Lead Educator Position Description

Lead Educator Development Series

Join us every other month in a continuation of training, development, and conversation around the Lead Educator Role. We will be utilizing much of what we gathered in conversations during the 2021 Lead Educator Training to craft these sessions and make them timely/relevant for your roles. As we develop this series, let us know if you have questions or topic suggestions. We appreciate your active participation!

Full Archive

Meeting Agendas and Resources

May, 2024

Watch Recording

  1. Check-In -  May Flowers
  2. Resource Sharing
    • 4-H Support Staff Onboarding – Jill Goedeken
  • Extension Board Training Modules – Karly Black
  • Open Meetings Act Posters - NACO
  1. Lead Educator Briefing – Dave Varner
    • Extension Assistant Base Salary Update
  • County office support for local statewide Educators
  • NACEB Director Recruitment
  1. What needs do you have currently?
  2. What questions do you have?
September 23, 2023

Watch Recording

  1. Check-In -  What is your favorite homegrown garden produce?
  2. Training Focus: IANR Supervisor Training Opportunities – Cindy Copich
  3. Idea Share via Breakout Rooms: What are you currently doing to balance Lead Educator responsibilities and programming responsibilities?
  4. Lead Educator Briefing – Dave Varner
    • PEARS encouragement for county office teams
  • On-boarding assistance with new educators and assistants
  • Support for statewide educators in your region
  • Interlocal agreements – Goal is to finish by December 31
  1. What needs do you have currently?
  2. What questions do you have?
June 2023

Watch Recording

  1. Training Focus: Business Center Best Practices
    • Year-End Financial Practices & Reminders - Ruby Urban
  2. Extension Board Budget Planning
  3. Idea Share – Balancing Lead Educator Time - Lisa
  4. Lead Educator Briefing – Dave Varner
  5. What needs do you have currently?
  6. What questions do you have?
March 2023

Watch Recording

  1. Check-In
    • What is your favorite Spring flower?
  2. Training Focus: Hiring, Onboarding and Retention
    • Training and Onboarding Summer Interns - Lisa Kaslon
    • GNBC Hiring Procedures - Kari Eidenmueller
  3. Idea Share – Promoting open positions locally
  4. GNBC Update for Lead Educators - Pat Neben
  5. Lead Educator Briefing – Dave Varner
    • Civil Rights Survey
  • NACEB Legislative Day
  • Dual-Track Educator Position Model
  1. What needs do you have currently?
  2. What questions do you have?

Lead Educator Resources

A. Local Point of Contact

Serve as the local point of contact for county and administrative communication in a designated county or group of counties.

B. Engage Local Elected and Departmental Officials

Build relationships and engage local elected and department officials individually and in partnership with the EZC. (Commissioners, Supervisors, County Clerk, Health Department, Emergency Management, etc.)

Find Your State Senator

Local Official Directory

For assistance in connecting with your Senator or developing your story, contact your local Engagement Zone Coordinator and/or Jessie Brophy (jbrophy3@unl.edu)

Following all Senator engagement opportunities, please take a few moments to complete the following Legistlative Interactions Form.

C. Facilitate Local Extension Boards

acilitate local Extension Board operations and communication. Support the Engagement Zone Coordinator in the development of leadership and advocacy skills with the Extension Board members.

Extension Board Meeting Modules Outline

Extension Board Meeting Modules Handout

Nebraska State Statutes related to Extension Work (2-1601 through 2-1608)

Outline of Nebraska Open Meetings Act

Extension Board Resources

Extension Board Agenda Template

Extension Board Application Form

Extension Board Position Description

Certificate of Appreciation

NACEB (Nebraska Association of County Extension Boards) Website

D. Oversee Office Maintenance and Inventories

Oversee office maintenance, renovations, technology and furniture acquisition, inventory, vehicle maintenance.

UNL Fleet Management – Guidelines and procedures for UNL Vehicles

UNL Surplus, Inventory, & Asset Management

E. Accountability Region Communication

Facilitate effective two-way communication with Accountability Region Educators serving their geographic area for the purpose of addressing local critical issues. This includes coordination of regular Accountability Region Educator updates for extension advisory groups, county commissioners/supervisors, stakeholders, etc. of the latest educational opportunities and impacts.

F. Office Team Relationships

Promote effective working relationships and teamwork among office team. Foster effective communication among office team members, including planning and leading regular office team meetings.

G. Hire and Supervise Local Staff

Hire and supervise local support staff and interns and support their professional development opportunities. Hire and co-supervise Extension Assistants, where appropriate, and support their professional development opportunities.

On and Off Boarding Staff

These references and checklists are valuable tools for Extension Educators/Supervisors who are responsible for time-critical, compliance-related employee hiring and separation processes. Contact your respective Greater Nebraska Business Center (GNBC) Human Resource representative for assistance if you have questions.

Remember: communicate with your HR representative as soon as there is a decision to hire or as soon as you are notified of an employee’s intent to vacate his or her position.

On and Off Boarding Staff Checklists

H. Annual Budget Planning

Provide leadership for the annual budget planning, accountability of financial operations, and IT audit/inventory in order to adhere to county, university and state regulations and “best management” practices.

Nebraska Extension Financial Management Guidelines & Policies

I. EEO and Civil Rights Compliance

Coordinate local Equal Employment Opportunities and Civil Rights compliance efforts.

J. Annual Report Completion

Ensure annual completion of the following reports:

  1. County Annual Report as outlined by Nebraska State Statute 2-1606.
  2. County or Unit Impact Reports for Extension Administration and Stakeholders. (Due in December
  3. County Emergency Action Plan.

County Annual Report

The state statute deadline is January one, however, many counties file this after the first of the year. In order to be timely, this should be filed or presented by March 1.

The purpose of completing and filing the Annual County Extension Report is to comply with Nebraska Extension Law. This statute (2-1606) states the following:

The president or secretary of the organization shall on or before January 1 of each year file with the county clerk (1) a report of their work during the preceding year; (2) a sworn itemized statement of expenditures during the preceding year; and (3) a budget or estimate of the funds necessary for the carrying on of such work in the county during the ensuring year.

To comply with this requirement please update this cover letter template on your office letterhead and include the items referenced including:

  1. Summary of previous year's budget expenditures (have your Extension board president sign this report)
  2. Current fiscal year budget
  3. County Impact Report(s)
  4. Brief program summary for each educator and assistant/associate (This year’s Impact-at-a-Glance report or Activity Insight Summary Statement). Include such reports from educators serving your county as part of their accountability region as you deem appropriate.
  5. Samples of 4-H newsletters, Extension newsletters, major program brochures, news articles, and other products that represent previous year's programming.

Submit this report to your local County Clerk and share a copy with your respective Engagement Zone Coordinator.

County Emergency Action Plan

EAPs are collected annually by zone during different times of the year. The following are the collection windows:

  • February 1 – March 31: Zones 1, 4, 8, and 10
  • May 1 – June 30: Zones 5, 7, 9, and 11, and Raising Nebraska
  • September 1 – October 31: Zones 2, 3, and 6

Submit EAP

Nebraska Extension and UNL’s Office of Emergency Preparedness and Planning encourages all county Extension offices and Extension units to have emergency action plans (EAP) in place for disasters and emergencies. As shared earlier, to account for more EAP submissions and to allow for a quality review, submissions will take place in phases by Engagement Zones.

While we only ask offices/units to review their EAPs and submit them on an annual basis for our organizational records, EAPs should be updated continually as the need arises (i.e. someone retires/resigns, someone new joins the office, change of office location, etc.). The EAP outlines procedures and information that could be used by staff in the event of an emergency. Information includes office location description, shelter-in-place/evacuation procedures, and staff contact information, among other important information.

Please submit an EAP for each office location in a unit. For example, some units cover multiple counties with an office located in one or more locations. Each office location is unique and will need a separate EAP.

EAP Template

Examples

K. Other Duties

Such other responsibilities as the parties hereto may mutually agree.