July 30, 2019
Leadership Transitions
This week’s article is a little long, as I need to announce two leadership transitions.
Our first leadership transition announcement involves Dr. Paula Peters. Dr. Peters began her Extension career in October of 1990. After a successful career as an Extension specialist, Dr. Peters accepted leadership responsibilities by becoming Assistant Director and Family and Consumer Sciences Program Leader in March of 2000.
Since that time, Dr. Peters developed state, regional, and national recognition for her Family and Consumer Science, SNAP ED, and EFNEP programmatic leadership. Dr. Peters spearheaded many improvements at K-State Research and Extension, most notably in the areas of Extension professional onboarding, professional development, program development, delivery, evaluation, and reporting. In August of 2011, she took on her most daunting assignment when she helped mentor and onboard a new Assistant Director and Agriculture, Natural Resources and Community Vitality Program Leader – me. Don’t blame her. She did the best she could with what she had to work with, and I am eternally grateful for her mentorship. Most recently, she led and successfully implemented our innovative Program Leader Coordinator model of Extension programmatic leadership.
Dr. Peters will be retiring in October. We thank her for all that she has done for the people we serve, our colleagues, K-State Research and Extension, and the Extension profession.
We will now begin a national search for a new Associate Director for Extension Programs. The candidate of choice must have significant Extension experience, demonstrated leadership ability, and a Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree. The candidate of choice must have earned tenure, or upon accepting the position, be able to be granted tenure. Most important, the candidate of choice must have a passion for Extension and leading and administering our entire portfolio of Extension programs, including federal and state programs administered by K-State Research and Extension like SNAP ED, EFNEP, Agriculture Medication Services, Kansas Forestry Service, PRIDE, SARE, and RREA. A detailed position announcement will be forthcoming. A search committee is being formed.
What should you be doing regarding this position announcement? The best searches are marked by having a large pool of qualified candidates and a great search and screen committee. Start recruiting highly qualified candidates by spreading the word about the position among our colleagues within K-State Research and Extension and in other Extension systems. If you are eligible, consider being a candidate yourself. Forward names of potential candidates for this position to me (ghadley@ksu.edu) or the soon-to-be-named chair of the search committee. If you are asked to serve as a search and screen committee member, please do so.
The other leadership transition to present is the position opening announcement for a new Regional Local Unit Extension Director. This position continues our evolution towards more specialized local unit administrative leadership and will have similar duties and responsibilities as Mary Sullivan’s position. This Regional Local Unit Extension Director will provide administrative leadership to the local units of northwest and north central Kansas.
I want to thank Dr. Onstad for his willingness to temporarily cover the leadership void following Dr. Moore’s retirement. Dr. Onstad has done an excellent job providing leadership to our northern local units, the Northeast Regional Office, and the Northwest Research and Extension Center. Nevertheless, such responsibility is too much to ask indefinitely, and the time is right to make this adjustment. Dr. Onstad will continue to serve as the administrative leader of our local units in northeast Kansas and the Extension faculty and staff of the Northeast Regional Office, and the Northwest Research and Extension Center.
K-State Research and Extension is unique in the United States with regard to its local unit administrative leadership structure. Due to this uniqueness of our local unit operations, this will be an internal search. The candidate of choice will have a minimum of a master’s degree or equivalent. They must have a strong working knowledge of K-State Research and Extension local unit programming, budgeting, human resources, and operations. The candidate of choice will have demonstrated experience working with local unit Extension programming, Program Development Committees, Extension Boards, and communicating with elected officials. They will also demonstrate a passion for the Extension profession, K-State Research and Extension, and the people we serve.
A more detailed position announcement for the Northwest and North Central Regional Local Unit Extension Director position will be forthcoming. A search committee is being formed.
What should you be doing regarding this position announcement? Once again, the best searches are marked by having a large pool of qualified candidates and a great search and screen committee. Start recruiting highly qualified candidates by spreading the word about the position among our colleagues within K-State Research and Extension. If you are eligible, consider being a candidate yourself. Forward names of potential candidates to me (ghadley@ksu.edu) or the soon-to-be-named search committee chair. If you are asked to serve as a search and screen committee member, please do so.
Next week, I will announce the search and screen committees for these two positions. I will also announce how the new Northwest and North Central Regional Local Unit Extension Director Position will affect our local unit administrative leadership coverage.