Welcome message from Agency Director Jeff Hyde
Thank you to everyone in AgriLife Extension and the Texas A&M University System for the warm welcome you’ve shown to me over the past few weeks. The passion for our work to impact all Texans is strong and deep. I’m incredibly excited to be a part of the team!
I have talked a lot about strategic planning, beginning with my first interview in March and then again on campus in April. It’s clear to me that the agency needs a plan. It’s inspiring to say that we want to positively impact all Texans, but we need to do so within the context of the available resources. The strategic plan will allow us to define measurable goals to achieve over the next few years. We will also need to hear from you, your audiences, your partners, etc. as we establish our plan. You will hear a lot about this over the next few months!
We are starting from a great position. Over the past few days, I’ve had opportunities to engage many in the agency and learn about programs and the support we have around us. I’ve also had the opportunity to observe a portion of our “Owning Your Piece of Texas” program and tour the Uvalde Research and Extension Center. These briefings and visits have been very useful to me and I’m looking forward to the many that lie ahead.
I’ve received many invitations to attend various meetings. While I can’t attend all, I hope that you won’t allow that to keep you from extending an invitation. If nothing else, each one provides additional information on what we are doing, how we are doing the work, our partners, etc. Please keep them coming!
Over the next few weeks and months, I’ll be focused on networking (meeting you and our external stakeholders) and agency strategic planning. I’m absolutely excited to meet you all and establish a plan so that we can work together, as “One Brand-One Team,” to positively impact all Texans.
Fittingly, you will soon be visiting and interacting with members of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT): Angela Burkham, executive associate director; Jeff Ripley, associate director for operations; Dan Hale, associate director for agriculture and natural resources; Courtney Dodd, associate director for families, health and youth programs; Donna Alexander, assistant agency director and chief financial officer; and Blair Fannin, associate director for communications. I’m excited to have this team in place and encourage interaction with ELT involving future agency work.
Finally, I’ll renew my invitation to connect on social media, especially Twitter and Facebook. I’ve enjoyed the chance to get to know many of you a little bit through those tools.
Thanks again for all that you do for the agency and for your audiences. I’m very proud to be a part of this team!!
Jeffrey Hyde
Director
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Connect on Twitter: @jeffhyde
September 26, 2019
Tropical Storm Imelda-Extension Response
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Prairie View Cooperative Extension have been providing response and recovery efforts associated with Tropical Storm Imelda in Southeast Texas counties of Chambers and Jefferson. An agent Strike Team provided assistance in both Chambers and Jefferson counties after devastating flooding resulted from the storm. For the September 21-22 period, 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.
We commend the efforts of these agents for their service and commitment to responding to the needs of Texas.
SALE Applications for 2019
Applications for the San Antonio Livestock Exposition-Leadership Extension program are now accepted through December 1. The SALE-Leadership Extension program is designed to provide AgriLife Extension faculty the opportunity to build and develop comprehensive leadership skills. Class XIV will begin in May 2020 with four sessions during six-month intervals. Each SALE session is four days and each session is held at three different locations across the state plus one out of state session. The program will cover a wide variety of leadership topics.
Extension faculty with three years of experience and aspiring to enhance their leadership skills are eligible to apply. For an application and more information about the program, visit: https://sale.tamu.edu. Those selected for the program will be notified March 1, 2020.
Call for Superior Service Awards Nominations
Now through October 15, nominations for the Superior Service Awards, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s highest level of recognition are being accepted.
There are 11 categories of awards offered this year and stipends for recipients have been increased to $500 for individual awards and $2,000 maximum for team awards. To submit nominations, please see the Super Service Award nomination instructions.
This year’s winners will be honored at a special dinner Thursday, January 9, 2020 at the Stella Hotel in Bryan. To save your seat for the event, please RSVP using this Google Form.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Stella Hotel at a rate of $101. To make your reservations, please visit AgriLife Extension 2020 Awards Banquet.
AgriLife Extension Personnel Updates
July/August 2019
