I’ve truly enjoyed my first two months with AgriLife Extension. I’ve had the chance to meet many of you as well as external stakeholders including industry partners, elected officials, and TAMU System partners. Over the next few months, I’ll be visiting with more of you and continuing to meet our stakeholders. While much of my time has been spent in briefings, receptions, etc., I have also begun to work with the Extension Leadership Team (ELT) on establishing a strategic plan for the agency.
Dr. Stover has charged me to establish a clear direction for the agency and to identify a sustainable business model. The planning process will help us to identify both of those things. As I’ve indicated before, I will be communicating with you over the next few months about that. Right now, we are working to identify someone to lead the process. We hope to have that person identified very soon.
Having a cohesive leadership team will make planning (and just about everything else) smoother. In my observations so far, the leadership at all levels appears to work well together. It’s been refreshing to see that. It doesn’t mean, though, that we shouldn’t work to solidify the leadership teams that exist. Therefore, the ELT met recently to identify ways to utilize principles in Patrick Lencioni’s “The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business.”
The book focuses on the notion of organizational health and addresses a number of key items that are important in a healthy organization:
- A cohesive leadership team.
- Creating clarity (Getting on the same page as a leadership team)
- Overcommunicating clarity (how we work together to ensure that all in Extension are clear on the direction and how we are going to get there).
- Reinforcing clarity (through our policies and practices).
I have provided copies of the book for all members of the Central Leadership Team (CLT), which includes DEAs, RPLs, ADHs, and unit leaders. The concepts in the book will provide us with a common leadership language and a framework for leading through the process of developing and implementing our strategic plan. If you’d like to learn more about “The Advantage,” consider subscribing to Lencioni’s podcast called “At the Table.”
I am looking forward to working with all of you to develop and implement the plan. Whether you have a formal leadership responsibility or not, your input and support will be critical as we work together to impact every Texan.
Jeffrey Hyde
Director
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Connect on Twitter: @jeffhyde
November 6, 2019
AgriLife Extension programs recognized by American Diabetes Association
Sí, Yo and Puedo and Wisdom, Power, Control are now officially nationally recognized programs by the American Diabetes Association. This month the association launched a new initiative to provide a registry of vetted programs, which meet their high standards as evidence based. These two programs were among the ten chosen after a year-long review/selection process. These practice-based programs have been published in peer-reviewed journals the recognition helps AgriLife Extension move to the forefront in providing high-quality, science-based diabetes self-management education programs.
Learn more about these programs
Regents Fellow Service Awards
The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents recently announced recipients of the Regents Fellow Service Awards and Regents Professor Awards. Congratulations to Danny Nusser and Kathy Smith for recently being named Regents Fellow Service Award recipients.
The awards recognize and honor exemplary accomplishments and contributions by faculty, extension or research professions. The Board established the Regents Fellow Service Awards program in 1998 to recognize employees who have made exemplary contributions to their university or agency and to the people of Texas. Please join me in commending the work of both Danny and Kathy who both have 70 years of combined service to AgriLife Extension!
Tropical Storm Imelda Response-Video
https://youtu.be/zWqphXFNgI8
To see the great work carried out by our AgriLife Extension agents following Tropical Storm Imelda, check out the video by clicking on the thumbnail or button. Agency personnel assisted with 1,471 square bales of hay air-dropped via Chinook helicopters to 4,516 stranded head of cattle. Agents also worked in collaboration with the Texas A&M Veterinary team in housing and care of animals. Animal sheltering operations were established at Whites Park in Chambers County and Ford Park in Jefferson County. Agency personnel also supported surveys of storm damage in support of Texas Division of Emergency Management and the Counties of Orange and Jasper. Again, we commend the efforts of these agents for their service and commitment to responding to the needs of Texas.
Professional Scheduling
Delivering high-quality educational programming requires work during normal business hours and, in many instances, hours worked outside of the normal workday. To maintain healthy work-life balance and to ensure accountability for all professional, salaried, exempt employees (Extension Agents, Specialists and Administrators), AgriLife Extension has established a Professional Work Schedule Statement.
Walk Across Texas
The Walk Across Texas Kickoff Rally put on by the Lasara Independent School District was featured on on KRGV Channel 5 News giving Healthy Texas and AgriLife Extension great exposure to wide viewership in South Texas.
South Central Texas Cow-Calf Clinic
The 48th Annual South Central Texas Cow-Calf Clinic One, one of the oldest Extension beef educational events, was held recently in Brenham at the Washington County Fairgrounds. Several hundred attendees received updates on animal identification requirements, eminent domain and pipeline easement negotiations, private pesticide applicator laws and regulations and grazing strategies. A special youth track focused on beef cuts, grilling basics and more. Thanks to Kara Matheney, AgriLife Extension agent in Washington County, as well as Extension agents from surrounding counties for another successful event.
Drury appointed Regional Program Leader for West Region FCH/4-H Youth Development
Stacy Drury will assume the role of Regional Program Leader for Family & Community Health/4-H Youth Development in the West Region as of December 1. Stacy will be headquartered at the District 7 Research & Extension Center in San Angelo.
Stacy has been with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service since 2013 serving in Bandera County as the County Extension Agent for Family & Community Health. In her time in Bandera County, Stacy has developed and grown partnerships with key organizations and provided leadership to the development and implementation of high-quality, relevant and innovative educational programs. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Science Degree in Retail Management with a Minor in Restaurant, Hotel and Institutional Management from Texas Tech University and a Master of Science Degree in Agriculture Science, Adult Education from Texas A&M University – Kingsville.
AgriLife Extension Personnel Updates
September 2019
