It’s that time of year again to highlight Extension excellence among service and grant award winners for 2023-2024.

AEA Award Winner

This year the spotlight shines on Urban Regional Extension Agent Nkenge Hyter who received a 2024 Excellence in Extension Award from the Association of Extension Administrators. Hyter was recognized for her work in family and consumer sciences during the 2024 Southern Region Program Leadership Network meeting in August in Charlotte, North Carolina.

A graduate and now an employee of Alabama A&M University, Hyter has also implemented Cooperative Extension programming at the University of Tennessee Extension and IFAS Extension University of Florida over the course of 27 years. Today she is popular for her aerobic line dancing classes that have reached more than 17,000 participants of all ages, averaging 4,000 to 6,000 steps per class.

Other Honorable Mentions

In addition, Alabama Extension congratulates the following staff for their accomplishments during the past year.

Service Awards

• Urban Regional Extension Agent Darlene Minniefield received the 2024 Innovation in Programming Team Award from the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences and an award from the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service Employees Organization, Inc. for 25+ Years of Service.

Grant Awards

• Urban Regional Extension Agent Darlene Minniefield received $10,500 to implement the Successful Aging Initiative Conference and the Mother-Daughter Tea from the Alabama Council on Economic Education in Houston and surrounding counties.
• The Virginia Caples Lifelong Learning Institute Site Director Danielle Rudolph received $350,000 for the Saving the Family Property: Heirs Property Prevention, Resolution, and Land Use project from USDA/NIFA and $7,500 from the Alabama Securities Commission.
• The National 4-H Council awarded 4-H and Youth Development Specialist Angela Williams $13,000 for Ag Career Readiness, $372,000 to implement Alabama Health Rocks!®, and a Sunset Gift of $100,000 for exceeding goals in the 4-H Tech Changemakers program.
• Extension Environmental Specialist Karnita Garner received $249,000 for her project Minimizing Climatic Impacts through the Environmental Education and Climate Outreach Initiative from USDA/NIFA.
• Extension Assistant Director Tamara Warren received $250,000 for the Cardiovascular Health, Aerobic, Management and Prevention Initiative Optimizing Nutrition project from USDA/NIFA.

Congratulations to all staff for your outstanding achievements!