, Gattison has an abundance of experience serving others, including previous work with the New Hanover County Schools, Coastal Horizons, Communities in Schools of Cape Fear and the Brigade Boys & Girls Club.
With PCU, Gattison has assisted in the creation of outreach events for the community, including the highly successful Fresh Chance Friday which brought out nearly 400 people who were connected with job opportunities, resources and legal services for potential record expungement.
Since opening in June 2022, the PCU Connect call center, which Gattison oversaw, has received and responded to more than 3,500 calls for assistance.
“I’m so proud of the incredible work our PCU team has done to serve our community and connect residents with resources they might not have previously been aware of,” Gattison said. “It is an honor to be a small piece of our success so far. I’m grateful for the trust that is being placed in me to lead this department and look forward to seeing what we can achieve through collaboration in the future.”
With Gattison moving into the director’s role on a full-time basis, LaMeisha Green will take over as the PCU Connect Supervisor. Green has served as the Connect Interim Supervisor since February of this year and has been with PCU since May 2022. She brings a wealth of emergency experience to the team after starting her career with New Hanover County as a 911 telecommunicator in 2021.
“LaMeisha has shown tremendous leadership since beginning with PCU and is the right person to continue the connect center’s important work,” said Gattison. “One of the internal goals of PCU is to provide our team with the skills they need to grow and a strong foundation to succeed. I’m really glad to see that happen here and to watch LaMeisha excel.”
For more information on PCU’s work in the community, visit PortCityUnited.com.