I am writing this letter to let you know that I have made a decision to retire from WSU Jefferson County Extension effective December 31, 2010.
In the next few weeks WSU and the County will meet and start discussion on a process to continue support of the local Extension programs.
I want you all to know how much I have enjoyed serving this community as your local County Extension agent for these past twenty years. It has been a terrific experience. The time sped by because this work has been rich, rewarding and a thoroughly intellectually challenging experience.
However, I am also very excited about the future. The time has come for me to move on to pursue some other interests; to devote more time with my family, friends, and garden; to weigh and embrace other offers and opportunities that are before me now. I'll be changing the shape of my days and the scope of my focus, but I'll be staying in our community.
This job has been a great match for my heart - as well as my skills and interests. And it has met my personal goal to learn something new every day. It has truly been an honor to work with WSU’s positive and productive mission and with each and every one of you.
I want to thank and honor all of our talented and dedicated staff and volunteers. Jefferson County is fortunate to benefit from the high caliber of your collective leadership, skills and passions which together protect our natural environment; make this a better place to live and raise families; and ensure that the promise of citizen engagement and life-long learning is a reality for so many here in Jefferson County.
Thank you for sharing this great experience with me.
I can be reached at my personal email address (kbaril@cablespeed.com)
Some thoughts as I leave Extension:
Extension is an amazing legacy of American democracy. It brings to the community a local, community-based staff and citizen volunteer network; the presence of a nationally recognized research University; and the model of proactive citizen engagement and innovation. These are very real assets in a small rural community- ones which I hope the community will continue to foster and cherish.
One of the very best things about serving this community as the local County Extension director has been that it put me in the position to meet and work with good people on important issues. I treasure that opportunity and the challenge. WSU has honored me by offering me status as professor emeritus. But most of all I look forward to taking some time off and making room in my life for other opportunities.
WSU and the community gave me a position that let me start as a water quality faculty in l990 and then transition my career through the years to leadership roles in growing the local food and farm economy, citizen engagement, sustainability, and finally to new ways to grow our local community wealth. I’m especially proud of a most recent accomplishment of securing local broadband access for the County. I have worked hard to honor the role of county extension agent in the community; to bring resources together; to convene dialog on public policy of how we wanted to live together in this place; and to develop and implement a wide variety of innovative programs that address local issues.
As a lawyer and social entrepreneur I brought a unique lens to my work at Extension. I always believed that the most important challenge in our society- the one arising from Thomas Jefferson’s vision of an agrarian democracy and of the first proposals for a national land grant university system- is to link university research to local community needs in a way that links the best thinking and engages citizens in working together. My specific passion is to develop innovative programs that balance our community’s social capital, the local economy, and natural/ecoloical capital, in ways that creates mutual gain and reflects our shared sense of place and unique landscape.
Among the innovative programs that we developed here in Jefferson County was the first community learning center in the State- which grew to eleven WSU learning centers statewide and resulted in the designation of Jefferson County as the state’s pilot for life-long learning and online degree completion through technology. We initiated WSU Water Watchers; a successful local real estate education program; new business classes for farmers and small businesses; and opportunities for access to capital such as LION and Land Works a multi-agency collaborative targeted at ensuring economic viability for local farms and forests.
Together we've grown an amazing local food and farm industry that is seen as a model statewide. Working in Brinnon and Quilcene with the Gates and NW Area Foundations we piloted an innovative youth entrepreneur and community service-learning project, Big Quil Enterprises. This program, with great community-based leadership, was honored as one of the nation's six most innovative projects to address rural poverty. Now through TEAM JEFFERSON business executives and community leaders are setting a new tone to energize entrepreneurship and working together with the City, County and Port to develop a shared economic strategy. Recently, its been exciting to serve as partners in the successful effort to bring high speed Internet connectivity to our County, which will be the key to entrepreneurial success for the next generation.
I've always loved public policy - the art and science of how we work together in a civic society to achieve our common goals. I’m proud of my involvement in a number of important policy initiatives in Washington such as the State Environmental Protection Act, Puget Sound watershed planning, the 1988 Timber Fish Wildlife Agreement, and the state’s Habitat Conservation Plan. Nationally, I have served as an advisor to the National Science Foundation, the Kauffman Foundation and both the President’s Council and the Governor's Council on Sustainable Development.
What I have learned in my years with Extension is that we can accomplish great things when we work together. This is the great American tradition and promise. Look at what Pamela Roberts and the amazing WSU 4-H volunteers accomplish annually with over 1000 local 4-H youth. Whether it is animal clubs, after school programs, challenge courses, robots, or video news, there are now local youth leaders with the skills to “Make the Best Better”. Recognize the WSU Master Gardeners as they volunteer their passions and expertise to increase Extension educational outreach, develop community grants to raise local food, engage youth in programs, reduce water use, and link University research in plants clinics throughout the County. Watch local WSU Beach Watchers work with Pat Pearson and Darcy McNamara, train local citizen scientists to restore shorelines, recruit over 400 Shore Stewards, monitor local salmon streams, and partner with a number of local organizations pioneering ecological restoration. In 2010 WSU started a unique FIELD farm internship program and developed a partnership with the nationally recognized Organic Seed Alliance to employ Dr. John Navazio to expand local organic seed production. Over twenty local business executives volunteer with WSU TEAM JEFFERSON, working with Shelby Smith and Bill Wise, to set a new tone for business; retain and expand local businesses and recruit young, emerging entrepreneurs to the area. Thanks to Sally Chapin for her great graphics and spirit and Laurie Meyer for her administrative support work.
For those who know me, one of my passions has been coaching and encouraging young entrepreneurs. I believe strongly that as many of us transition and age to become community elders it is our turn to renew the public contract that education does matter; that the pursuit of knowledge is valued; and that courageous leadership will be honored and supported in this community. For every day I have spent as Director of WSU Jefferson County Extension I will always be grateful. I thank the community, the staff, the volunteers, our partners, the farmers and my friends- Jefferson County and WSU- for a life fully engaged. You demanded my best and I worked hard to rise to the challenge. It has been my passion and my honor to serve you for the past twenty years as your County Extension Agent. I look forward to our continued friendship. Thank you all.
L. Katherine Baril Director, WSU Jefferson County Extension
EDC/ TEAM JEFFERSON
www.jefferson.wsu.edu
kbaril@wsu.edu
office:360-379-5610x 202