John Lawrence’s message from Oct. 8, 2018
From a February morning in Cherokee County to a September afternoon at the Audubon Rec Center, ISU Extension and Outreach has celebrated 45 county centennials so far in 2018. Six more counties will reach their 100-year milestone yet this year. I have been privileged to attend 28 of these events and I’ve traveled over 6,300 miles. If my schedule permits, I hope to get to a few more. These celebrations have offered some one-of-a-kind experiences. Did you know?
- I shared the spotlight with a juggler in Calhoun County, the Iowa History 101 RV in Decatur County, and my guy Cy on several occasions.
- I rode in a mule-drawn covered wagon during Monroe County’s parade, whereas in Shelby County, I flashed back to my youth by riding on a hay rack with temperatures in the 90s and high humidity (thankfully, no bales this time). I saw, but did not ride, the Budweiser Clydesdales in Delaware County.
- When I wasn’t able to attend a county’s celebration, someone else from our leadership team was happy to step in and represent ISU Extension and Outreach.
For example, Bob Dodds took part in the 100-year plaque presentation during the opening flag ceremony of the Crawford County Fair. He even was included in the group photo taken with Denison’s Big Bull.
Whether held at county fairs, nature centers, a dance pavilion or other unique location, these 100-year events have brought Iowans together to celebrate our 99 county campus and land-grant mission. We’ll wrap up in 2019 with our final three anniversaries — in Page, Dallas and Jefferson counties. We all can be proud of our heritage as we look toward our shared future. We will continue engaging citizens with university resources in partnership with federal, state and county governments as we work together for a strong Iowa.
More notes
- Have a happy National 4-H Week, Oct. 7-13.
- Check the October program update from the leadership team.
- Registration is open for the Office Professionals Conference, Oct. 23-24, which is focused on building our communities. All office professionals are encouraged to attend and connect with resources and peers from across the state.
- Congratulations to Deb Sellers, who has been reappointed to serve another five-year term as director of Human Sciences Extension and Outreach and associate dean in the College of Human Sciences.
- This week I’ll be visiting three regions, the last stops on my statewide tour: Oct. 9, Region 18; Oct. 10, Region 8; and Oct. 11, Region 13.
- Registration is open for “Creating Accessible Digital Documents” workshops, which begin Oct. 16. The goal is to have everyone participate, county and state.
- Structured for Success is the name of the committee that is studying how ISU Extension and Outreach is organized in the counties and the county-to-campus connection. The notes from the committee’s Sept. 29 meeting and a video message from me are available on the committee’s webpage: https://www.extension.iastate.edu/countyservices/structured-success.
- Anyone in our system may anonymously complete an electronic survey from the Internal Communications Task Force. The survey is open now through Oct. 29. Here’s the link: https://iastate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e4Ni6q59DmmhyfP
— John D. Lawrence
Iowa State University Vice President for Extension and Outreach