Virginia Cooperative Extension Honors Friends
Albert Essel (from the left), assistant administrator of the Cooperative Extension program at Virginia State University congratulates Margaret B. Douglas of Winchester and David Coleman of Amelia as Pat Sobrero, director of Virginia Cooperative Extension, adds her good wishes.
David Coleman of Amelia and Margaret B. Douglas of Winchester, whose work as volunteers with Virginia Cooperative Extension has helped to improve their communities, have been honored as State Friends of Extension. The honor was presented at the annual awards ceremony of the Alpha Gamma chapter of Epsilon Sigma Phi, the Extension honorary organization. It was held in Roanoke April 19 as part of the Virginia Extension Service Association annual meeting.
Coleman, co-owner and operator of the Southside Livestock Market in Blackstone and owner-operator of Elm Cottage Farm in Amelia, has been dedicated to helping his fellow livestock producers throughout his career. He was an agriculture teacher-FFA adviser in Page and Amelia counties as well as a livestock marketing specialist for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Thanks to Coleman, the Southside Livestock Market hosts many events such as field days, workshops, and livestock shows. He works with the Piedmont Area Junior Livestock Show and Sale and has assisted in coaching livestock judging teams in addition to providing animals for the teams. He also serves on state and local committees for the National Animal Identification System.
Margaret B. Douglas, who has been a 4-H club leader for 41 years, was honored for her active support of Extension, particularly through the recent years when budget difficulties could have meant reduced programs. Currently, she is president of the State 4-H Volunteer Leaders Association. She was awarded the State 4-H Alumni Award and the 4-H Diamond Leadership Award several years ago for her lifetime of service to 4-H.
When she was a member of the Frederick County Board of Supervisors, Douglas worked diligently to see that the Virginia Cooperative Extension office in Frederick County continued to operate. She also is on the Extension Leadership Council and many other Extension committees. Active in other organizations, she has provided leadership for the Virginia Farm Bureau, the Southern States Advisory Committee, the Apple Blossom Festival, the Virginia State Horticultural Society Auxiliary, and the Extension Homemakers.
Stephenson Awarded Certificate of Teaching Excellence
Kurt Stephenson
In the classroom, his delivery of energetic, entertaining lectures sparks students' curiosity and makes economics real and accessible. His colleagues note his ability to make even the most complex subject matter interesting to his students. With real-world examples, he shows students how economic theories work in everyday life. Through his story telling, he makes the concepts memorable and applicable.
"I believe that if I am able to tap into this rich intellectual tradition, even if only in a small way, I might be able to engage a student's curiosity. The challenge, of course, is sparking this curiosity," he said.
Beyond his own classroom, Kurt frequently guest lectures in other courses on environmental and sustainable development issues. He has co-authored five peer-reviewed, teaching-related publications. He is currently the faculty adviser for the Southern Agricultural Economics Academic Quiz Bowl team and is co-adviser for the AgEcon/NAMA club.