Title:   Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Time:  Full-time

Overall Role:  Executive leader and manager of the Extension Foundation and Executive Officer of the Extension Foundation Board of Directors

Salary:  Commensurate with education and experience

The Extension Foundation (EXF) is a member-based, nonprofit 501(c)3, created to support Cooperative Extension and its strategic partners. The primary purpose of the EXF is to generate value for its members and partners by creating innovative and effective Extension educational solutions and supporting Cooperative Extension Service (CES) professionals to have a more significant impact in the communities in which they work. extension.org and extension.org/about/ provide more information on EXF.

The EXF is a virtual space where change is invigorating, and people are enthusiastic about opportunities to create and contribute. The EXF works with CES to support learning that fosters growth, leadership, competencies, entrepreneurship, and innovation. CES is a nationwide network available to all land-grant universities and colleges across the U.S. and its territories.

Position Overview:

The Extension Foundation Board of Directors seeks an exceptional entrepreneurial leader from educational institutions, government agencies, businesses and non-profits, and industry to serve as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The CEO will set the pace and structure for a thriving 21st-century organization invested in ensuring CES has a broad range of engaged learners.  The CEO works closely with the Board of Directors to create a vision and align systems to accomplish its goals.

The successful candidate will understand the CES, how it functions within the land-grant system, and how it works with the U.S. Department of Agriculture-National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA). The candidate should have expertise in working with higher education institutions and nonprofit executive leadership, building partnerships for funding distribution, leading and managing staff and contractors, and developing and managing resources. As a hub for CES innovation and entrepreneurship, the EXF Board of Directors and the CEO develop and implement strategies to achieve goals set by the CES. The CEO must stay current on emerging technologies, partnerships, funding opportunities, and professional development that apply to CES educational programming, and be committed to achieving the diversity goals of the system. The CEO will communicate to, set direction for, and motivate action among Extension Foundation staff.

The CEO and the Chief Operations Officer (COO) make up the Extension Foundation Executive Team. The CEO will have a systems approach for finances, grants management, personnel, and program development/management.

The CEO is responsible for:

• Creating an understanding, actively participating, invoking entrepreneurship, and efficiently executing the vision of innovation among the EXF members and staff.
• Presenting a shared vision of the EXF and CES’s innovations, successes, and opportunities by bridging the traditional CES programming model to a future vision.
• Attracting, recruiting, and retaining member institutions and strategic partnerships.
• Providing effective leadership that rewards and reinforces behaviors that lead to innovation, partnerships, and funding for CES.

• Leading with a proactive and high-performance orientation for cultivating an environment where people are enthusiastic about the opportunities to contribute.
• Building interdependent (self-directed) teams and relationships across the CES and strategic partners to achieve a high level of cooperation.

• Securing funding to ensure long-term financial stability.
• Providing oversight for data security for all aspects of the EXF
• Establishing an environment that successfully secures investments geared toward long-term stability, sharing the EXF’s vision, and developing additional partners and stakeholders.
• Connecting and networking with people in higher education, nonprofits, federal agencies, and industry to create and maintain

Transparency, Accountability, and Responsibility

• Ensuring that all legal and regulatory documents are filed and monitoring compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
• Working closely with EXF Board of Directors to determine direction, establish priorities,monitor development and sustainability, and communicate with members, partners, and staff.
• Holding staff accountable and responsible for achieving strategic priorities.
• Providing general oversight of EXF activities and working closely with the EXF staff to keep pace with changing programming opportunities.
• Guiding the EXF Board, leadership, and staff, to ensure program quality and organizational stability through standards and controls, systems and procedures, and regular reviews.
• Communicating fiscal, programmatic, and strategic goals and seeking input from staff and contractors about challenges and opportunities.

Governance

• Creating a board development plan to assist EXF Board of Directors in articulating and engaging in their fiduciary duties as a board member.
• Strategizing with the EXF Board of Directors to identify, recruit, and engage partners within and outside
• With the EXF Board of Directors, developing an evaluation and marketing strategy demonstrating EXF’s value to members.
• Developing a robust and meaningful relationship with the EXF Board Chair.

Finances

• Providing oversight for financial systems working with the Comptroller to ensure financial efficiencies and integrity for
• Advocating for programs and services that are produced cost-effectively,

employing the economy while maintaining a high level of quality.

• Overseeing fiscal activities and providing leadership in resource development.
• Assuring effective revenue development that is aligned with existing and emerging needs.
• Leveraging the skills and talents of staff to promote effective leadership for the fiscal management of multiple grants and proposals.

Program Development

• Generating a high level of EXF member engagement.
• Communicating to EXF members, partners, and prospective partners, identifying and improving services.
• Facilitating current and emerging program development priorities with EXF Board of Directors, Executive Team, members, partners, EXF staff, and audiences.
• Working with the Extension Committee on Policy (ECOP) to align with their program priorities to seek additional program partnerships and program funding.
• Providing leadership for developing multiple grant proposals, program development within awarded grants, and evaluation and reporting of results and impacts of grants.

Qualifications: 

• Minimum of terminal degree or equivalent experience (Executive Leadership, etc.).
• Documented experience leading change and innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship, generating profits and value in higher education, nonprofit, or government leadership.
• Experience working with Cooperative Extension (within the organization or closely aligned agencies/partners).
• Demonstrated ability to lead change management processes for the creation and sunsetting of work products, policies, and procedures.
• Evidence of successfully implementing new business models.
• Proven ability to lead a financially sustainable organization having multiple funding streams.
• Proven ability to develop and maintain fiscal and organizational transparency, accountability, and responsibility.

• Demonstrated successful experiences and commitment to the recruitment, retention, and development of a diverse staff, promotion of a positive workplace environment, and serving the needs of diverse audiences.
• Experience leading an agile organization in a virtual environment.
• Proven systems thinker with an abundance mindset.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in management and administration.
• Evidence of history of integrity and behavior that develops people and
• Ability to influence and enable others while managing continuity, change, and growth.

The closing date for the position is 5 p.m. Pacific Time, July 28th, 2023, or until a suitable candidate is found.

To apply for this position, please submit your application here:  https://registry.extension.org/231358529407157

To nominate a potentially qualified candidate, provide contact information to Fred Schlutt (fredschlutt@extension.org), Chair of the Search Committee.

Direct any questions to Fred Schlutt (fredschlutt@extension.org), Chair of the Search Committee.

We estimate the survey will take roughly 10 minutes to complete. Findings from this survey will be used to determine future direction for the Extension Foundation as well as being shared widely across all Cooperative Extension organizations.

Please use this link to access the survey: https://virginiatech.questionpro.com/t/AVkR8ZyDIj

We look forward to your response. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. We ask that you please complete the survey by May 22, 2023.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Karen Vines
Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist for Continuing Professional Education
Virginia Tech & Virginia Cooperative Extension

Aaron Weibe
Communications & Engagement Manager
Extension Foundation

Applicants should have knowledge of public health and have some experience relative to Cooperative Extension based at Land Grant Universities.  This position will be part of the EXCITE program team and will serve as an online coach for 5-7 Land Grant University EXCITE teams selected for the adult immunization project.

Responsibilities will include:

• Coaching 5-7 institutional teams through the proposed grant work plan through 2 meetings per month.
• Meeting with all coaches to identify needed resources and professional development for the institutional teams.
• Reviewing team programmatic and financial reports and providing guidance to the team based on these reports.
• Meeting with supervisor to provide input and request assistance as needed.
• Plan and provide direct learning opportunities for teams in national professional development sessions.

The position is for 30 hours per month or approximately 8 hours per week. Not all weeks will be equal; the individual will work with teams to define meeting times. We are seeking two coaches at 25% level of effort or one coach at 50% level of effort. If an interested candidate is in a current Extension position, this would be a buyout of 25% or 50% of time.  If the applicant is not a current Extension employee, this position will be a contractual agreement for 30 hours per month with salary to commensurate with experience.

Interested applicants should upload a letter below stating interest in the position and your experience/working relationship with Cooperative Extension.  A resume highlighting related educational programming and coaching skills, as well as knowledge of public health, should be uploaded below.  The first review of applications will begin May 8, 2023.  This position will remain open until acceptable candidates are identified.

Apply Here

Applicants should have knowledge of public health and have some experience relative to Cooperative Extension based at Land Grant Universities. This position will be part of the EXCITE program team and will serve as an online coach for 5-7 Land Grant University EXCITE teams selected for the adult immunization project.

Responsibilities will include:

• Coaching 5-7 institutional teams through the proposed grant work plan through 2 meetings per month.
• Meeting with all coaches to identify needed resources and professional development for the institutional teams.
• Reviewing team programmatic and financial reports and providing guidance to the team based on these reports.
• Meeting with supervisor to provide input and request assistance as needed.
• Plan and provide direct learning opportunities for teams in national professional development sessions.

The position is for 30 hours per month or approximately 8 hours per week. Not all weeks will be equal; the individual will work with teams to define meeting times. We are seeking two coaches at 25% level of effort or one coach at 50% level of effort. If an interested candidate is in a current Extension position, this would be a buyout of 25% or 50% of time.  If the applicant is not a current Extension employee, this position will be a contractual agreement for 30 hours per month with salary to commensurate with experience.

Interested applicants should upload a letter below stating interest in the position and your experience/working relationship with Cooperative Extension.  A resume highlighting related educational programming and coaching skills, as well as knowledge of public health, should be uploaded below.  The first review of applications will begin May 8, 2023.  This position will remain open until acceptable candidates are identified.

See the full position description and apply here.

The EXCITE teams were able to leverage the unique strengths of the Cooperative Extension System (CES) to respond to the global pandemic and deliver immunization education to their targeted audiences. Extension utilized its tools, knowledge, and connections to communities to reduce barriers to COVID-19 and adult vaccinations, improve communication between the community and healthcare systems, increase accessibility and acceptability of local clinics, and mobilize communities to implement health initiatives.

Unique Strength Highlighted: Partnerships

The Cooperative Extension Service’s Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) program has a history of conducting research and educational activities that support public health. However, in the past, there has been a lack of collaboration with city and county health partners to address community-level health issues. This started to change with the EXCITE project, which required land-grant universities to partner with local health organizations in order to apply for funding. At a time when state and county health departments were overwhelmed and communities needed reliable evidence-based messaging, Extension was able to coordinate their efforts and collaborate with these stakeholders
effectively.

Through these partnerships, Extension was able to work closely with health departments at all levels, creating collaborations based on a shared commitment to promoting immunization and acceptance of vaccines among their communities. The success of the EXCITE project can be attributed largely to these partnerships with professional schools, healthcare providers, state and local health departments, faith-based organizations, and other community partners. By working together, Extension and its partners were able to use their collective knowledge of community geography, culture, and social norms to reach their target audience with comprehensive education and resources. Leveraging these partnerships, EXCITE was able to reach target audiences with efficient messaging that ultimately led to success in increasing immunization uptake. These collaborations have also paved the way for further partnerships across multiple fields beyond immunization education.

Public health partnerships in particular were instrumental in promoting vaccine uptake among EXCITE projects. EXCITE projects teams identified physicians and respected professionals from the state department of health as experts for presentations and speeches at community events and attended a call hosted by the state department of health to build relationships with 138 local
health departments. At least 100 of these local health departments have since disseminated community surveys created by the EXCITE project.

Check out the videos featuring four public health partners discussing their involvement in EXCITE projects. These videos provide insight into what each partner contributed to the project, the impact of their partnership, how their relationship has evolved since working together, and their vision for the future of the partnership. These videos demonstrate the strides made by the EXCITE project in elevating Extension as a valuable partner in public health!

EXCITE Health Partner: University Delaware & DHHS

EXCITE Health Partner: NCDHHS and NC State Extension

EXCITE Partner Video: Arkansas Extension &ARcare

“The Community Seminar Series Playbook: A model for community outreach and student development” was created by a team from the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute (IHSI) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Illinois Extension. It’s the latest publication released by the Extension Foundation for the Cooperative Extension Service. It was made possible with funding from the New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) grant program.

The 13-page playbook describes the Community Seminar Series (CSS) model, which provides valuable, evidence-based health and well-being information to the general public while helping graduate students and postdoctoral researchers develop vital public engagement and science communication skills. More than 9,000 individuals have participated in the program.

The playbook provides detailed information about how the team developed the series. It explores the following topics:

• Series development (gathering presenters, planning promoting sessions, registering participants); 
• Webinar development (choosing topics, creating webinars, delivering content);
• Series wrap-up (debriefing, evaluation, planning future sessions); and
• Best practices in creating programs that serve the public and also provide mentoring opportunities for students and CE professionals

In addition to providing step-by-step instructions, the playbook includes materials to help you build your own community seminar series, including templates, marketing flyers, forms, and other materials. It will also be a valuable resource for those interested in creating opportunities for community engagement, science communication, and mentorship.

The team that created the IHSI CSS and this playbook includes Chelsey Byers, MA (Family Life Educator, Illinois Extension); Kelsey Hassevoort, Ph.D. (formerly the Research Development Manager, IHSI); Max Wallace, BS (Graduate Coordinator, IHSI); and Dee Walls, MA (Extension Outreach Associate, Illinois Extension).

The Extension Foundation has recently added new titles to its library. Topics include creating digital dashboards and resource hubs, Indigenous food sovereignty, DEI, mass media campaigns, game-based education, innovating curriculum, prescribed fire, emergency preparation and response, understanding food labels, and building the resilience of farm and farm families. You can find the entire library of publications here.

Related Reading:

A Template for Better Health: Diabetes Prevention Program Toolkit

A Case Study of How to Use Digital Dashboards to Improve Program Implementation and Evaluation

Programs that applied for NTAE each year were competitively selected and aligned with USDA and Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) strategic goals/priority program areas. Programs receive funding and support from the Extension Foundation for one full year. Over the course of one year, the program leader and team are coached to identify new possibilities and strengthen their planned impact. Each team receives additional support to create materials and experiences that engage Extension resources to speed development and generate a change where it is desired. Awardees can expect robust and productive interaction with a group of catalysts and key informants from the Extension Foundation in a mentoring role to help teams grow professionally over the course of a one-year partnership.

One of the forty teams selected for Year 4 of the NTAE award is the Heart & Hope program from the University of Nevada, Reno. Their  faculty developed the Heart & Hope program to increase the protective factors that create healthy home environments in order to break the cycle of domestic violence. This research-based program provides survivors with resources and skills to strengthen their relationships and have hope for the future. Since 2015, Heart & Hope has served 46 families in Elko, including 54 adults and 110 children.

The Heart & Hope program received a $10,000 fellowship and is currently receiving a year of services from the Extension Foundation to help accelerate and continue to scale their program while building upon their current success. Dr. Dyremple Marsh and Dr. Chuck Hibberd are serving as Extension Foundation Catalysts for this program. Extension Foundation Catalysts are retired Extension Administrators and Directors that provide practical mentorship and support to programs being served through NTAE, and work to keep the teams focused on their short-term and long-term goals while leveraging other resources from within the Foundation. 

Dr. Dyremple Marsh shared, “The Heart and Hope NTAE Team consistently comes prepared with the goal of making significant achievements in the project. Their success to date is a testament of their hard work. The Cooperative Extension Community has a lot to learn from this team when dealing with very challenging community problems.”

The long-term goals for Heart & Hope are to develop a hybrid train-the-trainer model and expand nationwide, breaking the cycle of domestic violence in as many communities as possible. The program will expand to Las Vegas, Nevada’s largest urban center, to discover how the program benefits diverse groups such as low-income, minority, and LGBTQ families. Staff plan to train 10 staff and serve 30 adults and 50 children living in Las Vegas in the first year. By gaining experience serving diverse groups, staff will be prepared to scale the program nationally and obtain listings on evidenced-based program registries.

When asked about her experience working with the Extension Foundation through NTAE, Julie Woodbury, Heart & Hope Program Coordinator, University of Nevada, Reno, said, “as a NTAE grant recipient, each conversation with a catalyst or key informant opens up our eyes to new ways to promote and deliver the program – the case statement; well-designed, eye-catching print/digital promotional material; video clips highlighting program content; a listserv to communicate regularly with partners and families; online registration forms; a dashboard to access program content. It is truly transformational.”

To learn more about the Heart & Hope program from the University of Nevada, Reno, please visit https://extension.unr.edu/program.aspx?ID=17.

The Extension Foundation publicly advertised for this position beginning on November 18th, 2022. 

According to Beverly Coberly, Chief Executive Officer (Interim), “as the Extension Foundation continues to grow as an organization, it has sought ways of improving its financial infrastructure and streamlining our ability to manage awards that benefit the entire Cooperative Extension system. The addition of Arielle in this leadership role does exactly that and aligns with our vision to strengthen all areas of our organization to best meet the needs for our partners in the Cooperative Extension system for today and the future.”

The partnership will focus on fostering innovation, economic development, and building resilient economies served by the Cooperative Extension System. Through this collaboration, the Extension Foundation and Innovation Collective will provide educational resources, mentorship programs, and networking opportunities to help community members, entrepreneurs and small business owners turn their ideas into successful companies.

“This partnership with Innovation Collective will provide the Extension Foundation with new tools and resources to help communities build innovative ecosystems that drive economic growth and community development,” said Beverly Coberly, interim CEO of the Extension Foundation. “We are excited to work with Innovation Collective to create opportunities for entrepreneurs and small business owners in our communities.”

Through this partnership, the Extension Foundation and Innovation Collective will work together to deliver a series of programs and services to support community members, entrepreneurs and small business owners in two communities as part of their Pilot Program. These programs will include mentorship opportunities, access to funding, educational resources, and networking events.

“Innovation Collective is thrilled to partner with the Extension Foundation to drive innovation and entrepreneurship in communities across the country,” said Nick Smoot, CEO of Innovation Collective. “By working together, we can help local community members, entrepreneurs and small business owners turn their ideas into action,create jobs, and build meaningful connections that strengthen local economies.”

The partnership between the Extension Foundation and Innovation Collective builds on the strengths of both organizations to provide communities with the resources they need to build successful businesses and drive economic growth. By working together, they will be able to create a supportive ecosystem that fosters personal growth, innovation and entrepreneurship. The program launch will start with two communities, Breathitt County, Kentucky and Malheur County, Oregon. “I am excited to be part of the program because I am passionate about establishing and maintaining partnerships with local agencies and organizations that meet the identified needs of the community. This opportunity will provide tools, training, and resources that are not readily available in rural communities”, says Barbara Brody, Associate Professor of Practice, Family and Community Health Faculty in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences at Oregon State University. 

For more information about the Extension Foundation and its mission to support the Cooperative Extension System, please visit https://extension.org/. For more information about Innovation Collective and its mission to build innovative communities, please visit www.innovationcollective.co.

Contact: 

Brenna Kotar, Extension Foundation

brennakotar@extension.org

Jenn Farwell,  Innovation Collective

Jenn@innovationcollective.co