ECOP - ECOP shall consist of fifteen voting members – three from each of the five regions, elected by
Southern Region Chooses Damona Doye: An Oklahoma State University (OSU) faculty member since June 1986, Lawton native Damona Doye was named associate vice president of OSU Extension in January 2018. OSU Extension is a state agency, with educators and staff in all 77 counties as well as state, district and area specialists who help Oklahomans solve local and regional issues and concerns. Prior to being named associate vice president, Doye served as OSU Extension farm management specialist for 32 years and held the Rainbolt Chair of Agricultural Finance in the Department of Agricultural Economics. She is a Fellow of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, the highest honor given by the organization in recognition of lifetime achievement. Dr. Doye holds a Doctor of Philosophy, Agricultural Economics, Iowa State University; a Master of Science, Agricultural Economics, and a Bachelor of Science, Agricultural Economics, OSU. In 2020, Damona served on the NEDA Planning Committee.
1890s Region Chooses Allen Malone: Fulfilling the final 3 years of a 4-year term, Dr. Allen A. Malone (pictured left) is the 4
th 1890 Extension Administrator at Alabama A&M. He is an Agricultural Economics graduate of Prairie View A&M University and holds a dual doctorate degree in Agricultural Education & Leadership from Texas A&M University and Texas Tech University. Prior to joining the Alabama Extension team, Dr. Malone served as the County Extension Director in Harris County, Texas. Harris County has a population of over five million people and is one of the most diverse counties in Texas. Malone is a former Program Specialist for Agriculture and Natural Resources. He is passionate about youth and served as a 4-H Youth Camp Director in Texas. As a a Specialist he also provided leadership for youth in Agricultural Literacy and Livestock judging. He also coordinated the Urban Rancher Program. Dr. Malone has received numerous awards and recognitions for his visionary leadership to include a Cooperative Extension Program Distinguished Service Team Award and numerous awards as a member of Epsilon Sigma Phi. He also serves as the Chair elect for the Association of Extension Administrators and is a member of several Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) committees. Dr. Malone is married to Tangie Malone. They have 2 sons, Collin, a Sophomore football player and Marketing major at Alabama A&M University and Chase, a Senior Accounting major at Alabama A&M. They are blessed with a 2 year old grandson, Camari A. Malone.
Northeast Region Directors Chooses Ken La Valley: As the Dean and Director, Dr. La Valley (pictured left) leads University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension and UNH Professional Development and Training in their mission to address the diverse needs of New Hampshire in the areas of community and economic development, food and agriculture, youth and families, natural resources, and professional education. He was appointed interim Dean of Extension in July 2014 and was hired into the permanent position in June 2015. He comes from a long line of alumni with his Father, two sisters and daughter all receiving degrees from UNH. Ken received his bachelor’s degree in Zoology from the University of NH in 1993. He received a Master of Science in 1993 from the University of Rhode Island, and doctoral degree also from URI in 2005. La Valley’s research interest is in conservation engineering of fishing gear that improves selectivity while reducing bycatch of non-target species. His Extension work was focused on technology transfer of sustainable fishing strategies as well as improving the capacity of local fishermen to direct market their harvest. In addition to his role as Director of UNH Extension, Ken works collaboratively with academic units across the university and colleges to provide strategic direction for UNH’s outreach, K12 engagement, and non-credit continuing education programs. Dr. La Valley will represent the Northeast Region on ECOP.
Also of note - The ECOP Program Committee Chooses Brent Hales: Serving on his first 4-year term since 2020, Dr. Brent Hales (picture left) is Associate Dean, College of Agricultural Sciences and Director of Penn State Extension. He received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Brigham Young University, a master’s degree in sociology from Middle Tennessee State University, and a Ph.D. in rural sociology from Iowa State University. Dr. Hales previously served as the Senior Associate Dean and Chief Financial Officer of the University of Minnesota Extension.
His primary area of research is holistic community and economic development and entrepreneurship.
Dr. Hales is the founder the Southern Entrepreneurship Program, which teaches entrepreneurship skills to high school and community college students, and to displaced workers throughout the U.S. and across the globe. He is also a past president of the Community Development Society.
Dr. Hales is the father of 6 children and has been married to his best friend Candy for 28 years.
Thank you to Dr. Ivory Lyles, Oregon State University, for serving for one incredibly banner year as the ECOP Program Committee Chair. Ivory will continue in his national role as a member of ECOP and the Program Committee.
ECOP Budget and Legislative Committee -
Three (3) representatives from each region, elected by the Regional Associations, each serving a 3-
year term on a rotational basis. - ECOP Operating Guidelines, page 8. The BLC is Chaired by Jon Boren, New Mexico State University.
1890s Region Chooses Allen Malone: Fulfilling the final year of a term of 3 years, Dr. Malone also will serve on the ECOP Budget and Legislative Committee.
Western Region Chooses Cody Stone: As Extension Executive Director, Dr. Stone (picture left) oversees an educational network that stretches into all 56 of Montana’s counties and all seven Indian reservations in the state. Extension applies unbiased, research-based university resources to meet practical needs identified by Montanans in their own communities. Prior to becoming Extension Executive Director, Stone served as Extension’s interim director following serving as associate director from 2014 to 2017. From 2005 to 2014, he served as director and in other development roles for the Montana 4-H Center for Youth Development and as an associate professor at MSU. He was an Extension program specialist and regional program director for 4-H and Youth Development for Texas Cooperative Extension from 1999 to 2005, and a Texas Agricultural Extension agent for Gillespie County from 1997 to 1999. Stone received his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and his master’s degree in agricultural education from Texas A&M University. He received his doctorate in education from MSU, focusing on adult and higher education administration. In 2019-2020, Dr. Stone served on the NEDA Planning Committee.
ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee Co-chair -
The committee will be co-chaired by an Extension Director/Administrator and a 4-H Program Leader
(PL) selected from within the committee by committee members. Co-chairs will serve a staggered two-year term and may be reappointed. - ECOP Operating Guidelines, page 10.
The 4-Leadership Committee Chooses Laura Stephenson: Associate Dean and Director of the University of Kentucky (UK) Cooperative Extension Service, Laura Stephenson (pictured left) began her duties in 2019, providing leadership for 120 counties in the commonwealth of Kentucky.
In Dr. Stephenson’s national leadership role, she served on the SNAP-Ed Program Development Team. Her passion for the Cooperative Extension mission began as a youth who participated in 4-H speech, demonstration and food preparation projects. Her professional career with the organization has included serving UK as Clark County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences, District 2 Director, and Assistant Director for FCS Extension Field Programs. For six years, she served as University of Tennessee Associate Dean and Department Chair of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Dr. Stephenson is a strong advocate for county-based programming, building capacity of interdisciplinary faculty/agent teams and engagement of local, regional and state stakeholders. Her vision for Cooperative Extension is to build strong, healthy, economically viable Kentucky communities through campus-county partnerships. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Eastern Kentucky University and a doctorate in gerontology from UK and recently served on the 2021 NEDA Planning Committee. Dr. Stephenson's co-chair is
Dr. Lisa Bouillion Diaz, 4-H Assistant Dean and Director, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Western Region Chooses Cody Stone: As Extension Executive Director, Dr. Stone (picture left) oversees an educational network that stretches into all 56 of Montana’s counties and all seven Indian reservations in the state. Extension applies unbiased, research-based university resources to meet practical needs identified by Montanans in their own communities. Prior to becoming Extension Executive Director, Stone served as Extension’s interim director following serving as associate director from 2014 to 2017. From 2005 to 2014, he served as director and in other development roles for the Montana 4-H Center for Youth Development and as an associate professor at MSU. He was an Extension program specialist and regional program director for 4-H and Youth Development for Texas Cooperative Extension from 1999 to 2005, and a Texas Agricultural Extension agent for Gillespie County from 1997 to 1999. Stone received his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and his master’s degree in agricultural education from Texas A&M University. He received his doctorate in education from MSU, focusing on adult and higher education administration. In 2019-2020, Dr. Stone served on the NEDA Planning Committee.
