Educators in the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service (UW CES) have received regional honors from Epsilon Sigma Phi (ESP), National Association of Extension 4-H Agents (NAE4-HA) and the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Thirteen states are in the western region of ESP, which fosters excellence in the extension system and development of extension professionals.
Mary Martin, extension educator based in Teton County and also serving Lincoln, Sublette, Sweetwater and Uinta counties, received the Continued Excellence Award.
The team of Tina Russell, based at the Wind River Indian Reservation, Phyllis Lewis, based in Washakie County, and Patti Griffith, based in Fremont County, received the Multicultural Diversity Team award for its Plant-to-Plate project. The project seeks to increase interest in and provide information about local produce, preserving fruits and vegetables and developing a farmers market.
Bob Kidd, a Casper-area rancher, received the Friend of Extension Award, the only recipient in the nation.
Kidd, a graduate of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, represented UW CES and the college on the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities' Council for Agricultural Research, Extension and Teaching for more than 20 years.
"Bob Kidd is extremely supportive of Wyoming's Extension programs," says Frank Galey, dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. "He is also a hard-working champion of extension programs at the regional and national levels. His enthusiasm for the entire land-grant system is unmatched. He never misses an opportunity to promote extension and to engage others on behalf of the land-grant system."
4-H educators received specialty and communicator honors from the NAE4-HA. Thirteen states, Western Canada and the Western Pacific are members of the western region.
Honors received, educator and county are:
Excellence in Camping -- Team, Tammie Jensen and Denise Smith, Niobrara.
Excellence in Teen Program, Individual -- Jessica Gladson, Campbell.
Educational Package -- Individual, Oliver Hill (retired).
Educational Package (team) -- For 4-H judges training program, Dawn Sanchez, Uinta; Rachel Vardiman, Johnson; Robin Schamber, Sublette; Jessica Lozier, Lincoln; Colleen Campbell, Natrona; Johnathan Despain, state 4-H office; Brynn Berg and Tara Kuipers, Park; Amber Armajo and Phyllis Lewis, Washakie; Pattie Griffith, Fremont; Vicki Hayman, Weston; Denise Smith and Mary Louise Wood, Albany; Jenny Good, Sheridan; Megan Brittingham, Goshen; and Marilynn Nelson and Tina Russell, Wind River Indian Reservation.
Educational Piece -- Alex Malcolm, Fremont, for parliamentary procedure workshops he gave at various locations and also Media Presentation for his video on promotion of Fremont County 4-H.
Promotional Package -- Individual, Janet Lake.
Distinguished Service Award -- Patti Griffith.
Receiving awards from the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences are:
Janet Lake -- First in nation, written communication.
Vicki Hayman -- Continued Excellence Award.
Western region awards -- Phyllis Lewis, team award for Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - Environmental Issues; Patti Griffith and Lewis, Educational Technology for Going Green, and Living Greener two-part PowerPoint program.
