More Farewells

It's the time of year when some of our former co-workers are deciding to retire from Extension.

Best wishes to:

 Karen Chan, Extension Educator, Consumer Economics, Lake, McHenry Unit

Lynnette Mensah, Extension Educator, Family & Consumer Sciences (Nutrition & Wellness), Dewitt, Macon, Piatt Unit

Ruth Adcock, Secretary in the Snap-Ed Offices

Diane Frerichs, Secretary in the Food Science &  Human Nutrition Department--long time secretary in Bob Reber's office.

Brenda Smith, formerly a secretary in the Macomb Center, currently in McDonough County.

Robin Pyle, Secretary in White County.

We know you will enjoy your retirement! If anyone knows of others who are leaving, please let me know.

Southern Region Retirees Meet

Southern Illinois Extension Retirees met at Rend Lake this week for a delicious fish fry and good fellowship. The breeze off the lake was very nice on a hot day!

Those attending were Glen and Donna Sons, Walt Townsend, Martha Speir, Dennis Epplin, Mike Plumer, Martha Winter, Ed Billingsley, Joyce and Paul Pyatt, Bob Walker, Chuck and Joy Richey.

It was good to see everyone and get an update on life after Extension. We congratulated Glen Sons on his recent 95th birthday! Thanks to Mike Plumer for another excellent job of frying fish and potatoes. Martha Winter and Joy Richey also helped organize the event.

For those didn't make it--sorry we missed you. See "ya" next time!

Good News Concerning FCS Positions!

We learned at the last IEAFCS Board meeting that there are several new Family and Consumer Science positions being filled in Extension. If you know any of these individuals or if they are in your area, you might want to welcome them--and encourage them to join IEAFCS.

Unit 10 (Henderson, Knox, McDonough & Warren counties) has hired Cara Allen to be their Family Life Educator. Her start date is June 25.  Unit 10/11 is sharing a Nutrition and Wellness Educator. Her name is Mekenzie Lewis, and she is scheduled to begin on July 16. 

There are other positions being filled in JoDaviess/ Stephenson/ Winnebago and Boone/ Dekalb/ Ogle as well. Contact the local County Directors (Margaret Larson and Vicky Broos) for names and start dates.

Filling of some of these positions has been "in the works" for quite some time, and it is good to get individuals with FCS expertise into the system. 

Also, Cheri Burcham, Family Life educator in two units (Champaign//Ford, Iroquois/Vermillion) and (Coles/Cumberland/ Douglas/Moultrie, Shelby) will change to only one unit effective July 1st. There will be another position filled after that as well.

Southern Illinois Extension Retiree Fish Fry

Mark the date of Thursday, June 21st for a Southern Region Extension Retiree fish fry. We decided to hold it in June instead of September this year.  It will be at Rend Lake's North Marcum campground--shelter #7 at noon. Mike Plumer is cooking the fish. Spouses or significant others are invited.

Please bring a side dish to go with fish and chips, your own beverage, and a little money to help pay for the fish and the cost of the shelter. Paper plates. cups, and utensils, will be provided. We need to know if you are planning to attend by June 14. Send an e-mail to ieafcslife@gmail.com.

Hope to see you there!

East Central Region Meets

The East Central Region of IEAFCS recently met on May 18 in Paris, IL.  12 members and 2 guests met at the Edgar County Extension office and went to L&A Farms which is a CSA-community supported farm. We learned about the history of the farm and viewed the produce and livestock.

We then moved on to visit  Lori's Pins & Needles where we saw some beautiful needlework and quilts and each received a special "goodie" bag.

We enjoyed a wonderful lunch and held a short business meeting at Tuscany. Following lunch, members toured Barkley Farms - a nursery with over 400 perennials, ornamental grasses and display beds and a beautiful gift shop. The group will meet again in December in Sullivan, IL.


Thanks to Cheri Burcham for sending this.