The PVAMU Cooperative Extension Program recently appointed new program leaders for its Agriculture & Natural Resources and Family & Consumer Sciences units.
Billy C. Lawton is providing leadership to the Agriculture and Natural Resources component and Jacquelyn White is taking the helm as program leader for Family & Consumer Sciences.
“We are excited to have these two individuals giving overall guidance to our program specialists and Extension agents in their respective areas,” said Dr. Carolyn Nobles, associate administrator, Prairie View A&M Cooperative Extension Program. “They will work closely with our counterparts in Texas A&M AgriLife Extension to develop and deliver educational programming to families and small farm producers in 37 Texas counties.”
“Ms. White and Mr. Lawton are bringing extensive experience to their positions having served as interim program leader and program specialist, Family & Consumer Sciences and Agriculture & Natural Resources, respectively, prior to assuming their new roles,” Nobles said.
White started her career in Cooperative Extension in 1999 as a program specialist in Family Life Education. She developed training and educational materials, conducted workshops, and provided information to Extension agents on how to build community partnerships in their counties. In 2011, she became interim program leader.
She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Home Economics and Clinical Sociology, respectively, from Texas Southern University and is currently completing her education doctorate in Educational Leadership at the University of Phoenix.
“Today, families are facing critical health, social and financial issues such as childhood obesity, diabetes, bullying and job loss,” White said. “It is my goal to increase the reach of the Family and Consumer Sciences’ team to deliver quality research based educational programs that address the changing needs of our limited resource clientele throughout the state of Texas.”
Lawton has been with Cooperative Extension since 2008. Starting as a program specialist, Lawton provided training and educational assistance to Extension agents, planned statewide events for clientele and acquired resources through funded proposals to meet the needs of the program’s agricultural clients. Lawton was appointed interim program leader in 2010.
He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Agriculture Education from Sam Houston State University.
“Our focus will be on identifying small farm producers and helping them with the issues that directly affect their agricultural enterprises,” said Lawton. “We plan to link the producer with resources that they can utilize to become more profitable. My goal is to have our producers armed to farm.”
For more information about the new program leaders, contact Jacquelyn White at 936-261-5132, jmwhite@ag.tamu.edu and Billy Lawton at 936-261-5117, bclawton@ag.tamu.edu or visit http://pvcep.pvamu.edu.
Jacquelyn White is taking the helm as program leader for Family & Consumer Sciences and Billy C. Lawton is providing leadership to the Agriculture and Natural Resources component. Photos: Courtesy of the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences
