ECOP Chair Bev Durgan, University of Minnesota, and ECOP Executive Director Search Committee Chair and Karl Martin, University of Wisconsin, are pleased to announce, Bill Hoffman as the new Cooperative Extension System/ECOP Executive Director commenting, "We are excited about the hiring of Dr. Bill Hoffman as ECOP’s next Executive Director. Bill brings a collaborative approach, wealth of knowledge, and extensive experience with NIFA and the Cooperative Extension System. His can-do attitude makes him an ideal fit." Bill's role will be effective Wednesday, July 5, 2023.
Hoffman is the ninth Executive Director for the Cooperative Extension System/ECOP in 40 years to headquarter operations at APLU in Washington, D.C.
As Chief of Staff at University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA), Hoffman served on the leadership team to assist the Senior Vice President and Senior Vice Chancellor in leading a 2,700-employee enterprise that includes a college of agriculture, a college of veterinary medicine, a State Agriculture Experiment Station, and a Cooperative Extension Service.
Hoffman championed Cooperative Extension nationally in various roles at USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) for over 20 years. As NIFA’s Chief of Staff, Hoffman served on the leadership team to assist the NIFA Director in leading a $2 billion extramural science funding agency. He supported the Director in key legislative initiatives including the formulation of the President’s budget request and annual appropriations process. He also developed and strengthened relationships with internal and external agencies, partners, stakeholders, and the public.As a second-generation Cooperative Extension professional, Bill has been committed to Extension and the land-grant university mission throughout his life. He grew up on the Agronomy Research farm that his father managed as an Extension tillage specialist at Penn State University. He further developed his passion for Extension by visiting and seeing first-hand the impactful outcomes of Extension's work across the U.S. and its territories at all types of institutions.
Earlier in his career, Hoffman served as Program and Analysis Officer at USDA/NIFA; a National Program Leader for Ag Homeland Security at USDA; and Senior Extension Associate at Penn State University in addition to other roles.
Hoffman earned a Doctor of Education: Higher Education Administration from George Washington University as well as a Master of Education: Instructional Systems, Master of Business Administration, and Bachelor of Science: Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology from Penn State University.
Recap of National Health Outreach and Engagement Conference - Nearly 300 Extension professionals and their community partners from across the country gathered in Ithaca, NY to participate in Cooperative Extension’s National Health Outreach and Engagement Conference hosted by Cornell University. Keynote speakers included Jamila Michener who spoke on the role of power in achieving health equity, Faith Rogow on using documentaries as a teaching tool, and Darren Ranco on the impacts of climate change on indigenous populations. Attendees engaged in their choice of 60 concurrent sessions and 28 poster presentations on such topics as coalition building, systems change, workforce development, immunization education, diabetes prevention, and food insecurity. The 2024 conference will be hosted by Clemson University in Greenville, SC and in 2025, the University of Nebraska will host in Omaha, NE. For more information, contact Roger Rennekamp, Extension Health Director at rogerrennekamp@extension.org.
4-H Program Leaders Set Pace for System Change - Last month the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals (NAE4-HYDP) Board of Trustees voted to add Regional Director positions for the 1890 and 1994 land-grant institutions (LGU) to the Board beginning in October 2023. This recommendation was in response to actions items developed by a DEI ad hoc committee composed of 1890, 1994, and 1862 NAE4-HYDP members and non-members. The Board also voted to provide a full registration plus $1,000 for one person from each 1890 and 1994 LGU to attend the 2023 NAE4-HYDP Conference in Pittsburgh.
