Extension Employee News

Dear Extension Family,

I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent at the South Carolina Women in Agriculture Conference held the other weekend. The coordination was led by Ms. Charley Maxwell of the Agribusiness Program Team along with the South Carolina Women’s Agricultural Network (SCWAgN) committee. The inaugural conference was made possible by an Extension Innovation Grant. On Friday, 55 attendees toured local Clemson-affiliated farms. On Saturday, 80 participants attended the various educational sessions given by 26 speakers at Clemson University’s Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business building. One quote from the evaluations that stood out was from the conference emcee, Ms. Samantha Nichols from SC Farm Bureau—“I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the various speakers. I left feeling so inspired by the older generation and getting to know women in ag more. I can’t say enough about the people at this conference. I’m so thankful I was able to attend and emcee!” The success of this conference has provided a framework to establish it as an annual event, and the committee members should be commended. Please read the Clemson News story and watch the brief video created.

We are wrapping up a successful succession of Coffee Chat meetings. The input provided by program teams was extremely valuable to the planning strategies for Cooperative Extension moving forward. Thank you again to all who attended with their teams. I plan to schedule these Coffee Chats on a biannual basis.

The CU Grow program graduated its second cohort during a ceremony in the Snow Family Outdoor Fitness and Wellness Complex on October 26. The program is unique because its mission includes impacting the University in tangible, positive ways through developing original individual projects. Among the 25 graduates are Ms. Janine Sutter and Dr. Brian Bolt of Cooperative Extension. Ms. Sutter’s “Professional Development the Easy Way” project focuses on ways to help 4-H agents receive professional development throughout the year. The short seminars allow agents to present a topic in which they excel to their co-workers. Dr. Bolt’s project centered on developing a meat science Extension program focusing on industry, youth, and consumers. The mobile processing unit innovation grant his team received is one of the first tangible examples of this concept. I am proud to see Cooperative Extension represented in the CU Grow program.

This past Saturday at the 30th annual SC Farm Bureau CAFLS Alumni Football Tailgate, 4-H Pinckney Leaders, ambassadors, members, parents and volunteers were welcomed by President Clements, Dr. Askew, Dean Belli and other CAFLS staff and alumni to celebrate Military Appreciation Day and Youth Day at the Clemson football game. Our 4-H’ers enjoyed a fun day of food, football and friends.

We are less than a month out from our first joint South Carolina Cooperative Extension Conference, December 5–7, with South Carolina State University. We will welcome 325 registrants to celebrate our land-grant programs and projects and look forward to strengthening our Cooperative Extension bond through coordination, collaboration and cultivation. Please be sure to review the conference agenda to familiarize yourself with the schedule which includes the sessions and speakers, meal information (Monday’s lunch is ‘on your own’), Monday night social, professional headshots, lightning talks and more. Over the past year, we have added almost two dozen new employees to our Extension team. I encourage you to review the New Hires and Transfers Blog post and take the time to introduce yourself to our newer team members at the conference.

As we head into the holiday season, we should be grateful for the freedoms our country allows us, our families and the stakeholders we serve. We could not offer the extent of assistance we do without our stakeholders’ trust. This, in turn, provides us with job security and also the knowledge and satisfaction we have chosen to impact citizens with our expertise and service across South Carolina.

I am thankful for Cooperative Extension because I was given opportunities to grow into a well-informed adult in my youth as a 4-H’er and FFA member. These experiences led me to my current position, through which I watch you give back to our stakeholders with the knowledge and passion I benefitted from. Additionally, my family received educational programming vital to making a living out of our farm, and I am still involved with farming to this day. I asked our Cooperative Extension Administration and Leadership teams what they are thankful for. Below are some responses.

As always, please take good care of yourselves and your families, and thank you for what you do for Clemson Cooperative Extension.

• Rhonda Matthews, Rural Health: I am thankful for a bright future.
• Tarana Khan, EFNEP: I am extremely ‘Thankful’ to be a part of such a hardworking and dedicated team. My deepest appreciation to each team member for showing relentless effort to make EFNEP successful during the 2022 reporting year!
• Cory Tanner, Horticulture: I’m thankful that I work for a talented team of horticulturists who are passionate about serving their clients’ needs and persevere through daily challenges to serve with excellence!
• Lee Van Vlake, Livestock and Forages: I am thankful for my family and coffee.
• Troy Helms, Agricultural Education: I am thankful for the health of my family and the love and support we share and for my Ag Ed team that shares the vision to offer support to our teachers and students and to make South Carolina Agricultural Education the best!
• Nathan Smith, Agribusiness: I am thankful for family and friends and being able to celebrate Thanksgiving with them.
• Derrick Phinney, Forestry and Wildlife Resources: I am blessed to be surrounded by such a great natural resources program team. I am proud of the successes the team and each individual have achieved both at work and in their personal life. Over the last few years, all of us have been met with adversity, and everyone on the team has shown resilience to overcome these obstacles. I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and encourage everyone to enjoy their much-needed time off.
• Kimberly Baker, Food Systems and Safety: I am thankful for a great team and each team member’s breadth of knowledge that they share with the team and South Carolina citizens.
• Ashley Burns, 4-H Youth Development: In preparation for Thanksgiving this year, I am thankful for the opportunity to serve an organization that has a mission I can embrace, provides flexibility for growth and is full of colleagues I enjoy. I am also very grateful for home, faith and family this holiday season!
• Matt Burns, Extension Assistant Director: I am thankful for the opportunity to work with a team of staff, faculty, and students who are passionate about helping and serving citizens across the state of South Carolina.
• Susan Guynn, Assessment and Scholarship: I am blessed with a wonderful family, fantastic colleagues and a beautiful university that I can call both my school and employer.
• Dawn Anticole White, Extension Publishing: I am thankful for my family and farm and for the Extension expertise that helps me take care of both.
• Michael McManus, Pee Dee District Extension Director (DED): I am extremely thankful for so many things in my life. I am most thankful for each morning that I wake up on this earth. I am grateful for my family and the love they share. I am privileged to be a part of the Clemson University family, my alma mater. I am grateful and blessed to have the ability to work with so many wonderful co-workers and friends. I am thankful in every way for all the different people that I have encountered who have helped me grow and develop as an individual.
• George Dickert, Upstate District Extension Director (DED): I’m thankful to work with such an outstanding group of individuals as we serve the people of South Carolina.
• Chris Heintze, Piedmont/Midlands District Extension Director (DED): I am thankful for our fantastic agents and their excellent work.
• Blake Lanford, Extension Assistant Director: I’m thankful to work with individuals who, through their organization, are truly invested in making the communities that we call home better places to live, work and play.
• Deon Legette, Extension Assistant Director: I am thankful for my great family, friends, good health and all of the amazing Extension staff that allow me to serve them.
• Michelle Parisi, Extension Assistant Director: I am thankful for my husband, my kids and my extended family, who encourage and support me on a daily basis. I’m also thankful for my Extension family, who helps me grow and develop at Clemson as a human and professional.

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.