Reopening a county extension office after a 45-year "break."
Leadership and Administrative Skills
Kurt Jones
Mountain Region Director
Colorado State University Extension
SALIDA
Abstract
The Lake County (Colorado) Extension office closed in 1977 due to economic hardships expereinced there. Utilizing a community needs assessment approach to determining unmet needs in the community and developing the partnership between Colorado State University Extension and Lake County Board of Commissioners, the Lake County Extension office reopened in August, 2022 with a new faculty member and new programmatic focus. The systematic approach, background research, tools used and pain points will be shared to inform other leaders about the importance of continually checking in with clientele, county partners and University leadership to insure programs meet needs. This may be able to be replicated in other counties that do not have active extension programs join the extension fraternity.
Authors: Kurt Jones
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Kurt Jones Mountain Region Director, Colorado State University Extension, Colorado, 81201