September 30 – The future of Extension took center stage at the 2019 joint meeting of the Southern Region Program Leadership Network, the Association of Extension Administrators and the Association of Southern Region Extension Directors. The group met Aug. 19-22 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The discussion appropriately titled “Unmasking Our Potential-New Leadership! Cooperative Extension in the Future from the Perspectives of USDA NIFA and APLU” was just that – a candid conversation designed to offer a glimpse of the future under the leadership of Dr. Scott Angle, the new director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), and Dr. Doug Steele, the new vice president of Food Agriculture and Natural Resources for the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities.
The panel discussion, moderated by Extension Administrator Dr. Mark Latimore of Fort Valley State University, allowed the leaders to expand on their vision about the relationship between the agencies and those who work in communities all over the country. Dr. Carolyn Williams, executive associate director for Extension at Prairie View A&M University, and Dr. Ed Jones, associate dean and director for Virginia Cooperative Extension, gave reactions from the field.
In his address, Angle said, “We are not your boss. We are your partners. We need your support.” Following that declaration, he added, “We have $1.7 billion, and 85 percent of that goes to Land-Grant Universities to support the critical work you all do in Extension.”
The new NIFA director’s address promoted the idea of partnerships, a mechanism by which Extension professionals can work with the full support of the government versus the government acting as an overseer. While Angle introduced the idea of collaboration, Steele made it the center stone of his address.
“We must be unapologetic about what we do in rural areas and switch our focus to partnerships that make a difference,” he said. “We need partnerships that set us up for future successes in our service communities.”
Steele also made an impassioned plea for change. “We need to switch our focus to engaging in public relations,” he said. He expressed the need to better engage in public relations by putting more emphasis on the state of the relationship with the communities we serve. He added, “We need to move from strategic planning to an action plan.”
In her response, Williams also promoted the need for change. “Our culture has to change. Extension has a powerful network,” she said. “The county agent is so powerful. They are out there in the communities and they see firsthand that the fabric of our society is still hurting, and that crowd is growing.”
While Williams acknowledges that those in Extension work with compassion, she added, “It’s time for new partners, new direction and new action plans.”
Williams, a strong proponent of raising awareness about the work being done by Extension both on campuses and in their service communities, noted, “For us to go forward, we will need to do better. We must market ourselves better.” She also promoted the idea of a new southern campaign under the hashtag “Extension Leads.”
The undertone of Jones’ response was in line with the new leaders and other colleagues. “While we are always accountable to our home state, we have to think of ways to collaborate and think of ways to work together to keep the future of Extension bright,” he said. “None of us have the resources we once had, so let’s look at ways to pull together.”
By all accounts, these professionals appear to have reached a consensus. Their similar thoughts being better collaboration, improved relationships and heightened awareness as it relates to the work in Extension, as noted in Williams’ closing remarks. “Let’s leave the light on for those coming behind us,” she said, thanking the crowd for what they do.
Tucker Wilson
Media & Publications Coordinator
tuwilson@pvamu.edu
(936)261-5116