Tag: 2023Feb

As of September 27, 2023

New Hires

Amie Mabe: 4-H Youth Development Agent, Greenville County
Jackie Gallagher: Rural Health Agent, Colleton and Hampton Counties
Brittney King: Commercial Horticulture Agent, Florence County
Destyni Perry Tucker: EFNEP Nutrition Educator, Kershaw County
Makayla Wyndham: Administrative Assistant, Berkeley County
Glen Payne: Horticulture Agent, Beaufort County
Susan Long: Administrative Assistance, Newberry County
Vivian Rodriguez Espinoza: Administrative Assistant, Calhoun County

Transfers

Lindsey Craig: Director of Livestock Improvement Programs
Susan Lunt: Extension Associate, Carolina Clear
Mallory Maher: Extension Associate, Natural Resources

Service Milestones

(Anthony) TJ Saverno: Forestry and Wildlife Agent, 20 years of service

As of July 20, 2023

Katie Dore: EFNEP Nutrition Educator, Florence County
Starr M. Dunbar: Rural Health Agent, Aiken County
Cassie Castleberry: Water Resources Agent, Sumter County
Hannah McAntyre: Administrative Assistant, Spartanburg County
Geraldine Cuypers: Water Resources Agent, Florence County

As of June 19, 2023

David Mansfield: Agribusiness Agent, Savannah Valley Region
Laura Hair: 4-H Youth Development Agent, Orangeburg County
Martin Hamilton: Director, South Carolina Botanical Gardens
Christina “Christi” Leard: Program Manager, Cooperative Extension
Haven Blackwell: 4-H Youth Development Agent, Cherokee County

As of May 23, 2023

Alicia Cleer: Upstate Lead Administrative Coordinator/Trainer, Greenville County.
Rob Last: Commercial Horticulture Agent, Lexington
Briana Naumuk: Urban Horticulture Agent, Oconee County.
Alexis Daymon: Administrative Assistant, Dillon County
Jena Broome: Administrative Assistant, Georgetown County

As of February 20, 2023

Ginger Long: Horticulture/HGIC

As of November 22, 2022

Julia Newsome: Rural Health and Nutrition Agent, Union and Cherokee Counties
Madison Parker: 4-H Agent, Charleston County
Eric Eliassen: 4-H Agent, Lexington County
Tiffine Forster: Rural Health and Nutrition Agent, Barnwell, Allendale and Bamberg Counties
Jennifer Weaver: Urban Horticulture Agent and Master Gardener Coordinator, Lexington and Aiken Counties
Sallie Thompson: Livestock and Forages Agent, Aiken County
Lacey Harrington: Administrative Assistant, Clarendon County
Caitlin Leigh Olive: 4-H Agent, Darlington County

Transfers

Patricia A. Whitener: Extension Associate, Lead for 4-H Natural Resources Program Area

Ashley Burns: South Carolina State 4-H Leader/Program Team Director

As of November 17, 2022

Kristin Kunde: 4-H Agent, York County

Transfers

Matt Fischer: Agribusiness Extension Associate for Livestock, Statewide

As of October 25, 2022

Kyle Smith: Agronomy Agent, Darlington and Marlboro Counties
Adam Petty: 4-H Agent, Laurens County
Catherine Watts: Water Resources Agent, Horry and Georgetown Counties
Jevencia Hill: Rural Heath Agent, Colleton and Hampton Counties
Justin Foxworth: Rural Health Agent, Dillon and Marlboro Counties

As of September 20, 2022

Ericka McClam: Administrative Assistant, Aiken County

As of August 16, 2022

Hannah Shifflette: Rural Health and Nutrition Agent, York and Chester Counties
Heather K. Shultz: Extension Associate, 4-H Agriculture and Animals Program
Hillary Winburn: 4-H Agent, Marion County.

As of July 19, 2022

Rogan Gibson: Agronomic Agent, Allendale and Hampton Counties

As of June 21, 2022

Misty Galloway: Administrative Assistant, Pickens County
Sophia Jackson: Administrative Assistant, Georgetown County
Amanda Rudd: Administrative Assistant, Calhoun County
Rachel Zeiders: Administrative Assistant, Fairfield County

As of February 2022

Colin Crippen: 4-H Agent, Spartanburg County
DeAndra Cooper: 4-H Agent, Williamsburg County
Iris A. McDuffie: Rural Health Agent, Florence County
Samantha B. Knight: Administrative Assistant, Chesterfield County

New Program Team Directors

Lee Van Vlake: Livestock and Forage Program Team Director
Troy Helms: Agricultural Education Program Team Director

As of September 2021

• Harriet Palecek: Administrative Assistant, York County
• Elizabeth Rowe: Rural Health Agent, Lancaster County
• Emily Sweatt: Rural Health Agent, Darlington County
• Brad Fowler: Horticulture Agent, Horry County
• Julianna Lyle: Rural Health Agent, Anderson County

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.

The 43rd Annual South Carolina Association of Extension Administrative Professionals (SCAEAP) Conference will be held in Columbia, S.C., April 27-28.

Registration is now open, and the deadline to register is March 24. Please complete the conference registration form and email to Victoria Cushman at vcushma@clemson.edu. 

Our speakers will include Dr. Kirby Player, Palmetto LEAF director; Dr. Rhonda Matthews, Rural Health Program Team director; Ms. Chase Baillie, Food Safety and Systems Program Team area agent; Dr. Shannon Alford, Clemson Agricultural Service Laboratory director; and members of the Department of Pesticide Regulation Team (DPR). Dr. Thomas Dobbins, Cooperative Extension director, will provide CAFLS and PSA updates.

We will also hold our silent auction to fund the SCAEAP scholarship, which goes to a high school senior pursuing a career in business administration.

Hotel rooms must be secured by March 24! Please use the Cambria Hotel’s SCAEAP booking website to reserve your room as soon as possible. The room block choices are (2) queen beds or (1) king bedroom for $119 plus tax under the room block which ends on March 24. 

To become a member of SCAEAP, please fill out the online membership application. For additional information about SCAEAP or the conference, contact Kesha Horton at 803-745-5000 or keshaj@clemson.edu or visit the SCAEAP website. 

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.

The 2023 South Carolina Association of Agricultural Agents (SCACAA) Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference is scheduled for May 10–12 in Rock Hill at the Cambria Hotel in Rock Hill at the University Center.

Registration is now open; please use the Eventbrite link to register and view the agenda. Specialists with Extension appointments are encouraged to attend. Specialists do not have to be a SCACAA member, but there will be a different registration rate.

After you register, use the Cambria Hotel’s SCACAA reservation website to reserve your hotel room. All Rooms are $120/night plus tax with options for a single King or two Queen beds. You must reserve your own room, it is not included in the registration process.

The address for the hotel is 354 Technology Center Way in Rock Hill, and the phone number is (803) 324-0004.

More information about SCACAA is available on the association website. 

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.

This year, the Clemson Extension South Carolina New and Beginning Farmer Program (SCNBFP) is adding ten new workshops to our Advanced programming, as well as a Level-3 certification program. In an effort to broaden educational opportunities for South Carolina farmers, a mini-grant program is being launched for those interested in partnering with SCNBFP on the planning and delivery of these new workshops.

In addition to funding, we are offering turn-key marketing, registration and evaluation services to funded partners. Ten mini-grants will be awarded, and workshops are scheduled for December 2023–March 2024 as part of our Level-3 program. Qualified farmer-educator applicants internal and external to Clemson University are welcome and encouraged to apply. There is a mini-grant webpage that includes a detailed outline of the mini-grant program and an online application.

Applications must be submitted by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, March 20. Awards will be announced in early April, and the program schedule will be confirmed by May 1 with input from all award recipients. Please contact Ben Boyles, SCNBFP director (boyles2@clemson.edu, 803-981-3021), or Diana Vossbrinck, SCNBFP assistant director (dvossbr@clemson.edu, 864-933-0559) with any questions.

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.

Dear Extension Family,

It feels like spring outside, and the coming weeks are packed with various Extension events. Don’t forget to add your events to our calendar. Instructions on how to do so are provided in a detailed guide. I also encourage you to visit our news feed monthly to learn about programmatic efforts across the state your colleagues are involved in.

Clemson Extension Senate Onboarding

Congratulations to Mr. Jason Gore and Ms. Faith Isreal, who developed and implemented a successful Clemson Extension Senate Onboarding training for the executive committee and senators. The training was held on the Clemson campus and focused on expectations, duties, bylaws and committees. An interactive parliamentary procedures workshop was conducted by Mr. Quadri Bell from US Congressman Jim Clyburn’s office. The day closed with an evening social during which Extension Senate representatives presented an impressive 2022 Yearly Report of accomplishments.

47th Annual Clemson Bull Sale

I would like to recognize Dr. Steven Meadows, the director of the 47th Annual Clemson Bull Sale sponsored by Clemson Cooperative Extension, the Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and the SC Cattleman’s Association. The event was a huge success, and records were set for the top-selling bull sold for $38K and the average sale price of $5,988. The sale coordination was a team effort with assistance from the Livestock and Forages team and its Program Team Director, Mr. Lee Van Vlake, along with Dr. Brian Bolt and Dr. Matt Burns.

County Agent Promotions

Thank you to all county Extension Agents, Program Team Directors and District Extension Directors who completed the survey regarding suggestions for possible revisions to the current county agent promotion process. The County Agent Promotion Review Committee has met and is compiling the responses to each survey question. I will share recommendations with everyone once they are provided to me. I would like to thank the committee members for their service: Ms. Deon Legette, Dr. Will Culler, Dr. Matt Burns, Ms. Faith Isreal, Mr. Michael McManus and Mr. Derrick Phinney.

State Budget Priorities

It is that time of year again for the state budget process. Please visit the budget priorities website if you would like to review the FY 2023-24 recurring and nonrecurring requests made by Clemson PSA. Meanwhile, there will be an avid display of green coloring the State House steps on March 7 as we celebrate SC 4-H Legislative Day.

Upcoming

• There are upcoming internal deadlines, events to mark on your calendars, and award nominations and funding to recognize and support our stakeholders. The deadline to submit EPMS materials to your Program Team Director is June 1. It will be here before you know it, so please begin to compile your information if you have not already started. Giving yourself adequate time to do so will ensure you do not forget to report on any of your diligent work. Contact your District Extension Director if you have any questions or need guidance. Additionally, mark your calendar for early August when CUMIS closes for the reporting period from July 2022 to June 2023.
• The solicitation of nominations for the 33rd anniversary “Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year” Award has been announced. This award is open to any farmer or member of a farming family actively involved in the agriculture industry and at least 21 years of age. Please consider nominating a stakeholder in honor of their dedication to South Carolina agriculture. More information and a link to the nomination form are available in the Extension Employee News Blog post. 
• To broaden educational opportunities for South Carolina farmers, Clemson Extension SC New and Beginning Farmer Program (SCNBFP) is launching a mini-grant program for those interested in partnering with us to plan and deliver new workshops. Ten mini-grants will be awarded, and workshops are scheduled for December 2023–March 2024. Qualified farmer-educator applicants internal and external to Clemson University are welcome and encouraged to apply. Please visit the Blog post for details.
• The 43rd Annual South Carolina Association of Extension Administrative Professionals (SCAEAP) Conference will be held in Columbia from April 27–28. Registration will open within the next few weeks. Details and contact information are available in the Blog post.
• The 2023 South Carolina Association of Agricultural Agents (SCACAA) Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference will be held in Rock Hill from May 10–12. Specialists with an Extension appointment are encouraged to attend. Registration will open in mid-March, and details and contact information are available in the Blog post.

I strongly encourage participation from all whom the above-listed meetings are relevant for, especially our new employees. Please visit the New Hires and Transfers Blog post for a list of new team members, and help me welcome them.

Email Signature Update Required

The University’s division, formerly University Relations, is now the Division of Marketing and Communications. There have been some branding updates, one being new email signatures. Please take the time to update your email signature. The guidelines for formatting the new signatures are available on the CAFLS branding website. A display sample is available on the website, and you can copy/paste it into your signature settings and customize the fields. Directions for different email applications and mobile devices are available at the bottom of the webpage.

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.

The call for nominations is now open for the 33rd anniversary “Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year” Award.

The official nomination form is available as a fillable PDF form for download. Hard copies of the nomination booklets are available upon request. This award is open to any farmer or member of a farming family who is actively involved in the agriculture industry and at least 21 years of age.

In order to receive full consideration, completed nomination packets must be submitted by April 14, 2023, to:

Brian Callahan, SC Swisher Sunbelt FOY Coordinator
(Electronic submissions): bcallah@clemson.edu OR
(Hard copy submissions): 352 Halton Road, Suite 302, Greenville, SC 29607

Dates for the 2023 Sunbelt Ag Expo are October 17-19. For more information, visit the Sunbelt Ag Expo website.

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.