Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler announced Monday he has named Abraham “Abe” Costa of Clayton as the new director of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Information Technology Division. Costa replaces Jane Price who retired.
“I am always pleased to have well-qualified and dedicated staff members step into new leadership roles at the department, and Abe has shown strong leadership skills over the years,” Troxler said.
Costa has nearly 25 years of state government service, working previously at Coastal Carolina Community College and Fayetteville State University before joining NCDA&CS in 1997 as a computing consultant. Costa has risen through the ranks, as a technology support specialist and a network support specialist before becoming the chief technology officer.
Costa earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in microcomputer systems technology from Coastal Carolina Community College.
He was honored as the NCDA&CS Employee of the Year in 2006, for his leadership of the department’s highly successful Combined Campaign.
Costa is married to Jennifer Costa, and has two sons, Stephen and Thomas, and two step-daughters, Jordan and Kaleigh. He is the son of Cathy and Melvin Richardson of Hubert (Onslow County) and Abraham Costa Sr. of Kailua, Hawaii. In his spare time, he enjoys woodworking, fishing and hunting, gardening, and spending time with family and friends.
