LEADERSHIP POSITIONING IN COUNTIES: BUILDING A COMPETETIVE ADVANTAGE
Proposed by: Paul Westfall
Presenter: Westfall, P. W., County Extension Director, North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, Granville County, Oxford, NC 27565
In today’s economic climate, it has never been more important for leaders of Cooperative Extension programs and units to build relationships and to communicate with community leaders of all kinds, including elected, appointed, and particularly those community leaders who remain behind the scenes and may not actively participate in Extension programs. Building good relationships and lines of communication with leaders is particularly important for newly appointed county directors and unit leadership. These relationships can mean the difference in keeping resources to support programming or seeing resources moved to support non-Extension organizations and programs. A survey was used to gather input from County Extension Directors and County Managers across North Carolina on their perspectives on what a County Extension Director could do to enhance Extension’s leadership position in a county, who should be part of the communication network, frequency of contact, relationships with “external” and “internal” groups, and whether efforts should only be focused at the local level. Both groups were asked to list the top five things a County Extension Director can do to enhance Extension’s leadership position. A strategy to use when identifying "behind the scenes" leaders is discussed. Extension programs that provide impact are the most important factor in building leadership position, and a strong volunteer leadership and advisory structure is another key factor. The strategy presented is meant assist with communicating directly with those in the community who influence public policy.