Engagement Front And Center For Stone County Extension
August 15, 2019
Stone County’s MU Extension team is pictured above. From left to right, they are Amanda McCormick, Tim Schnakenberg, Jenni Nevatt, Jenifer Myer and JoEtta Bowling.
Across the state, communities reported that they need a local community-focused person who is easy to contact and who is fully engaged with their community. They want in-depth knowledge to be accessible in their communities, as well as a connection point to the latest research. The University of Missouri Extension has served in this capacity for more than 100 years but a new staffing plan aims to put engagement with communities and stakeholders front and center.
To accomplish this, MU Extension transitioned their local staff based on the nature of program delivery. Gone is the time of the Extension Agent pushing university knowledge out to the citizens who did not have many means, such as the internet, to obtain it. Extension now moves to a model where County Engagement Specialists (CES) curate university knowledge with the citizens. Each CES represents their home county, MU Extension and the resources of the University of Missouri, as well as local stakeholders. The CES will broker connections, information and resources to the betterment of the community. Through engagement work, the Specialist is constantly learning about the conditions of the population and community as well as the application and efficacy of knowledge.
New to the role of County Engagement Specialist in Stone County is Jenni Nevatt. Half of her time will be focused on engagement within Stone County while the other half will be focused on Nutrition and Health programs and initiatives within Stone, Taney and Christian Counties. Field Specialist in Agronomy, Tim Schnakenberg, will continue to provide agriculture related programs in Stone and surrounding counties. Schnakenberg has served as County Program Director in Stone County since 2002. The responsibility of overseeing the Stone County Extension Council and administrative duties will now shift to Nevatt, allowing Schnakenberg to focus on providing highly specialized consultation and applied research. MU Extension has Specialists in area counties with many different program specialties who also serve Stone County. Stone County MU Extension is located on the second floor of the Courthouse in Galena. What can MU Extension do for you?
• JoEtta Bowling staffs the office Monday-Friday from 8:00-4:00, taking soil samples, providing university publications and answering questions related to MU Extension services.
• Youth Program Associate, Jenifer Myer, oversees several 4-H clubs and leaders in Stone County with members having projects in areas like robotics, archery, photography, goats, livestock and outdoor adventures.
• Nutrition Program Associate, Amanda McCormick, provides nutrition education programs to low-income youth and adults helping them to make healthy choices related to food.
• Agronomy Specialist, Tim Schnakenberg, works with farm producers and landowners to provide current recommendations in soil fertility, livestock and forage management, pest management, commercial horticultural production, environmental quality and much more. Regional grazing and hay production schools are offered. Tim also oversees the Master Gardeners of the Ozarks program which consists of trained volunteers conducting horticultural programs throughout Stone and Taney Counties.
• County Engagement Specialist in Nutrition and Health, Jenni Nevatt, provides research-based programs and tips on nutrition, cooking, food safety, food preservation, chronic disease management, stress management, as well as exercise and health. Jenni also works with communities on broader nutrition, health and wellness initiatives such as policy, systems and environmental changes.
• The Stone County Extension Council is a seventeen member council of dedicated elected and appointed citizens who meet monthly to help determine the programs that will best meet the needs of county residents, approves personnel headquartered in the county and maintains the Extension Center from funds provided by the Stone County Commission. Members of the public are welcome to attend.
To accomplish this, MU Extension transitioned their local staff based on the nature of program delivery. Gone is the time of the Extension Agent pushing university knowledge out to the citizens who did not have many means, such as the internet, to obtain it. Extension now moves to a model where County Engagement Specialists (CES) curate university knowledge with the citizens. Each CES represents their home county, MU Extension and the resources of the University of Missouri, as well as local stakeholders. The CES will broker connections, information and resources to the betterment of the community. Through engagement work, the Specialist is constantly learning about the conditions of the population and community as well as the application and efficacy of knowledge.
New to the role of County Engagement Specialist in Stone County is Jenni Nevatt. Half of her time will be focused on engagement within Stone County while the other half will be focused on Nutrition and Health programs and initiatives within Stone, Taney and Christian Counties. Field Specialist in Agronomy, Tim Schnakenberg, will continue to provide agriculture related programs in Stone and surrounding counties. Schnakenberg has served as County Program Director in Stone County since 2002. The responsibility of overseeing the Stone County Extension Council and administrative duties will now shift to Nevatt, allowing Schnakenberg to focus on providing highly specialized consultation and applied research. MU Extension has Specialists in area counties with many different program specialties who also serve Stone County. Stone County MU Extension is located on the second floor of the Courthouse in Galena. What can MU Extension do for you?
• JoEtta Bowling staffs the office Monday-Friday from 8:00-4:00, taking soil samples, providing university publications and answering questions related to MU Extension services.
• Youth Program Associate, Jenifer Myer, oversees several 4-H clubs and leaders in Stone County with members having projects in areas like robotics, archery, photography, goats, livestock and outdoor adventures.
• Nutrition Program Associate, Amanda McCormick, provides nutrition education programs to low-income youth and adults helping them to make healthy choices related to food.
• Agronomy Specialist, Tim Schnakenberg, works with farm producers and landowners to provide current recommendations in soil fertility, livestock and forage management, pest management, commercial horticultural production, environmental quality and much more. Regional grazing and hay production schools are offered. Tim also oversees the Master Gardeners of the Ozarks program which consists of trained volunteers conducting horticultural programs throughout Stone and Taney Counties.
• County Engagement Specialist in Nutrition and Health, Jenni Nevatt, provides research-based programs and tips on nutrition, cooking, food safety, food preservation, chronic disease management, stress management, as well as exercise and health. Jenni also works with communities on broader nutrition, health and wellness initiatives such as policy, systems and environmental changes.
• The Stone County Extension Council is a seventeen member council of dedicated elected and appointed citizens who meet monthly to help determine the programs that will best meet the needs of county residents, approves personnel headquartered in the county and maintains the Extension Center from funds provided by the Stone County Commission. Members of the public are welcome to attend.