By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture
LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture has launched the search for a new director for its outreach arm, the Cooperative Extension Service.
SEARCH — Deacue Fields, vice president-agriculture for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, announced that a search has begun for a new director of the division's outreach arm, the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)
Deacue Fields, vice president for agriculture for the University of Arkansas System and head of the Division of Agriculture, on Wednesday announced the committee tasked to find candidates for the position of senior associate vice president-extension. He appointed Jeff Edwards, head of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences for the Division and the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, as committee chair.
“Filling this position is mission critical,” said Fields. “This is an outstanding career opportunity. The committee members represent the many facets of the Cooperative Extension Service and I believe the members will find candidates who can lead this organization to the next level.”
The senior associate vice president for extension is responsible for operations, management, programs, stakeholder relations and services involving about 600 appointed full-time and 200 part-time personnel. This includes management of federal, state, and county appropriated funds along with grant and gift resources, and an annual budget of $61 million.
The position is headquartered in Little Rock and directly supervises an executive team and other administrative staff. The Cooperative Extension Service has centers in Lonoke and Newport, with county agents and staff in all 75 Arkansas counties, and faculty and staff on seven experiment station campuses and two university campuses.
Find the full job description. Send names of potential candidates to search committee chair Jeff Edwards.
The search committee is comprised of:
Jeff Edwards – Chair, Head of Crop Soil and Environmental Sciences
Diana Morian – Cooperative Extension Service IT Director
Debbie Nistler – Assistant VP for 4-H and Youth Development
Shane Gadberry – Director, Livestock and Forestry Station
Mary Beth Groce — Faulkner County Extension Staff Chair
Jarrod Hardke — Rice Extension Agronomist
Laura Hendrix — Interim Associate Department Head, Family and Consumer Sciences
Mike Blazier – Dean, College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources, UA-Monticello
Dave Caldwell – Head of Poultry Science
Hunter Goodman — Assistant Professor, Community, Professional and Economic Development
James Mitchell — Extension Livestock Economist
Kevin Lawson — Extension Ozark District Director
Priscella Thomas-Scott – 4-H Events Coordinator
Kelly Robbins – Stakeholder, Arkansas Rice
The incumbent, Bob Scott, announced his intent to return to faculty. He will remain as director until a new one is selected. The posting will remain open until filled.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.