SPRINGFIELD, Mo. Counties in southwest Missouri are accepting nominations for the 2017 public election of County Extension Council members. Names of nominees can be submitted in October for review by existing county council members.
Getting nominated as a candidate can be done by contacting the local MU Extension center and expressing a willingness to serve. In most counties, an election chairperson will follow up with candidates and secure their permission for placement on the extension council ballot.
Persons who are interested in running for a seat on the council can start by calling the MU Extension center in their county of residence.
The Greene County Extension Center has an informational brochure about the requirements of serving on an extension council under the “plans and reports” link on the Greene County website: http://extension.missouri.edu/greene. The nomination form is available in that same portion of the website.
“Serving on a county extension council can be fun. It is also a great way to represent your community, serve your county, and help create educational opportunities for your neighbors,” said David Burton, civic communication specialist for University of Missouri Extension. “In Greene County we need dedicated council members willing to help market extension locally and raise the funds needed to make community educational programs possible.”
Every county in Missouri has an Extension Council made up of elected (and appointed) members who represent the broad educational needs and backgrounds of people in that county. Council candidates must be at least 18 years old and reside in the district they represent.
Missouri statutes create County Extension Councils to work with MU Extension specialists. Council members assist in planning and carrying out MU Extension programs, providing local Extension governance and representing the diversity of the county’s changing population.
Most counties in southwest Missouri hold council elections the third week of January. Each council election is held in accordance with state law (Chapter 262.550-262.620 R.S. Mo. 1969).
