Expanding Your
Leadership Team
Module 4
Extension Leadership County Councils
What is the County Council?
Purposes
Primary

The main mission of the
Extension Leadership County
Council is to cultivate and
maintain overall ADVOCACY
and SUPPORT for the total
Extension program in your
county
Purposes
Secondary


Develop a marketing plan to
show total county program
impact to funding sources and
public
Facilitate marketing of
educational events and use
public events to demonstrate
and communicate impact of
Extension
Purposes
Secondary

Facilitate
communication and
collaboration between
Program Development
Teams (PDTs),
Extension program
areas, and county staff
Membership

County Extension Agent(s)
CEC
 CEA’s from each program area
represented in county
 CEC & CEA’s serve as Ex-officio
members


1-2 members of each Program
Development Team (PDT)
Membership

One member representing each program area, at
large
Family Connection director, Cattleman's Assoc.
president, BOE member, key volunteer, etc.
 Invited by CEC in consultation with CEA(s)


3-5 members from the community selected by
the staff, led by CEC

Past PDT members, BOE member, BOC member,
special Extension supporters, etc.
Meetings

Minimum four per year (suggest quarterly)


More meetings may be used as needed to keep group
informed and focused
1st Meeting

Educate/Orient
Priority issues
 Educational programs


Promote collaboration between PDTs and program
areas to address issues

Assist Council members in understanding the importance
of each program area
Meetings

Another meeting option

Plan and host an annual event that showcases the
impact of Extension to funding sources and to the
public
Make sure elected officials, funding sources, special
interest groups and general public can see the impact that
all three programs areas have on county
 Consider consolidating duplicated efforts across program
areas that have small impact into a larger issue driven
impact


Other Council meetings – Keep meetings
focused on advocacy; not program development
Advocacy


By definition – advocacy is the active support
for a cause, idea, or policy; also, it can be
defined as arguing or pleading in favor of
something
Advocates for Extension should adhere to the
message, “Cooperative Extension is …”
Education
 Access
 Relevance
 Linkages

Advocacy

Advocates for Extension need:

Knowledge
 Organization/Programs
 Clientele
needs and benefits received
 Funding sources and needs
 Government process and structure
 Roles of elected officials
Relationships/Network
 Communication Skills

Advocacy vs. Lobbying

Advocacy – strong support for a cause

Lobbying – an attempt to influence decisionmaking, especially legislation

Lobbying always includes advocacy; but
advocacy does not always includes lobbying
Cautions



Don’t let purpose of County Council distract
from, or draw focus away from, PDTs
This group is to promote and support Extension
and the program development PROCESS
Many counties already have these: do not
duplicate; this is an effort to streamline and
encourage collaboration between program areas,
reduce duplication and have greater impact
Cautions




Be careful that this group does not take on a life
of its own. Keep them focused on the
purpose(s) of the County Council
Shared leadership is important, but giving up
control of your programs or your office is not
Can have tremendous impact on your county
and county programming, even if you are doing
similar activities now
Will take a concentrated and collaborative effort
from staff to make it successful
DO’s and DON’T’s for County Councils
DO:




Encourage marketing of the entire
Extension program, not individual events
Train Council members to communicate the
overall impact of Extension
Select only Council members who have wide
and extensive networks in the community
Ensure that Council members are sharing
the “Extension is …” message
DO’s and DON’T’s for County Councils
DON’T:




Involve Council members in program
development roles reserved for PDT
Put people on the Council who are not
willing to speak up and speak out – OFTEN!
Meet less frequently than 4X per year
(research shows this is ineffective)
Allow Council members to advocate until
they are fully educated and prepared
Program Development Team
4-H Program Development
ANR Program Development Coordinators
Coordinators
Norman McGlohon – NE District
Al Parker – NE District
Sheldon Hammond – NW District
Ken Lewis – SW District
Dr. Lori Purcell Bledsoe – NW District
Phil Torrance – SE District
Melinda Miller – SW District
Kathy Baldwin – SE District
FACS Program Development Specialists
Janet Valente – NW & SW Districts
Laurie Cantrell – NE & SE Districts
Jeff Christie – Coordinator, Extension Leadership System