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Jeanette Sutherlin’s 37-year tenure with UC Cooperative Extension represents more than just an accomplished career; it was her way of life.  Sutherlin retires June 29.

“It was my goal to make a difference in the lives of people,” Sutherlin said. “I was able to accomplish this by assembling teams and collaborating with other professionals to address issues such as hunger, malnutrition and obesity - conditions that threatened the well-being of low-income Fresno County residents.”

Sutherlin grew up on a Southern California dairy farm and from the age of 9 was active in 4-H, UC Cooperative Extension’s youth development program. In the late 1960s, Sutherlin won state and national 4-H awards.

“I had wonderful 4-H experiences,” Sutherlin said. “Those experiences were really about leadership. I had opportunities that helped me become the person that I am today. Extension professionals encouraged me from a very young age.  I wanted to assist 4-H members to have those same growing experiences.”

Sutherlin earned a bachelor’s degree in home economics education at San Diego State University and in 1973 was hired as an urban youth 4-H program representative for the UC Cooperative Extension office in San Diego. She became a 4-H youth development advisor in Fresno County in 1976. Sutherlin earned a master’s degree in home economics education at CSU Fresno in 1987 and that year was named the Fresno County home economist. The position was later renamed nutrition, family and consumer sciences advisor to more accurately reflect the job’s scope.

“My work as a nutrition, family and consumer sciences advisor was the most rewarding of my career,” Sutherlin said.

In 1990, Sutherlin led a research team that surveyed the nutrition status of Fresno County residents. Even though the county’s rich agricultural industry feeds the nation, the researchers found that many low-income residents were going hungry. The survey indicated that more than 25,000 Fresno County residents sought help each month from 23 emergency food providers. Forty-seven percent of the people helped were children; 35 percent were under the age of 12.

“It was alarming to learn that people in our local community were without sufficient food,” Sutherlin said.

Sutherlin dedicated herself to serving Fresno County’s low-income community by providing nutrition education and improved access to healthful food. She coordinated Fresno’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, which presents basic nutrition education to low-income parents, and later the Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program, which helps the county’s food stamp recipients make healthful decisions when using their food stamp benefits.

Sutherlin recognized that the only reliable daily meal for children in many Fresno low-income families was the free lunch they received at school. When school broke for the summer, many children went hungry or were malnourished. Sutherlin worked closely with the Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission to provide federally funded summer lunch programs for children at Boys and Girls Clubs, recreation facilities, and in schools.

Sutherlin later determined that some families lacked the resources to provide children a proper breakfast at home. She approached school districts, addressed school boards and convinced them to initiate school breakfast programs.

“They were able to see the achievements of the children in these rural, low-income communities after they began to receive school breakfasts,” Sutherlin said.

In 2005, Sutherlin made Fresno County the hub of San Joaquin Valley nutrition education by pursuing a grant from the California Department of Social Services. She successfully developed a proposal for $2.66 million in funding. UC Cooperative Extension became the lead agency for the California Nutrition Network, a successful regional collaborative involving a variety of public and private-sector agencies to offer educational programs that encourage better nutrition and enhanced participation in physical activities.

In 1999, Sutherlin was promoted to director of UC Cooperative Extension in Fresno County, overseeing the agricultural, youth development and nutrition, family and consumer sciences programs. She said she found her niche in administration, extending the management and motivational skills she developed while working with Fresno County’s nutrition educators to all of Cooperative Extension’s academic advisors.

“I consider myself a champion for academic and program staff,” Sutherlin said.

In retirement, Sutherlin will continue to serve the community. She is currently the chair of the Trauma Intervention Program (TIP) board in Fresno and an active volunteer. TIP’s trained volunteers provide immediate emotional and practical support to trauma victims and their families.  For the first six months of her retirement, she will split her time between Fresno and Santa Maria, where she plans to identify additional short-term volunteer opportunities.

Another priority, Sutherlin said, will be spending time with her parents, who remain on their Riverside County dairy.

Beginning July 1, the county director duties in Fresno County will be shared by viticulture advisor Stephen Vasquez and agronomy advisor Shannon Mueller.