The Dean and Director's Distinguished Team Award was established in 1989 under the leadership of Patrick Borich, Dean and Director (1984-1995), to recognize, promote, and encourage excellence in team performance in Extension education. It is available annually to one or more teams addressing a critical or emerging issue of wide public concern at the local, county, or state level. It awards a $1,000 stipend to the work of the team and a certificate for each team member. Selections are made by a committee from nominations by team members and Extension colleagues.
Retail Analysis and Development Program Team
Helping Minnesota communities learn to live side by side with "big-box" retailers, the team initiated a two-track program to teach business owners and communities how to analyze purchasing patterns and develop strategies to survive and grow. News media and other state extension services are telling people across the country about how this program is igniting community action and inspiring new hope for local independent retainers. Team members: Michael Darger, Sherri Gahring, Kent Gustafson, Lisa Hinz, Joyce Hoelting, Karen Lilley, David A. Nelson, Ryan Pesch, Bruce Schwartau, Elizabeth Templin, Georgeanne Artz(Iowa State), Blandin Foundation(Grand Rapids), Sonja Brown(Market Researcher-Mpls.), Kim Johnson(Dept. of Design, Housing & Apparel), Seung-Eun Lee(Dept. of Design, Housing & Apparel), Seahee Lee(Dept. of Design, Housing & Apparel), Randy Sanford(MN Dept. of Revenue-St. Paul), Ken Stone(Iowa State).
Winning the Game Team
To help farmers work with volatile commodity markets, the team created a series of workshops in a game format that simulates real-life grain marketing decisions, allowing farmers to practice marketing without losing actual money. This game is achieving national reach through other state extension services and private companies.
Food Science Team
The food science team developed classroom training and an on-line "Serve It Up Safely" recertification course for food service managers. The team's work contributed to a nearly 20% reduction in Minnesota Department of Health critical food violations in restaurants with certified food managers.
With a goal of educating Minnesota citizens abut the methods and importance of improving and preserving lake and river quality, "a small, but mighty" team of seven people pulled together a massive effort to create public awareness, enlist concerned citizens, train volunteers, and begin re-vegetating and revitalizing thousands of miles of shoreline. Team members include: Mary Blickenderfer, Eleanor Burkett, Cindy Hagley, Barb Liukkonen, Terri Port-Wright, Ron Struss, Julie Klocker.
This comprehensive project integrates research, professional development, education, public awareness, and evaluation to respond to concerns and interests of families. Team members include: Kathleen Olson, Julie Despot, Joanne Musich, Dane Damerow, Mary Laeger-Hagemeister, Rebecca Hagen Jokela, Karin Ihnen, Jean Kvols, Collen Gengler, Angela Berge, Joan Sprain, Rose Allen, Marie Lee Rude, Richard Moreland, Laurie Magnus, Marcia Woeste, Minnell Tralle, Melissa Persing, Kari Fruetche, Noy Sakulnamarka, Ron Pitzer, Sandra Becker.
For outstanding contributions in presenting and producing a program for preventing injury of youth in the community. Team members include: Renee Hink Ferrington, Marcia Woeste, LeRoy Williams, Carol Ann Burtness, Tom Hovde, LeAnn Evans, Jim Carlson, Julie Slettom, Suzanne Driessen, Mardi Harder, Nico Cantalupo, Jean Pitt, Kent Montgomery, Julie Despot and DelRay Johnson.
Under review, no Dean and Director's awards committee.
For outstanding contributions in assisting divorcing parents to create a more positive environment for their children's adjustment. Team members included: Madge Alberts, Rose Allen, Neil Anderson, Jan Baedke, Jean Bauer, Sandra Becker, Tammy Blair, Don Breneman, Sam Brungardt, Karen Burke, Janice Clark, Sharon Danes, Beth Emshoff, Diane Flynn, Tracy Habisch-Ahlin, Dave Hansen, Melissa King, Julie Knobloch, Nancy Kristensen, Jean Kvols, Mike Liepold, Kathleen Lovett, Kathy Mangum, Dave McAllister, Timothy McIndoo, Sue Meyers, Nancy Neil, Dotti Ollenburg, Phyllis Onstad, Kathy Parker, Melissa Persing, Ron Pitzer, Kathryn Rettig, Trisha Sheehan, Pat Stumme, Sandie Syverson, Minnell Tralle, Vant Washington, and Jann Wright.
For outstanding contributions in assisting individuals and families in distributing non-titled personal property. Team members included Extension educators Claire Althoff, Shirley Barber, Christy Bubolz, Sharon Knutson , Charles Leifeld, Elizabeth Russell, and Marlene Stum.
For outstanding contributions through broad-based team programming to address water quality issues related to production agriculture in two portions of the Minnesota River Basin. Team members included Extension educators from Clusters #10 and #29 (Cindy Arnevik, Lowell Busman, Gary Hachfeld, Craig Haugaard, David Pfarr, Amy Rager, Kent Thiesse [team leader], campus specialists (Fred Bergsrud, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering; Kevin Klair, U of M Center for Farm Financial Management), the University of Minnesota Center for Decision Cases(Tammy Dunrud, Steve Simmons), Southern Experiment Station (Gyles Randall), Cluster #29 Americorps (Kamal Alsharif), Minnesota Department of Agriculture (Mark Dittrich), Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (Norman Senjum), and Brown-Nicollet-Cottonwood Clean Water Partnership (Larry Gunderson). Team members cooperated with 12 demonstration farms, local Natural Resource Conservation Service and Soil and Water Conservation District professionals, the alliance for Crop Residue Management, and many other agencies and individuals.
For interdisciplinary team programming to address violence in homes, schools, and communities in northwestern Minnesota. Team members included: Extension educators from Becker, Clay, Otter Tail, and Wilkin Counties, Lakes Crisis Center, White Earth Reservation Tribal Council, Region IV Crisis Center, Public Health (Clay County), Region IV Council on Domestic Violence, YWCA Shelter, Social Services (Otter Tail County), West Central ECSU, and Center for Reducing Rural Violence (Grand Rapids).
Minnesota River Cluster Extension educators (Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Swift, and Yellow Medicine Counties) and disaster and educational outreach coordinators (Benson, Correll, Beardsley, Clarkfield, Boyd, and Montevideo), for interdisciplinary team programming to address emotional and economic impact of adverse weather conditions of 1993 and recent years of low economic returns.
(Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Lake, and St. Louis Counties), which brought together 14 local, state, and federal agencies to address water quality needs in the area. Together, they developed a cluster water quality newsletter and packet of best management practices for shoreland owners, now being used across the state.
For "Turn it Around with Tourism" educational program: Ginger Cisco (WCCO Radio), Joyce DeBoe (Educational Development Systems [EDS]), Anita Dincesen [EDS), Rodney Elmstrand (Chisago County), Cheryl Hays (EDS), Phyllis Jenks (EDS), Louise Kampmann (EDS), Barbara Koth (Tourism), David McAllister (EDS), Rae Montgomery (EDS), Rich Reardon (U of M Media Resources), Patricia Roth (EDS), and John Sem (former tourism center director).
(Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Lake, and St. Louis Counties). Food, Agriculture, and Nutrition (FAN) Program Team: William Bomash (EDS), Linda Dieleman, Frances Doring (Minnesota Department of Health), Richard Epley (Food Science and Nutrition, College of Agriculture), Phillip Kofron (U of M Health Professional Education), U. Beate Krinke (U of M School of Public Health), Christine Olson (Cornell University), Vernal Packard (Agriculture), Warren Sifferath (Dakota County).
Carolyn Bryce (Pope County), Leroy Cluever (Agralite Cooperative), Sandy Fabian (West Central Leadership Center), David Hanrahan (Stevens County), Catherine Huebner (Stevens County) Jim Hultman (Runestone Cooperative), Peggy Knudson (Grant County), Diana Martenson (Traverse County [co-chair]), Melissa McNeill (Lincoln County), James Onerheim (Pope County [co-chair]), Harlan Rosendahl (Douglas County), Lois Ross, (Pope County adult volunteer), Lori Vig (Douglas County).
William Angell (Design, Housing & Apparel, College of Home Economics), Linda Ascher (Home Economics), Jeanne Brownback (Cold Climate Housing Center, Rochester Technical Institute), Harold Cloud (retired agricultural engineer), Charles Delancy (Forest Products, College of Natural Resources), John Fick (Agricultural Engineering, College of Agriculture), Sylvia Fuoss (Design, Housing, and Apparel, College of Home Economics), Lewis Hendricks (Forest Products, College of Natural Resources), Wanda Olson (Design, Housing & Apparel, College of Home Economics), Chris Reed, Forest Products, College of Natural Resources).
