Hancock County Extension Association Member Roles & Responsibilities

Mission of the Hancock County Extension Association:

  • Be an ambassador to the community about Cooperative Extension’s programs in 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.
  • Act as stewards to ensure welcoming and well-maintained building and grounds.

 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 September of each year. New members are elected for a 3-year term unless specified otherwise.
  • Meetings are held on the fourth Thursday of the month from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. with the following exceptions:
    • There is no meeting in July or August
    • The November/December meeting is held on the first Thursday of December, with a potluck supper that starts at 5:30 p.m.
  • Standing and ad-hoc subcommittees meet on an as-needed basis to assess items such as the budget (finance committee), our facility (building and grounds committee), promotion of our programs and nomination of new members (membership and marketing committee).

Responsibilities:

  • Become familiar with the staff and programs of the Hancock County Extension Office.
  • Promote the educational programs and impacts of Hancock 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 Hancock County Extension Office budget and the upkeep of the building.
  • When possible, participate in and help evaluate current Hancock County Extension programs.
  • Help prioritize staffing needs by making recommendations in selecting and hiring staff.
  • Assist Hancock 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.