News and Notes: January 10, 2025

– originally shared by David Civittolo via email on Jan. 2, 2025 

As we begin the new year, I want to take a moment to reflect on our achievements in 2024. From our statewide drought response and support to providing dairy producers with crucial guidance on the impact of avian influenza on their herds, we’ve had a meaningful impact on the livelihood of Ohioans last year. We’ve also made significant strides in farm stress and mental health first aid research—though there’s still much more to be done. Additionally, our statewide homebuyer education counseling played a key role in helping the Ohio Housing Finance Agency reach residents in all 88 counties throughout Ohio.

Many thanks to all of you – from support staff to state specialists – who played a role in helping us serve the education and information needs related to these topics, and countless others, in communities across the state. Our collective effort and unwavering commitment to every Ohio community has truly made a difference in the lives of many.   

As we prepare for another impactful year, I am writing to announce several key changes and updates for our system.  With progress comes change, and I anticipate that we will continue to experience more of the same. 

LEADERSHIP CHANGES 
As we continue to develop a future state of OSU Extension, there are several key leadership changes needed to allow us to keep moving forward while sustaining the necessary work we do each day.  The following changes will be effective immediately: 

1. Jeff McCutcheon will be the interim state 4-H leader. Jeff has provided genuine leadership in his current position as director of Extension Operations, and I look forward to him working in this program leader position. As a former county educator and regional director, Jeff has the leadership skills to guide the 4-H program through this transition. I have empowered Jeff to make decisions based on what is most beneficial for the program as a whole. Jeff will remain in the 4-H leadership role until a new permanent leader is appointed. As I shared before the holiday, the Ohio 4-H program leader search committee is working on updating the position description, and the job opportunity will be posted later this month. 

2. To fill Jeff’s role as director of Operations, Megan Arnold and Lindsey Latscha will be acting co-directors of Operations while remaining in their current roles as area leaders. I have worked closely with Megan and Lindsey, and I look forward to having their skills on the Operations team. 

3. As also previously shared, Jane Wright, the assistant director of Extension Publishing, retired earlier this week. Congratulations again to Jane on reaching this career milestone, and we wish her all the best in retirement. Cheryl Buck will now lead the Extension Publishing unit as the interim assistant director. Cheryl will also remain in her current role as Extension communications manager. Annie Steel, project manager with the Publishing unit, will also continue handling some extra responsibilities and will work closely with Cheryl to ensure a smooth process as the team starts a very busy time of year. 

OTHER UPDATES 
I want to reiterate that the search committee for the Agriculture and Natural Resources program leader has met and is currently reviewing the position description, with the goal of having the position posted later this month.

Occasionally, I receive inquiries about Extension leadership and the members of the Extension Administrative Cabinet. The latest organizational chart for OSU Extension available here, which includes the changes outlined above and identifies the Cabinet members.   

MOVING FORWARD IN 2025 
Much like in 2024, change in 2025 is inevitable. The start of a new year provides a good time to remind ourselves about the importance of the university’s Shared Values and the expectation that we maintain professionalism and civility as Extension professionals. What does this mean? For me, it includes the following: 

• We follow and adhere to our Keys – Trust, Care, Adaptability, and Efficiency. These aren’t just words on a piece of paper, but they are guides for how we act and interact with one another, our partners, and our clientele. 

• We conduct ourselves as professionals by being productive, taking initiative, and maintaining effective work habits. We strive to develop a professional image, communicate clearly, build positive relationships, be strong teammates, and demonstrate effective communication skills. 

• We are energy givers, not energy takers. While it’s easy to approach difficult situations with negativity, I challenge each of you to reflect on whether you're contributing positively to finding a solution or unintentionally making the situation harder by lacking positive energy. 

• We approach the work we do with the ‘I get to’ mindset that Alex Sheen shared at our conference last month versus an ‘I have to’ mindset. 

I am genuinely excited for what 2025 holds for us. While we will face both successes and challenges as an organization, I am confident in our ability to navigate them together. I am also eager to see how we continue to advance the land-grant mission that unites all of our work as Extension professionals.

Join the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the Ohio Poultry Association, and OSU Extension for an HPAI update and biosecurity tips to keep your backyard chicken flock safe. The webinar will be Jan. 15 (12 p.m.), and you can register here.

The Environmental Professionals Network (EPN) will kick off its 2025 programming on Jan. 14 with “Moo-ving Methane: Converting Ohio’s dairy farm manure into an energy source.” Join the networking breakfast to learn about methane-capturing technologies implemented by IGS Energy on dairy farms and their contributions to energy supply diversification and climate change mitigation. At the event, you'll hear from a multi-sector team of agricultural engineers, energy providers, and representatives from Ohio's dairy industry who are working together to convert manure methane into bioenergy. Learn more and register at go.osu.edu/epnjan25.

Dig into soil health during the 2025 Ohio State Soil Health Webinar Series. The webinars will feature a variety of speakers and various topics related to soil health. The dates and topics are as follows: 

• Jan. 16 – Zooming into soil health via a producer, an educator, and a researcher 

• Feb. 13 – Understanding the basics and practicalities of biologicals  

• March 20 – Comparisons of soil health tests and what they are telling us  

• April 10 – Soil health in the urban sphere  

Learn more and register here. 

In December, Jami Dellifield and Amanda Raines, Extension educators in Hardin County; and Carrie Davisson, editorial specialist, Extension Publishing, presented during a National 4-H Meet the Author Webinar on the 4-H project book Your Feelings Matter. Published in 2024, Your Feelings Matter became available on shop4h.org soon after it was introduced. A recording of the webinar is available here. Congratulations to Jami and Amanda for this opportunity to share more about this project book on the national level.

The Extension Foundation is hosting a series of professional development webinars in 2025. Ohio JCEP members are eligible to participate. These free webinars feature a variety of topics to enhance your professional skills. 

Upcoming sessions include: 

• Jan. 23: Communicating Science and Research to Policymakers 

• Feb. 13: Culturally Responsive Evaluation Practices 

• Feb. 27: Keeping Extension Programs Relevant 

More dates and topics are scheduled throughout 2025! Register at this link. 

On behalf of the entire Extension Conference committee, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to each of you for attending and contributing to the success of the conference in December. Your presence and participation made these two days truly inspiring. The energy, collaboration, and innovative ideas shared during the conference left us deeply encouraged about the future of our mission. As we move forward, let us carry the momentum of this event into the days and months ahead, using the tools, strategies, and relationships built during this time to continue making meaningful strides in our work. 

To our committee members, thank you for your tireless dedication and hard work in planning, organizing, and executing every detail of the two-day event. Your efforts ensured that this conference was impactful and memorable, and we are so grateful for your commitment to excellence. 

We look forward to seeing everyone back together again in December 2026.