UWExtension Western District

1
UW-Extension Western District

• Journey of Excellence
• by Tom Schmitz

2
Disclaimer

• Challenges And Opportunities Are Based On
  Interviews With Staff And A Review Of Print
  Materials
• These Are Perceptions They Are Not Complete Or
  Definitive
• A More Deliberative Process That Engages
  Extension Professionals, Partners And Clientele
  Would Be Preferable

3
The Western District

• 14 Counties
• 10,000 Square Miles
• 660,000 People
• A Strong UW-Extension Foundation
• A World of Possibilities

4
The Foundation

• Dedicated Hardworking Professionals
• Seasoned Veterans
• Exciting New Hires
• History Of Program Success
• Strong Support From Constituents
• Welcoming Support Staff
• Relationships With County Partner

5
The Challenges

• Changing Political Climate
• New Relationships With County Partner
• Tightening Budgets
• Less Than Optimal Staffing
• Demonstrating Value
• Multitude Of Educational Needs

6
The Opportunities

• Local Issue Identification Process
• Evolving County Government Structures
• Rapid Population Growth
• Regional Economies
• RBC, MAT, Strategic Planning, CPAG
• Lets See What The New DD Can Do

7
How Do We Answer The Questions?

• How do we demonstrate our value to decision
  makers?
• How do we help local governments become more
  effective?
• How do we market ourselves to new and existing
  clientele?
• How do we diversify our staff?

8
More Questions

• How do we utilize professional development to
  build our capacity?
• Are we doing enough programming across county and
  program lines?
• How do we build on programs and partnerships to
  respond to local needs and augment our impact?
• Are there opportunities with the four year
  campuses, UW-Baron and the Technical Colleges
  that will help us deliver on our mission and
  enhance our impact?
• Are there other partners to engage?

9
What approaches would I take to maintain
UW-Extension program presence and strength in the
County?

• Is this the right question?

10
What approaches are needed to expand UW-Extension
program outcomes and impacts on behalf of County
residents?

• The question I would ask

11
The Approaches

• Work with the county department head and staff
• Engage decision makers to determine their
• Interests, points of view, long term goals for
  the county
• Acknowledge their position and contributions
• Find points of influence
• Give the partners ideas a fair hearing - try it
  on
• Carry through on commitments to decision makers