March 23, 2021
Transitions and Reassignments for Kansas 4-H Professionals
Please help us express our gratitude for three exceptional youth development professionals as they transition professionally.
Natalia Suarez will be leaving the 4-H Youth Development State office on June 12, 2021. She will be relocating to the Chicago area as her spouse is deployed. Natalia has been an excellent office professional since the first week of December 2019. Her stewardship of volunteer screening processes, providing excellent customer service, assisting in Spanish translation of 4-H resources, and overall office duties in support of Kansas 4-H has been exceptional. Please join me in wishing her well as she moves to the next step in her professional career.
Anissa Jepsen, EdD, will be leaving her work as a 4-H Youth Development Specialist at K-State on June 12, 2021. Family obligations are necessitating a relocation to South Dakota. Since July 31, 2018, Jepsen has given leadership to Shooting Sports Education, Natural Sciences, SpaceTech/STEM, Military Youth Partnerships, Science of Agriculture, and most recently, Animal Science project area leadership. She has been active in ESP, KAE4-HA and most recently been assisting in analysis of KSRE professional onboarding. She has and continues to serve on the National 4-H Thriving task force developing professional development tools that reflect the latest innovations in the science of youth development. She will transition to part-time specialist work starting April 18. Please join me in wishing her well as she transitions to a next step in her professional career.
Bob Weaber, head of Eastern Kansas Research-Extension Centers, and I are announcing that Diane Mack, 4-H Youth Development Specialist for the Northeast Region, has modified her previously announced retirement date to now be effective September 30, 2021. Diane has given tremendous leadership as a local extension agent, regional specialist, and interim Department Head of 4-H Youth Development at K-State. Her duties will continue as support for NE/NW local extension units, PFT leadership, Dane Hansen and National Mentoring grant management, club/project support working groups, and foods project leadership.
The following project areas have been reassigned in light of these coming changes. For the complete list look under the KSRE Resources TEAMS page available to all KSU employees.
Aliah Mestrovich Seay will now give programmatic leadership for the following: Dog, Community Vitality work (including Community Conversations and CIA), accommodations requests, Spanish language supports, photography, visual arts, international programs, grant supports.
Beth Hinshaw will now give programmatic leadership for the following: Personal Development (Communication, Leadership, Reading), Horticulture, Rabbit, 4-H Conference, Ambassador training and Youth Council.
Amy Sollock will now give programmatic leadership for the following: Family and Consumer Sciences (including contest), Foods (after Diane), Clothing, Fiber Arts, Home Environment, Health and Wellness, Family Studies, Poultry, Camp, recognition (including KAP and PINS), record books, Bookstore relations.
Shane Potter will now give programmatic leadership for the following: STEM (including Computer Science, Woodworking, Robotics, Geology, Rocketry, UAS), Ag and Natural Resources (including Entomology, Wildlife, Animal Sciences, Horse), Shooting Sports Education (with Wade Weber), Military Youth Engagement
Wade Weber will now give programmatic leadership for the Science of Agriculture Challenge.