July 2021 Director's Message
Colleagues,
I hope this message finds each of you well! I have enjoyed seeing many of you at TCAAA and TESA meetings this week and I’m looking forward to seeing many more over the next few weeks. In this message, I wanted to reiterate a few key items as we continue to serve our evolving state and continue to work toward the goal of serving every Texan.
First of all, thank you for all of your hard work during one of the most difficult years in our Agency’s history. I sincerely hope you are able to find time this summer to reconnect with loved ones, rest and maybe even take some time off. Thank you to everyone who has gone above and beyond this past year to move our agency forward and improve the lives of Texans. Clearly, Texas needs Extension but, to truly be effective, each of us needs time to recharge so I encourage you to take that time.
Secondly, I wanted to further the discussion on our recent webinar, “Serving Every Texan”. As we continue to bring the Strategic Plan to life, it’s important to note that we’ve been improving Texans’ lives for more than 100 years by delivering innovative, science-based solutions and education. Our agency’s vision is for us to be the leader in providing science-based information and solutions in agriculture and health to every Texan.
The notion of reaching every Texan can be daunting and may even seem unrealistic. But with the right approaches, we can serve every Texan – and we can do it in the way that they want to engage with us.
Extension was built on the idea of translating research into practical solutions that work in the real-world. Before the advent of many of our modern technologies, Extension work was largely done through face-to-face interactions. This continues to serve our agency very well and we intend to maintain our network of agents and specialists so that we can engage where possible. If we look at how people interact with businesses, though, it’s clear that some don’t want or need a relationship to get what they need. In today’s changing business landscape, and particularly in a post COVID-19 era, quality service is expected to be delivered – whether that involves face-to-face interaction or not. Looking at the changing landscape of service being embraced by all businesses, from self-checkout lines, pick-up grocery orders, to online banking, we see that the best service is often a flexible approach, one that allows the people they are serving to get the service they want and need at that moment – whether that’s face-to-face or not.
We know we don’t have enough employees to establish a face-to-face relationship with nearly 30 million Texans. We know not everyone wants that type of relationship. We know that the Texas population is growing and diversifying. And we know that the pandemic has amplified the relevance of technology to meet our needs.
As we continue to put our Strategic Plan into motion, I ask us all to think about what it really means to serve “every Texan.” I believe that the work we do at Extension is critically important, and I also recognize that the people we serve and the ways they want to interact with Extension continues to evolve. Whether through innovative hybrid-delivery programming, a reimagined web presence, more online and self-paced courses, or entirely new programs, I challenge Extension to envision a future where we serve Texans in the ways that work best for them. Together, we can move toward our vision.
