Dear Extension Family,
I was so glad to see each of you at our South Carolina Joint Cooperative Extension Conference last week. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit with new employees and reconnect with many veteran team members I hadn’t seen in quite some time. I want to say thank you for attending and taking part in this conference. I have received numerous positive comments, but the thanks must go to the planning committee. They worked for a year to make this a memorable gathering for all. It is hard to plan a conference with speakers and topics that speak to the entire organization, yet they did it.
We were honored to host this conference and reenergize our partnership with South Carolina State. I hope this conference made it clear that we do not compete with them, nor do they with us, as we share the same mission—to improve the lives of our South Carolina citizens through our programming, which provides unbiased research-based information. I was proud of those of you who contributed to the showcase of 50 research and program demonstration posters, and a sincere thank you to Dr. Julie Northcutt for her coordination of those. After viewing the posters, Senator Thomas Alexander stated, “I knew Clemson and South Carolina State were involved in a lot of programming; I just did not know how much. These posters reflect that we in the general assembly have made a great investment.”
The program team exhibits highlighting programmatic efforts were an amazing display of our work and outcomes. I hope our department chairs and faculty members took the time to explore these exhibits and learn more about Cooperative Extension, as this was a golden opportunity. The fellowship in the hallways, breakouts, and meal functions was terrific. Like many of you, I felt excited about the future upon the conference’s closing. While I know we have a long way to go to “Make the Best Better” and “Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve,” there is no doubt we are off to a great start. Additionally, I promise your Extension Leadership Team has come to understand the crucial need for in-service training for our program areas, and please stay tuned for an exciting announcement soon regarding this need.
In closing, I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. I implore you to take some time off and reflect on what is important in your lives, and I hope and pray it is your family. Sometimes in our personal and professional lives, we extend ourselves to help other families, and we may forget to focus enough on our own. Believe me when I say life is too short and can unexpectedly be changed in a flash. Do not have regrets. Spend time with your family and loved ones over the next few weeks. Enjoy them and count your many blessings. As always, please take good care of yourselves and your families, and thank you for what you do for Clemson Cooperative Extension.
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.
