WSU Extension educators gather in Pullman March 1-3

Nearly 400 Washington State University Extension educators from throughout the state will gather on the Pullman campus March 1-3 for the biannual all-extension conference.

“Creating A Culture of Change: Extension, Entrepreneurism and Engagement” focuses on how to affect and adapt to change in order to better serve extension clients, said WSU Extension Dean Linda Kirk Fox.

“Many issues that affect our work have surfaced since we last met in October 2002 – mad cow disease, sudden oak death, record levels of obesity and expansion of the 4-H program aimed at supporting the families of soldiers in Iraq, for example,” Fox said. “This conference is an opportunity for our front-line people to learn about the emerging issues Extension faces today and tomorrow and the skills to be successful.”

Highlights of the conference include:

– A keynote address on “Four Generations in the Workplace: Communicating and Working With Each Other” by consultant, author and public speaker Cam Marston. For the first time in history, four generations are all in the workplace together, Marston, author of “Managing Across the Cultural Divide,” believes that each generation interprets issues such as loyalty, teamwork, sacrifice, patience and time on the job in dramatically different ways.

– Featured speakers Dan Cotton of the University of Nebraska and Carla Craycraft of the University of Kentucky giving an overview of eXtension, a new initiative they are leading to create a Web-based, national information and learning center that will consolidate the expertise and knowledge of the national Extension system.

– The Celebration of Excellence Banquet.

More information about the conference is available at http://ext.wsu.edu/aec/.