URBANA, Ill. — University of Illinois Extension is driving statewide impact through its comprehensive 10-year strategic plan, focused on the key priorities of environment, food and agriculture, health, community, economy, technology and discovery, partnerships, and workforce excellence. Launched in the fall of 2024, Extension is marking progress by releasing a year-one report that outlines key accomplishments in fulfilling its mission of extending knowledge, building partnerships, and supporting people, communities, and the environment as part of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's land-grant mission.
The full report is available at: go.illinois.edu/ExtImpactSP
Meeting milestones for infrastructure, systems, and action
Extension’s vast, statewide workforce and partnership network have been strengthened through a systems approach to strategic planning. The first-year focus included crucial steps to socialize and integrate the organizational mission, vision, values, and priorities and define outcomes.
Key accomplishments included:
- Establishing eight statewide workgroups. Each strategic priority is led by a champion and supported by a workgroup that meets monthly to coordinate progress.
- Finalizing action profiles. Clear strategies now guide work across all priorities, setting the stage for measurable outcomes.
- Launching a strategic planning website. The new hub increases transparency and provides current updates and resources.
- Delivering staff engagement workshops. Fall 2024 workshops helped staff connect the plan to their daily work and build shared ownership.
- Hosting the Values in Action webinar series. The spring 2025 series highlighted Extension’s values of collaboration, credibility, inclusivity, and learning.
- Expanding cross-unit collaboration. The plan has encouraged partnerships across program areas, counties, and disciplines.
- Conducting a statewide gap analysis. Workgroups identified programming gaps to guide future action.
- Holding feedback roundtables. Staff provided input through in-person and virtual roundtables, helping refine action profiles.
- Embedding equity throughout the work. Equity principles informed workgroup discussions, action planning, and program design.
Priority-specific accomplishments
Each of the eight strategic-priority workgroups organized, assessed, and began progress toward the 10-year plan. The environment and economy workgroups in particular had measurable year-one accomplishments.
The environment group, led by Shibu Kar, assistant dean and program leader for Extension’s natural resources, environment, and energy program, is focused on strengthening climate resilience across Illinois.
In 2025, this group:
- Trained five new educators to expand the Climate Stewards program delivery.
- Planned an Illinois-focused climate symposium in partnership with university faculty.
- Hired two statewide specialists:
- Ashley Belle, Ph.D., environmental quality specialist, supporting sustainable practices and waste reduction.
- Jessica Rudnick, Ph.D., climate resilience specialist, leading outreach on climate risk, water systems, and ecological resilience.
The economy workgroup, led by Adena Messinger Wilson, Illinois Extension’s online instructional services manager, is focused on building a future-ready workforce.
In 2025, this group and its College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences colleagues expanded workforce pathways, youth credentialing, and educator support by:
- Launching the Certified Food Protection Manager and Food Handler courses for 4-H youth.
- Offering the first University of Illinois dual-credit course through the College of ACES in fall 2025.
- Adding a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher certification option within the Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications program.
- Planning new graduate-level courses tied to industry credentialing and entrepreneurship.
- Developing a dual instructor and proctor training program to help teachers certify students in food safety.
- Exploring additional dual-enrollment and credit models to strengthen career and college readiness.
Looking ahead
“Our first year shows strong alignment and renewed energy across the organization,” said Associate Dean and Director of Illinois Extension, Matthew Vann, “Illinois Extension is committed to innovation, equity, and meeting the evolving needs of communities in every county.”
Illinois Extension will continue strengthening strategic initiatives statewide in 2025 and throughout the life of the plan. Read the full Strategic Plan Year-One Impact Report at go.illinois.edu/ExtImpactSP
SOURCE: Bobbie Lewis-Sibley, Extension Outreach Associate for Strategy, Planning and Implementation
WRITER: Bobbie Lewis-Sibley, Extension Outreach Associate for Strategy, Planning and Implementation
INTERVIEWS: Bobbie Lewis-Sibley, Extension Outreach Associate for Strategy, Planning and Implementation
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through six program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, family and consumer science, integrated health disparities, and natural resources, environment, and energy.