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Texas A&M AgriLife introduces nutrition and gardening staff to Starr County
Summary
At the Aug. 12 Starr County Commissioners Court meeting, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension introduced Lisa Gonzales and Heidi Pero Porresita as staff for the Better Living for Texas program, which will deliver nutrition, gardening and physical-activity programming funded through a state health-services contract.
At the Starr County Commissioners Court meeting Aug. 12, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension representative introduced two local staff members assigned to the Better Living for Texas program: Lisa Gonzales, a recent hire, and long-serving extension employee Heidi Pero Porresita. The presenter said both positions are funded by a contract between Texas A&M AgriLife and the Texas Department of State Health Services and are part of the county extension office, though not paid from county funds.
The program combines three components — nutrition education, community gardening and physical activity — aimed at improving local health outcomes. "We don't want, even though they're not paid out of county funds, they are part of the county office," the AgriLife Extension representative said, asking the court to welcome the staff and support their work. Lisa Gonzales told the court she has worked with Roma ISD and Rio Grande-area communities and that classes at a local site, La Casita, draw roughly 30 participants. "I'm really looking forward to giving back to my community," Gonzales said.
The presenter asked the commissioners to provide oversight and feedback and requested periodic reporting to the court so commissioners can respond to constituent questions about the program. The presiding officer asked AgriLife to provide updates roughly every three months; the presenter agreed to that schedule.
Why this matters: The program adds staffed, state-funded nutrition and gardening services in Starr County that are positioned to coordinate with local schools and community centers and to deliver hands-on classes and outreach. Because the positions are funded via a state contract rather than county payroll, the presenter emphasized continuity of programming while noting the staff are county-based and will report to county leadership.
The extension representative said she expects the two staffers to continue expanding classes and outreach in Starr County and will provide the requested periodic reports to the commissioners.
