UC ANR Interim Director for County Cooperative Extension

As you know David Bunn, our recent Director of County Cooperative Extension, retired earlier this month. We have had a number of leadership changes recently and I am very cognizant of the need for internal continuity across the organization. After carefully considering options, we have arrived at an interim leadership structure to preserve the integrity and effectiveness of our county extension efforts. Key changes are outlined below and illustrated in the attached interim org chart.

I am pleased to announce that Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty has agreed to step into a 50% assignment as Interim Director of County Cooperative Extension. 

I know that all of you have worked with Lynn in her role as Director of our statewide 4-H Youth Development Program. Lynn also served as a County Director for 7 years and is very familiar with the work and opportunities of our county offices and programs. She is a strong champion of all county-based research and extension. All County Directors will report to Lynn. She will continue in her role as Director of the Statewide 4-H Youth Development Program (50%) and will also continue to serve as the Strategic Initiative Leader for Healthy Families & Communities.  

Keith Nathaniel and Steven Worker have each agreed to take on a 25% Interim Assistant 4-H Youth Development Program Director role. Keith will focus on leading the 4-H staffing plan and Steven will focus on implementation of the 4-H 2018-2028 Strategic Plan. Both Keith and Steven are well-suited for these roles as they were intimately involved with the development of these respective plans. Their knowledge and leadership will ensure a smooth transition for everyone. 

I know that we now have a number of interim leaders across the organization. I am grateful for their passion and dedication to the UC ANR mission and their desire to ensure that we continue to serve the communities of California as a strong and cohesive organization. The search for a permanent Associate Vice President is about to begin; we expect to be posting it shortly. Once that person is in place, we will take the opportunity to consider how our programmatic leadership structure can best position UC ANR for future success. While the search is underway, please offer these interim leaders your support in any way you can.

I will overview this new structure at the October 7 research and extension center and county directors meeting and at the October 20 Town Hall.

In addition, Lynn will host open “office hours” on Monday, October 3 from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. and again on October 4 from 2-3 p.m. If anyone would like to hop on a Zoom to ask questions or just chat, the Zoom links are listed below. 

• October 3 from 11 a.m. to noon: https://UCOP.zoom.us/j/95139507968?pwd=anIzQlFGTnRzS2RUa3JTempaaFc2QT09
• October 4 from 2 to 3 p.m.:  https://UCOP.zoom.us/j/97250695251?pwd=TkxoR1dsS2gyWTNaRU9ZSFJCVm43QT09

If you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out to me, Deanne Meyer, Tu Tran or Kathy Eftekhari.  

Best wishes,

Glenda

Glenda Humiston
Vice President

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