National eXtension Initiative

eXtension Receives USDA Secretary’s Honor Award

The award recognizes exceptional leadership, contributions or public service by individuals or groups who support the mission and goals of the USDA.

On Wednesday, October 22, 2008, eXtension, on behalf of the Cooperative Extension System, was presented with a USDA Secretary’s Honor Award by Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer in Washington, D.C. The 61st annual USDA Honor Awards Ceremony honored 26 groups and 6 individual winners for exemplary service and achievements from across the country.

The eXtension award was presented to a group led by Ron Brown and Greg Crosby. “It is quite an honor to see the acclaim given to the Extension System for initiating such a progressive and futuristic educational program. This growing program, which fits the information-seeking behavior of today’s and tomorrow’s customers, is placing the Extension system more clearly in a leadership position in the eyes of customers and colleagues alike,” said Brown, Executive Director of the Association of Southern Region Extension Directors.

The citation for the eXtension award reads: “For excellence in leadership and commitment to bringing Americans the best research-based, objective, and reliable information and educational resources 24/7/365 online through eXtension and the Cooperative Extension System. ”

“It has been my great pleasure to work with eXtension since its inception and I am very happy to represent the many, many outstanding land-grant university professionals who have contributed to its success. eXtension captures the spirit of Cooperative Extension and is reaching new audiences every day. Such great recognition by the Secretary of Agriculture demonstrates its value to Americans everywhere,” said Crosby, National Program Leader, CSREES/USDA and CSREES liaison to the eXtension initiative.

The award, presented in the category of Supporting the President’s Management Agenda and Civil Rights went to team members: Lavon L. Bartel, Maine; Paul D. Coreil, Louisiana; Dan Cotton, eXtension staff; Carla Craycraft, eXtension staff; Elbert C. Dickey, Nebraska; Kevin J. Gamble, eXtension staff; Colien Hefferan, CSREES/USDA; Karen J. Hinton, Nevada; Lyla E. Houglum, Oregon; Betty Johnson, eXtension staff; David A. King, Oregon; Daniel E. Kugler, CSREES/USDA; Michael T. Lambur, eXtension staff; Lawrence A. Lippke, eXtension staff; L. Washington Lyons, North Carolina; Dalton H. McAfee, Mississippi; Terry Meisenbach, eXtension staff; Carl W. O’Connor, Wisconsin; Frederick J. Piazza, Louisiana; Adam Siegel, Illinois; Larry W. Turner (deceased), Kentucky; James C. Wade, NASULGC; Craig H. Wood, eXtension staff; Richard D. Wootton, NASULGC; and R. Stephen Wyatt, Missouri.

Team members attending the Washington, D.C. ceremony were honored and presented individual certificates at a luncheon hosted by the Research, Education, and Economics Mission Area and REE Undersecretary Gale Buchanan and then the formal presentation of the award to Crosby and Brown by USDA Secretary Schafer during the formal awards ceremony.

Dan Cotton, eXtension Director noted, ” At the heart of eXtension is a commitment to service, understanding people’s educational needs and responding to those needs in a timely manner in technology formats of their choosing. It’s about working collaboratively in communities’ designed to produce the best the Cooperative Extension System has to offer. Receiving a USDA Secretary’s Honor Award is really an affirmation that Cooperative Extension is once again an organization of change and willing to step up and do whatever is necessary to serve the needs of the people.”