Since June 1st, five new regional directors have been working for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
Among the new directors is Julie Hering Kent, who serves as director for ISU Extension Region 22 covering Mills, Montgomery, Fremont, and Page counties. Kent says she was previously the executive director of the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce since 2008. Prior, she served as Cass County Extension?s youth program coordinator and interim county extension education director.
?When the opportunity came up to apply for a region director position back in southwest Iowa, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to get closer to home,? Kent said. ?It was the chance to get back with an organization that has always meant so much to me with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.?
The new regional director positions were created as part of a restructuring in ISU Extension and Outreach. Since 2009, ISU Extension had operated with 20 regions, varying in size from three to eight counties, each served by a regional director. Now, ISU Extension has 27 regions.
?The hope is that by making those region sizes a little smaller, we?ll be able to provide better service for the citizens living in those counties,? Kent said. ?With Iowa State Extension and Outreach, our goal is to provide education. We want to build partnerships and help our citizens prepare for the future.?
Kent adds things have been going well since she began her new position, and that she?s excited for the future.
?Iowa State Extension and Outreach has offices in every county in the state,? she said. ?We?re a 99-county campus. This is a great opportunity for me to work in those counties. I?ll be working directly with the county directors in each of those four counties, as well as the extension councils.?
The other four new regional directors include Beth Frankenstein (Region 2), Anne Tedore (Region 9), Justin Akers (Region 23), and Craig Leager (Region 26).
Regional directors from the previous configuration have been assigned to their new regions and shifted into their positions on July 1st.
