Projects
Recipients of the R.J. Hildreth Award for Career Achievement in Public Policy Education
Keith Collins, 2006
Dr. Keith Collins is Chief Economist of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He is responsible for the department’s agricultural forecasts and projections, and advises the Secretary of Agriculture on economic implications of alternative programs, regulations and legislative proposals. He is also responsible for the Office of the Chief Economist, World Agricultural Outlook Board, Office of Risk Assessment and Cost-Benefit Analysis, Global Change Program Office, and the Office of Energy Policy and New Uses. Collins has served as Acting Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Economics and as Director of the Economic Analysis Staff in the Office of the Secretary. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation. He also serves as Vice Chairman of the General Administration Board of the USDA Graduate School, a $65 million per year non-appropriated federal educational institution that trained more than 180,000 students in 2005. Collins received the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executive in 1990 and 1996, and for Distinguished Executive in 1992. He holds degrees from Villanova University, the University of Connecticut and North Carolina State University.
James Christenson, 2006
Dr. James Christenson is Director of Cooperative Extension at the University of Arizona, as well as Associate Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and a professor of agriculture and resource economics. Christenson started his career at North Carolina State University, where he was an Extension Community Development Specialist and taught in the Department of Sociology. In 1976, he was appointed to the Department of Sociology staff at the University of Kentucky (UK). He directed the UK’s Survey Research Center 1979 to 1982, when he was appointed chairman of the Departmen tof Sociology. He served as chairman until 1989, when he moved to the University of Arizona. Christenson is a former editor of Rural Sociology, and a former president of the Rural Sociological Society. He co-chaired the 1993 planning committee of NELD President’s Conference on University Outreach, and in 1996 was part of a task force for the President’s Commission for Higher Education. A member of the National Public Policy Education Committee, Christenson holds degrees from Gonzaga University and Washington State University.Ira L. Ellis (1996)
Ira L. Ellis, 1997
Ira L. Ellis attended his first National Public Policy Education Conference in 1985 in Kerrville, Texas. Two years later, he hosted the conference in Kennebunkport, Maine. Ellis holds degrees from Columbia International University in Columbia, South Carolina and Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Chicago. He joined the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service in 1971, serving until his retirement last year. Ellis was Maine’s representative to the Northeast Public Policy Education Committee from 1981 to 1994. He served as chair of the Northeast committee in 1991-92 and as chair of the National Public Policy Education Committee in 1992. He is the only county Extension educator to hold this position. Ellis spent much of his Extension career helping citizens better understand controversial issues. He provided key leadership in public issues related to the conflicts between fishereis and hydro power development. He was recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy for his innovative energy conservation programming. Ellis served as a key program resource person for Penn State Cooperative Extension, the Palmetto Leadership Development Project, the Main Rural Development Council and the Main Pathways from Poverty Project. Ellis spent a sabbatical leave with the University of Alaska addressing critical public issues generated by the Exxon Valdez oil spill. He continues to provide leadership on public issues education throughout New England.
Ronald Faas, 1997
Ron Faas has had a distinguished career in public policy, local planning and community development. He is known as a man who lives what he teaches. He is regarded as a mentor to his co-workers and supporter of new and young faculty members. Faas has a B.S. in Agricultural Education and a M.S. in Agricultural Economics from Iowa State University, a M.A. in Economics and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Michigan State University. He began his Extension career as a Youth Assistant in Jackson County, Iowa. He was an International Youth Exchange Delegate and a Peace Corps staff member in Brazil. After completing his Ph.D. he joined the faculty at Washington State University as Extension Economist. He has been an adjunct professor of Environmental Science and Regional Planning since 1990, and Director of the Program for Local Governmental Education since 1991. Faas has made many contributions to the Western and National Public Policy Committees. Among them are working on issues such as coping with growth, and serving as co-author of several publications of NPPEC and he has served as a member of the ethics sub-committee.
Philip Favero, 1999
Philip Favero’s career in public issues education reflects a strong faith in four ideas: (1) the more informed a public policy decision is, the better the decision tends to be;(2) land grant universities bear a serious responsibility to citizens to be neutral sources of information about public issues and to provide facilitation services to solve those issues; (3) policy education work with governments, particularly local government, is vitally important; and (4) in public decision-making, policy educators should be “on tap,” while citizens and public officials they elect should be “on top.” Favero has a B.A. in history, and a M.A. in political science from Montana State University, and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Michigan State University. He holds a certificate in African Studies from the University of Wisconsin and Tuskegee Institute. He served in the Peace Corps as agriculture advisor in Kenya. He has experience as an extension specialist in South Dakota and is currently at the University of Maryland, and has been a visiting professor to the Northeast Center for Rural Development at The Pennsylvania State University. Favero has served on both the North Central and the Northeast Public Policy Education committees and has served on the Maryland Public Issues Education committee since its inception in 1995. Most recently, Phil and other policy educators, most recently have developed a program to teach extension educators nationwide about the nexus of conflict resolution and public issues education.
Barry Flinchbaugh, 1998
Barry Flinchbaugh’s career in Public Policy education has spanned over 30 years since his days as a graduate student at Purdue working with J.B. Kohlmeyer and Carroll Bottum, two pioneers of public policy education. Over the past generation, Barry has used the Kohlmeyer/Bottum approach to help the citizens of Kansas deal with many controversial issues. A native of Pennsylvania, Dr. Flinchbaugh received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Pennsylvania State University. After completing his Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Purdue University in 1971, Barry joined the faculty of Kansas State University where he has spent his career. He has served on the North Central Public Policy Education Committee for 26 years and has twice served as chair of the National Public Policy Education Committee. Flinchbaugh’s unique speaking style has made him an effective communicator and educator. He is at home with ranchers at a sale barn, before congressional committees and in front of a classroom of students.
Like all great educators, the impact of Flinchbaugh’s policy education program cannot be measured by the direct impact of his work. One must also account for his effect on thousands of policy makers, producers, students and peers that he has touched over his 30 years of service. It is through these individuals’ active involvement in public policy making, and the resulting consequences of their actions, that the true impact of Barry’s efforts is felt. The last two years have been perhaps the most noteworthy of Dr. Flinchbaugh’s career. Due to his relationships with Kansas’ political leaders over the past generation including former Senator Robert Dole, Senator Pat Roberts and Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman over the past generation Barry had a significant impact on the formulation of the 1996 farm bill, possibly the most important piece of agricultural legislation of the past 50 years. Flinchbaugh chaired the 21st Century Production Agriculture Commission, charged with evaluating the impacts of this legislation.
A.L. “Roy” Frederick, 2000
A. L. “Roy” Frederick is respected as a distinguished policy educator for both his knowledge of the subject and his ability to convey complex issues to the public. Since the 1970s, Roy has worked with a wide range of citizens interests, policymakers and organizations. He has been a key advisor to Nebraska’s Governors, Members of Congress, and various organizations on agriculture and trade issues. He is regularly asked to testify on legislative issues and provide briefings to policymakers. He has conducted statewide policy education programs on Nebraska ballot initiatives and constitutional amendments. He has worked with state and local policymakers and interests on tax policy and government finance issues. He has worked with local school districts and citizen leaders on school consolidation issues. Roy has served on the North Central and National Public Policy Education Committees and has played an instrumental leadership role in Nebraska’s efforts to extend the principles of policy education to colleagues and field staff. A recent endeavor targeted to local extension staff was called “Navigating Your Political Landscape.” The impacts of Roy’s programs are widely recognized for their contributions to the understanding of public issues in Nebraska. His efforts throughout his professional career reflect a devotion to quality, timeliness, and relevance.
Harold D. Guither (1996)
Harold D. Guither joined the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service in October 1956. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in 1962 and joined the Univeristy of Illinois faculty as an assistant professor in Agricultural Extension. He rose through the ranks to become professor of Agricultural Policy in 1974. Guither served as the Illinois representative to the North Central Public Policy Education Committee from 1970 until his retirement last year. He served as secretary of the North Central committee in 1977-78 and as chair in 1979-80. He was a North Central representative to the national policy committee in 1984-88.
Guither pursued excellence in policy education throughout his career. He spent sabbatical leaves working for Congressman Paul Findley and as a national program leader for Extension Service – USDA. he chaired the 1971-75 “Who will Control U.S. Agriculture?” project and provided major contributions to numerous policy education efforts of the past twenty years, including, “Your Food” (1976-77), “Speaking of Trade” (1977-78), “The Farm Credit Crisis: Policy Options and Consequences” (1985), and “Making Your Views Known on Public Policy Issues” (1992). He organized and conducted national surveys of producer preferences prior to each recent farm bill. Guither also has been honored for his policy education work by his university, USDA, Epsilon Sigma Phi, the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers and (three times) the American Agricultural Economics Association.
Alan J. Hahn (1997)
Alan Hahn has made major contributions to his fellow extension educators through his leadership in advancing public issues education methodology. Hahn’s insights from the disciplines of government and public affairs have helped in addressing the complexities of modern issues, changing decision-making processes and new extension audiences. Hahn earned a Ph.D. degree in Government in 1969 from Indiana University from which he also holds a M.A. in Government and a B.A. in Sociology. He joined the Department of Consumer Economics and Housing at Cornell University in 1969 where he served until 1976. From 1976 until he retired in 1996, he was on the faculty of the Department of Human Service Studies. Hahn has served on the Northeast Public Policy Education Committee and has been a presenter at a number of National Public Policy Conferences. Hahn has been a major contributor to several publications of enduring quality. He wrote “Education for Public Decisions” modules of “Working with Our Publics” (“Stages of Decision-making” in Unit II and “Issues Evolution/Educational Intervention” in Unit IV). He was a leader of the 1993-94 Public Issues Education Task Force of the National Public Policy Education Committee which led to publication of Public Issues Education: Increasing Competence in Resolving Public Issues. He was lead writer for the sections on working with the news media and evaluating public issues education (Chapter 4). Educating About Public Issues: Lessons from Eleven Innovative Public Policy Education Projects, co-authored with Jennifer Greene evaluated eleven innovative policy education projects and in the process identified lessons learned about effective coalitions for public policy education.
Harold M. Harris Jr., 1999
One of Hal Harris’ favorite quotations is, “For every difficult problem there is an easy solution—that won’t work.” Helping individuals and groups ask the right questions, work through alternative solutions, and studying their probable consequences has been the focus of Hal’s extension education programs for 29 years. National leadership in public policy is the hallmark of his distinguished career. His expertise related to national food, agricultural and trade issues is sought by the U.S. Congress, state legislators and farm group leadership. He is an outstanding communicator who stimulates citizens to understand the implications of policy issues and become involved in the policy process. Harris received a B.S in agricultural administration and M.S in agricultural economics from Auburn University and a Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Purdue University. He has spent his career as an extension educator with Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and Clemson University. Hal has served on the National Public Policy Education Committee, including chairing the group. He was an active participant in each of the NPPEC omnibus farm bill projects, co-chairing the effort for the 1996 farm bill, a member of the public issues education task force and currently serving on the animal waste task force. Currently he is President-elect of the Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
Lynn R. Harvey, 2004
Lynn R. Harvey is a professor of agricultural economics, and associate director of Extension at Michigan State University. (MSU). For 30 of his 36 years at MSU and MSU Extension, Harvey has advocated for and practiced public policy education. His early career in public policy education focused on assisting local governments and citizen groups on a variety of topics, ranging from farmland preservation to state tax policy reform. His educational program, “Evolution, Structure and Finance of Local Governments,” is a key component of community-based leadership development programs in Michigan. Harvey, in collaboration with university colleagues and the Michigan Association of Counties, developed the program series, “New County Commissioner Training.” It is a flagship Extension outreach program for MSU and the MSU Department of Agricultural Economics, generating broad political support. Complementing it is “Legislative Leadership Program,” a three-day training for newly-elected state legislators, sponsored jointly by MSU Extension and the MSU College of Social Science. As an advocate for public policy education, Harvey has researched key policy issues, prepared materials and conducted numerous in-service training programs for county Extension staff and campus specialists on state constitutional ballot questions and tax policy reform.
Harvey’s expertise is frequently sought to help resolve intergovernmental disputes and public service cost sharing arrangements specially related to fire, police and emergency services. He was the principal architect and technical expert for the first city consolidation in the state’s history. Harvey’s teaching skills have been recognized by MSU, governmental organizations and professional associations.
Ronald D. Knutson, 1998
Ron Knutson is arguably the most productive policy educator of his generation. He has written more than 600 articles, book chapters, Extension reports, workshop proceedings and other publications over his 30-year career. His writings have covered such varied topics as international trade, food policy, rural development, domestic farm policy, marketing and policy process, and methodology. Knutson earned his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Minnesota and an M.S. degree from Pennsylvania State University. Ron served on the agricultural economics faculty at Purdue University and as administrator of the USDA’s Farmer Cooperative Service before joining the faculty of Texas A&M University in 1975. In 1988, he established the Agricultural and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M. The Center has provided quality research and educational materials on every important agricultural policy issue of the past decade, including the much used policy options publications for the past three farm bills. National leadership in public policy education has been the hallmark of Knutson’s distinguished career. He devotes much of his time to increasing the understanding of policy issues for a broad range of audiences: public officials, commodity groups, chief executive officers, boards of directors, producers, other faculty and students. His expertise has been sought by the U.S. Congress and the Secretary of Agriculture. He is an outstanding communicator who stimulates citizens to understand the implications of policy issues and to become involved in the policy process.
Knutson received the American Agricultural Economics Association (AAEA) Distinguished Extension Program Award in 1983 and 1991, the AAEA Quality of Communication Award in 1987, and the AAEA Distinguished Policy Contribution Award in 1997. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southern Agricultural Economics Association in 1995.
J. Paxton Marshall, 1996
Paxton Marshall always operates on the frontier of public policy analysis and education. The Commonwealth of Virginia was his classroom for almost thirty years. Marshall joined the Southern Extension Public Affairs Committee (SEPAC) in 1967, when he became a faculty member at Virginia Tech. He served SEPAC as secretary, vice chairman and chairman during his twenty-two years of service. He stepped aside from his committee assignment in 1989 to allow another faculty member to take his place. He served on the National Public Policy Education Committee in the 1970s. Marshall was always willing to take risks. He conducted policy education programs on such topics as land use, justice, racial integration and environmental quality long before they were fashionable or “safe.” He has written more than 275 articles, proceedings, reports and bulletins. He was awarded grants and contracts in excess of $1.3 million during a time when Extension economists tended to rely exclusively on formula funds to support their programs. Marshall’s education efforts were crucial to passage of the 1970 Virginia constitutional referendum, to the establishment of the Virginia Rural Leadership Development Program and to the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. In recent years, his professional efforts have focused on the economic problems of the tobacco industry.
Jeri P. Marxman, 2003
Jeri P. Marxman focuses her work on assuring that all stakeholders are included in policy decision making, and that everyone has a valid opinion shaped by their own experience. She has facilitated discussions on such topics as local tax policy, solid waste management, livestock waste issues and growth management. As Extension Specialist in Public Affairs/Public Policy Education with University of Illinois Extension, she develops programs for community leaders on local government management and public policy issues. Marxman is director of the Local Government Information and Education Network, a local government education program of University of Illinois Extension. She co-chairs a team of University of Illinois Extension Educators who work in community and economic development. Marxman co-chaired and co-authored Copin County USA, a local policy development simulation. As an Extension Fellow at the National Association of Counties, Marxman organized the Rural Action Caucus, which develops and advocates policy for the rural county governments. She was also responsible for managing NACos’ Agriculture and Rural Affairs Steering Committee, and served as staff to the National Drought Policy Commission. Marxman earned her bachelors and masters degrees at the University of Illinois and Southern Illinois University, respectively.
Neil Meyer, 2001
Neil Meyer is recognized for his 28-year career as a leader in public policy education within Idaho, the western region, and the nation. He is noted for both his subject knowledge and his ability to convey complex issues to the public. The American and Western Agricultural Economics Associations have honored him several times for programs like “Coping With The Impacts of Growth” and “P4… Painting a Picture of the Public Purse: Impacts of Idaho’s 1% Initiative.” Over the past 10 years, Meyer has presented over 40 presentations annually to various groups in Idaho. In the past five years, he has made at least two presentations annually to legislative committees. Meyerl has contributed to the professional development of many extension educators by organizing, co-organizing, and instructing at various workshops including six NPPEC pre-conference workshops, “Surviving Controversial Issues.” For the 1994 NPPEC in Boise, Meyerl initiated a pre-conference tour to show participants Public Issues Education at work, a concept continued at subsequent conferences. Meyer chaired and hosted the National Public Policy Education Conference in 1994 and has served actively on the western region committee since 1980.
James L. Novak, 2005
James L. Novak is an Extension specialist and professor in the Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology Department at Auburn University. He just completed a 20% shared faculty position with CSREES as a National Program Leader for Policy Education. He has served as a member of the Southern Extension Public Affairs Committee and the National Public Policy Education Committee; coordinator of CSREES Southeast Risk Management Education; chair of the National Risk Management Education Committee; and AAEA Extension Section President. In 2000, Novak, working with the National Risk Education Team, alerted Congress to the need for continued risk education funding. Funding was authorized. He coordinated the southern region’s participation in the 2001 Farm Bill Education and Farmer Survey Project, and is part of the 2007 project team. In 2002, he helped organize a team of Land Grant specialists and USDA staffers to conduct four national “Train the Trainer” programs on the newly enacted 2002 Farm Bill. These programs provided 97 trainers and more than 100,000 producers with policy education materials. For this work, the team received the 2003 Farm Service Agency Administrator’s Award and the Farm Foundation/NPPEC Outstanding Achievement in Public Issues Education Award. In 2003, Novak was involved in a major policy education program on the reform of Alabama’s tax code. This program won the 2004 Exemplary Communications Award for Mass Media from the Southern Forest Resource Extension Specialists.
David B. Patton, 2005
David B. Patton is an associate professor emeritus at The Ohio State University, having completed 34 years at the university, the last 14 as Public Issues Education Specialist with OSU Extension. His Extension work included creating and chairing a public issues education committee comprised of state and county Extension professionals in a variety of disciplines and program areas. Working with the committee, he organized various in-service training sessions and worked with county professionals. This past year, a series of citizen forums across Ohio on land use policy served as the basis for a report delivered to a committee of the Ohio General Assembly. Patton designed two high visibility citizen education/involvement projects in Ohio: Project CLEAR in Columbus, engaged the public in the development of policy to reduce ground-level ozone; and Neighbor-to-Neighbor in Cincinnati was designed to improve racial understanding. Patton has provided a valuable link between NPPEC and the Kettering Foundation/National Issues Forums (NIF). Working with Mark Edelman of Iowa State University, public policy education materials were produced for national use–Land Use Conflict and The New Science of Food. In 2004, Patton led a 10-person Extension team to produce the NIF issue book Making Ends Meet. Patton has made presentations or lead workshops on public issues education in several international settings.
Irvin W. Skelton, 1997
“Irv” Skelton’s contributions to public issues education have been in the form of wise advice to policy educators and their organizations, his strong administrative support, and his liaison role between extension administration, USDA, Farm Foundation and the policy education community. Skelton received a B.S. in Agri-Business from the University of Wyoming, a M.Ed in Extension Education from Colorado State University, and a Ph.D. in Agronomy from the University of Wyoming. During his 37 year extension career, Skelton had a number of positions ranging from the county level to the state level administrative positions in Wyoming, New Mexico, and Alaska. He retired from the University of Alaska in June 1997. Skelton served as Administrative Advisor for the Western Public Policy Committee and as a member of the National Public Policy Education Committee from 1987-1996. He has kept participants involved in meetings with his quick wit, in depth comments and critiques. He asks the tough questions and encourages educators to view public issues as both an educational process and a public service. He has functioned as a mentor and as a taskmaster.
Georgia L. Stevens, 2003
Georgia L. Stevens’ 30-year career has focused on the development and sustainability of children, youth and families. Her first work focused on involvement of citizens in public affairs efforts with grassroots coalitions. Stevens was a consumer and industry affairs specialist for various USDA agencies prior to being named Extension family policy issues specialist and family and community diversity specialist for Nebraska Cooperative Extension. She had a key role in development of the national resource materials, Public Issues Education: Increasing Competence in Resolving Public Issues. Throughout her career, she has created multi-media materials that make issues “real” to citizens. Stevens has assisted local coalitions in dealing with the impact of school-age child care on private and public sector work, family policy issues, and the family and community changes as new immigrants and refugees move to the Midwest. Based on her research with coalition building, Stevens is developing educational with cross-cultural methodologies. Stevens did her undergraduate and grauate work at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, earning a Ph.D. at the University of Maryland.
Barry Stryker, 2000
Barry Stryker is recognized throughout Vermont for his many years of distinguished service to local government officials and citizen leaders. From 1983 to 1995, Stryker provided leadership for Vermont’s Town Officer Training Programs. Frequently town officials work on a part time, semi-volunteer basis and lack institutional capacity enjoyed by larger metropolitan governments. This program provided training for 2,500 local officials annually. In 1989, Stryker and several others initiated the Vermont Institute for Government, which became a non-profit organization that continues to sponsor policy forums and publications to help educate local officials and citizens. Stryker served on the Northeast and National Public Policy Education Committees, and lead the Vermont’s Rural Community Connectivity Project. This project successfully supported 93 municipal offices in training, connection to the Internet, and development of web pages for providing public information. Stryker’s programs have often integrated leadership training and policy education principles in a fashion that creates stepping stones toward the development of a more informed citizenry. As a result of Stryker’s efforts throughout his career, Vermont has developed a continuing cadre of trained local officials and community leaders who step forward and tackle public policy issues.
Warren L. Trock, 2000
During his 38-year career as an educator, Warren Trock has exhibited a capability for research classroom instruction and extension that is noteworthy. He was first employed as an Extension economist at Montana State University, where he was active in farm management education. A move to Texas A & M offered opportunity for research and teaching with attention to issues and problems of resource development. Location at Colorado State University provided for a focus on agricultural and trade policy. He has authored and co-authored numerous research and extension publications and has been active in development and presentation of programs dealing with issues and alternatives in policy formulation and administration. Trock earned a PhD in Agricultural Economics at Montana State University. While at Texas A & M he was employed as a teacher and researcher and was promoted to Professor in 1973. Warren was employed at Colorado State University as an Extension Economist in 1975 and worked as agricultural policy specialist until his retirement in 1996. Trock has been active in the educational efforts of committees of the Farm Foundation, serving for several years on the Western Public Policy Education Committee and chairing the National Public Policy Education Committee for one term. He has been especially involved in programs to train Extension personnel in the methodology of policy education.
Katey Walker, 2001
Katey Walker is recognized for her commitment to encouraging new voices in public decision-making. She has a remarkable ability to package complex information into processes that encourage citizen interaction. In Kansas, she has developed many programs that focus on state and local issues, informing the ability of emerging leaders to participate in the public decision-making process and make their opinions known to their policy makers. She is a team player who excels in collaborative programs that bring science to the policy process.
Katey has been active in the National Public Policy Education Committee, where she was a committee member from 1990-1992, and 1999-2001. She chaired the North Central Committee, and served on numerous subcommittees of NPPEC, including the Public Issues Education Task Force, co-chair of the Ethics Education Subcommittee, and the subcommittee on evaluation and accountability in public issues education. She has served many national associations. Katey currently serves on the public policy committee of AAFCS. She has held numerous offices in the Association of Leadership Educators, including serving as President 1994-1995. She is a Founding Member of the Kansas Leadership Forum.
L. Tim Wallace,1996
Tim Wallace has spent 42 years working in Extension. He has conducted innumerable policy education programs in California on a variety of public issues.Wallace has long been involved with the Western and National Public Policy Education Committees. He chaired the Western committee twice and served as its secretary several times. In 1967 and 1968, he became the first person to serve as chair of the national committee in two successive years.
Wallace also contributed to the national committee through its various subcommittee activities. Most recently, he served as co-chair of the Public Issues Educational Materials Task Force, which worked with the Program Leadership Committee and Program Organization and Development Committee of the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy. This committee produced “Public Issues Education: Increasing Competence in Resolving Public Issues” in 1994, as well as the folling in-service guide.
In addition, Wallace served in important policy leadership positions during his career. He was a senior advisor for agriculture on the President’s Council of Economic Advisors in 1968-69 and was director of the California Department of Food and Agriculture during 1975-77.
Wallace’s ability to formulate issues, involve people in a meaningful way, and hold strongly to the principles involved was bolstered by consultation with his broad network of colleagues and friends in policy education.
W. Fred Woods, 1997
W. Fred Woods is National Program Leader, Public Policy/Issues Education, Cooperative Research, Education and Extension Service-USDA. Representing the federal partner in extension work, Woods has been a staunch advocate of sound public issues education methodology, a source of up-to-date information on policy developments, and catalyst-facilitator for many important regional and national public policy projects. Through his efforts, the doors of policy makers were opened to policy educators and linkages made to relevant implementing agencies and interest groups.
Woods received his B.S. degree in Agriculture in 1960 and his M.S. in 1961 from Auburn University. He completed course work for a Ph.D. degree in Public Finance at American University in Washington, D.C. Fred has 23 years of service to public policy education. He has served as the USDA representative on the National Public Policy Education Committee and has attended the National Public Policy Education Conference for most of those 23 years. In his role as a National Program Leader he has secured funding for important national and regional committee projects; and he has authored hundreds of papers, articles, and bulletins on key public issues as well as on extension methodology. He managed and directed efforts to improve extension program evaluation and accountability and has been an effective policy educator in his own right with an array of groups that move through Washington, D.C. Fred does his work tirelessly, with a sense of humor and with an undying belief that the Land Grant-USDA system can work efficiently.