The San Antonio Leadership Extension program, SALE, of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, a comprehensive leadership development program, recently selected 23 agency professionals from across Texas as part of its XV cohort.
“The San Antonio Livestock Exposition-Leadership Extension program is a comprehensive training program for AgriLife Extension professionals in leadership and management that greatly enhances their abilities to work more effectively and efficiently in managing programs and volunteers in both youth and adult areas,” said Jim Mazurkiewicz, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension leadership program director, Bryan-College Station. “These skills are transferred to the volunteers and youth to assist them in expanding their skills to reach more youth in the country.”
Transforming leaders
Since 1991, the program has utilized some of the most noted experts in leadership development and management techniques as resource people to transform 193 AgriLife Extension leaders into a group ready and able to assume new leadership roles at the local, state and national levels, Mazurkiewicz said.
Program objectives are:
— Improve leadership and management skills.
— Enhance communication skills.
— Improve efficiency and effectiveness in carrying out supervisory and programmatic responsibilities.
— Become aware of contemporary leadership and management issues.
— Develop camaraderie and trust among participants to enhance teamwork.
The following AgriLife Extension personnel are Cohort XV participants:
- Olufemi Alabi, plant pathology and microbiology specialist, Weslaco.
- Allen Berthold, Ph.D., Texas Water Resources Institute associate director, Bryan-College Station.
- Stephen Brueggerhoff, horticulture agent, Galveston County.
- Natalie Cervantes, 4-H and youth development specialist, Uvalde County.
- Shaniqua Davis, agriculture and natural resources agent, Gregg County.
- Dottie Goebel, 4-H program specialist, Bryan-College Station.
- Angelica Gutierrez, family and community health agent, Bexar County.
- Andy Hart, Ph.D., agriculture and natural resources agent, Hale County.
- Tanya Holloway, family and community health agent, Hemphill County.
- Whitney Ingram, natural resources agent, Bell County.
- Michael Kuitu, program specialist and Texas Watershed Steward program coordinator, Bryan-College Station.
- Brittany Martin, family and community health agent, Collin County.
- Noel Mason, AgriLife Administrative Services senior buyer, Bryan-College Station.
- Courtney Parrott, family and community health agent, Brown County.
- Md Yousuf Reja, GIS program manager, Harris County.
- Laura Reyna, 4-H and youth development agent, Wharton County.
- Jesus Rodriguez, agriculture and natural resources/4-H and youth development agent, Zapata County.
- Justin Scheiner, Ph.D., viticulture specialist, Bryan-College Station.
- Samantha Shannon, agriculture and natural resources agent, Wilson County.
- Chelsea Smith, Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program state program coordinator, Dallas County.
- Cari Snider, 4-H and youth development agent, Potter County.
- Cody Trimble, agriculture and natural resources agent, Glasscock County.
- Bailee Wright, 4-H program specialist, Amarillo.
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