Extension District Meetings Help Employees Navigate Extension’s Waters

Extension Organizational Development, in partnership with Extension Administration, State Program Leaders, and District Extension teams, facilitated five Extension District Meetings across the state from late October through early December. Over 800 employees registered for the five meetings. The meeting's theme was Navigating Extension’s Waters.

A barn event space full of people seated at round tables, listening to the keynote speaker present at the front of the room.
Keynote speaker, Jones Loflin, spoke on the theme at each district meeting.
The dates and locations of the Extension District Meetings were:
  • North Central - October 26 @ NC A&T State University Pavilion, Greensboro
  • Northeast - November 7 @ Bob Martin Eastern Agricultural Center, Williamston
  • Southeast - November 16 @ The Barn at Broadslab, Benson
  • South Central - November 30 @ N.C. Cooperative Extension Moore County Center, Carthage
  • West - December 7 @ Kanuga Conference Center, Hendersonville

View more photos from the different district meetings by clicking on the hyperlinked district names.

The Extension District Meetings were a result of feedback from the 2022 State Extension Conference at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro. The feedback from that conference was that our tenured employees wanted to meet every other year in districts, so these meetings were a result of that feedback.

Extension employees sitting at round tables discussing various topics in pairs.
Extension administrators, including NC State CALS Dean Garey Fox, participate in the table discussions at the North Central District meeting.
The goals for the Extension District Meetings were:
  1. Create community and connection across Extension districts and among employees.
  2. Facilitate collaboration and interdisciplinary work within Extension.
  3. Provide something our employees can return with and implement immediately in their counties.

Two major focuses of the Extension District Meetings were the FISH! Philosophy and the NC State Extension Strategic Plan. In addition, we celebrated employee achievement during our annual Extension Awards Program and award winners received their respective awards at the district meetings.
A group of Extension professionals stand in front of a N.C. Cooperative Extension step-and-repeat banner. Each member of the award winning team has a glass plaque in their hands.
The NC Grange Search for Excellence Northeast Team Award was awarded to members of the Halifax County staff, pictured here with Dr. Rich Bonanno and Dr. Ray McKinnie. All awards photos can be viewed in the district photo albums, linked above.

The district meetings provided an opportunity to collect items for the annual NC State Staff Senate Toys For Tots drive. Extension employees donated generously and helped provide toys to hundreds of families experiencing financial hardship during the 2023 holiday season.

A huge thank you to our District Business Coordinators and hosting county teams for helping make each of these meetings a success! 

Three melons cut and decorated to look like fish sit amongst a platter of fruit on a white table.
Lisa Smith, CED from Martin County, made incr(edible) fish centerpieces to go along with the theme, Navigating Extension's Waters.
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Eleanor Baker
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