Shelby County Extension Agent Recognized at National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Conference

November 6, 2017 - Jheri-Lynn McSwain, Shelby County Extension Agent was honored recently at the National Extension Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS) 2017 annual session for her programming efforts in Shelby County, Texas. She received the 1st place National and 1st place Region NEAFCS Greenwood Frysinger Fellowship Award, 2nd place National and 3rd place Southern Region Mary W. Wells Memorial Diversity Award, 2nd place National and 1st place Southern Region Environmental Education Team Award, and 3rd place Southern Region Communications Educational Technology Award at the conference held on October 19, 2017 in Omaha, Nebraska.  

The Greenwood Frysinger Fellowship is granted to an Extension Educator in Family and Consumer Sciences by NEAFCS to give members an opportunity to participate in a professional development opportunity of their own choosing. The award was presented based upon McSwain’s work with the Shelby County Community Garden project and school gardening programs at Center Elementary, S.W. Carter Elementary, and Excelsior School.

She received the Mary W. Wells Memorial Diversity Award and was recognized for her collaboration with Piney Woods Outreach Center to offer Step Up and Scale Down, a 12-week nutrition, fitness and weight management program for 63 participants in which 414 pounds of weight was lost. The Mary W. Wells Memorial Diversity Award is presented in support of the Cooperative Extension System emphasis on diversity and pluralism—a national program to respond to the changing work force, population and Extension audience. 

The Environmental Education Award recognizes NEAFCS members for outstanding educational programs conducted for families and/or communities on various environmental issues concerning water quality, air quality, recycling and natural resource conservation. McSwain served on a team of Region 4 and 5 Extension agents to develop and provide Earth-Kind Living Expos for participants to learn about ways to make their homes and land more environmentally sound.

The Communications Educational Technology Award was given in recognition for her program development of “Food Waste and Kitchen Pest Management” for use by other agents across the state. These NEAFCS awards were presented McSwain for her commitment to meeting the needs of individuals, families and communities.  
 

NEAFCS Environmental Education Award Team: Johanna Hicks, CEA-FCH - Hopkins County; Denita Young, CEA-FCH – Rains County; Jheri-Lynn McSwain, CEA-FCH – Shelby County.