Roles & Responsibilites

Franklin County Extension Association Member Roles & Responsibilities

Mission of the Franklin County Extension Association:

  • Be an ambassador to the community about Cooperative Extension’s programs in the Maine food systems and youth development and its role as the outreach branch of the University of Maine
  • Support and advise staff regarding programming and operational work
  • Formulate and help secure annual funding from the county government by working with County Commissioners and County Budget Advisory Committee

 UMaine Cooperative Extension Mission: To help Maine people improve their lives through and educational process that uses research-based knowledge focused on issues and needs.

Time Commitment:

  • Election of new members and officers is held at our Annual Meeting in October of each year. New members are elected for a 3-year term unless specified otherwise
  • Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. with the following exceptions:
    • There is no meeting in June, July, or August
  • Standing and ad-hoc subcommittees meet on an as-needed basis to assess items such as the budget (finance committee) and 4-H Scholarship Committee(Annual Award)

Responsibilities:

  • Become familiar with the staff and programs of the Franklin County Extension Office
  • Promote the educational programs and impacts of Franklin County Extension to citizens, county commissioners, legislators and other community leaders
  • Attend and actively participate in scheduled monthly meetings
  • Actively participate on a subcommittee
  • Oversee and actively participate in the preparation and operation of the Franklin County Extension Office budget
  • When possible, participate in and help evaluate current Franklin County Extension programs
  • Help prioritize staffing needs by making recommendations in selecting and hiring staff
  • Assist Franklin County Extension to reach diverse audiences

Qualifications:

  • Commitment to helping people help themselves through an educational process
  • Strong commitment to UMaine Cooperative Extension and its educational programs
  • General knowledge of people’s educational needs and issues in your geographic area
  • Ability to work as a team member with the full committee and subcommittees

Resources Available &Training Provided:

  • An orientation is provided
  • A County Executive Committee binder is provided to each member and is updated as needed
  • Regular updates about new and continuing programs
  • Networking with experienced committee members

Benefits of being a member:

  • Opportunity to participate at the local and state level as a volunteer for UMaine Cooperative Extension
  • Increased awareness of the broad range of educational programs, literature and online resources available to the public through University of Maine Cooperative Extension
  • Understand the educational needs of county citizens more fully
  • Build upon and learn new leadership skills
  • Opportunity to give back to your community