April 2024

Dr. Shelly Nickols-Richardson
Associate Dean and Director of Extension

It was wonderful to interact with so many of our University of Illinois Extension staff members who attended our inaugural conference on volunteer engagement and management on April 10. The program was informative, exciting, and energizing as we learned about the new Illinois Extension Volunteer Gateway, shared best practices, discussed concerns and issues, and developed practical solutions for challenges across our portfolio of volunteer opportunities. Our keynote speaker, Tobi Johnson, MA, CVA, President of Tobi Johnson and Associates, gave a terrific seminar regarding managing volunteers and building leaders among our volunteers. If you were not able to join us in person or remotely, please check with your colleagues who attended to request a debriefing and materials, as there were many key points for fostering and elevating our volunteers’ contributions.

One of the important elements to retaining volunteers is to recognize not only their achievements but also their efforts and their presence. The workshop was perfectly timed to precede National Volunteer Week, April 21-27. Please be sure to thank our thousands of Illinois Extension volunteers and offer words of gratitude and encouragement to them for all that they offer. Many thanks go to the volunteer relations and workforce development team, including Sheila Powers, Ramona Girtman, Jason Frye, Amanda Taylor, and Harry Clore, for making the conference possible.

The month of April is also host to Administrative Professionals’ Day on April 24. On behalf of Illinois Extension, I express heartfelt gratitude to all of our workforce who inspire, motivate, and encourage us to stay true to our values of collaboration, credibility, inclusivity, and learning as we achieve our mission of lifelong learning — lifelong impact. Your daily contributions are the foundation for why and how our mission to develop educational programs, extend knowledge, and build partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the University of Illinois endures across time. Thank you all for being an essential part of Illinois Extension and for dedicating yourselves to delivering your very best efforts every day toward making positive impacts in your communities.

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