New area director outlines staffing changes and plans to retool extension meetings

Sarah Torbert, who said she started as Area 9 director on Nov. 11, updated committee members on staffing and operational proposals. She said the extension office and the district attorney’s office plan to recruit a shared 50% administrative assistant; the planned schedule would place the assistant all day in the DA’s office on Mondays and in the extension office all day on Tuesdays, with split coverage Wednesday through Friday.

Torbert reported that Steve Okenick’s last day was Nov. 28, creating an open position shared among Buffalo, Trempealeau and Jackson counties. Jackson County’s board committee indicated interest in continuing the shared position but Buffalo County was not expected to continue, and Torbert said the committee must decide how to fill or restructure the role and consider cost implications.

Members also discussed restoring Youth Government Day as an April event that brings students to county offices for rotations (including courts, sheriff’s office and mock voting) and suggested extension could step into coordination after recent retirements among longtime volunteers. Torbert proposed retooling regular meetings to highlight monthly focus topics that map extension’s county reach, show financial contributions and bring community partners to share human impact stories. Members generally endorsed piloting a "county reach" presentation at the next meeting.

Why it matters: the staffing changes and a shared administrative assistant affect how residents access extension services and how the office will coordinate programming and outreach across jurisdictions. Torbert asked members to encourage applicants for the administrative position and to support new meeting formats.

The committee confirmed its next meeting for Feb. 18 at 8:30 a.m. and adjourned at 9:17 a.m.