This week, I had an incredible opportunity to represent UGA Extension at the Joint Council of Extension Professionals (JCEP) Public Issues Leadership Development (PILD) Conference held in Washington, DC.
I was one member of the Georgia delegation, which also included representatives from:
- the Georgia Association of Extension 4-H Agents (GAE4-HA)
- Association of Natural Resources Extension Professionals (ANREP)
- Georgia Association of County Agricultural Agents (GACAA)
- Georgia Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (GEAFCS)
- and Epsilon Sigma Phi (ESP)
What all that alphabet soup meant was that Extension agents from all over the state of Georgia came together to attend a conference about public issues and advocacy, along with Extension professionals from across the United States. Delegates learned more about federal funding of Extension and how Extension is structured from the federal level down. We heard national level reports about each of the program areas and received insight into the policies that affect Extension. We also got to visit Capitol Hill and make visits to our Senators and Congressmen and talk about the value of Extension and the work we do. I appreciated getting to meet agents that I had not spent much time with previously because they are a different program area or in a different district, and I even made some out of state friends from Louisiana. Not to mention, we ate some REALLY good food! It was a great experience, and one that was professionally and personally impactful for me.
However, I think my favorite part of traveling is getting to come home. After a quick nap at the house, I got to go back to the office, and visit with our poultry judging, BB, and shotgun teams as they practiced and prepared for upcoming competitions. Getting to go to DC and represent UGA Extension was great, but I’m so thankful to come home to a wonderful community and strong local Extension program that works every day to create a healthy and prosperous Georgia!
