August 1, 2016 - At the state conference for the Texas Extension Association of Family & Consumer Sciences in Lubbock, Jheri-Lynn McSwain, Shelby County Extension Agent for Family & Consumer Sciences was awarded four individual state level awards and one team award for programs conducted in 2015, in addition to a professional development scholarship for her Ph.D. work she is pursuing at Stephen F. Austin State University.
Jheri-Lynn was awarded the New Professional of the Year for programming efforts in Shelby County. She conducted over 60 programs with over 5,241 participants during 2015.
The Mary W. Wells Memorial Diversity award was presented for her work at Pineywoods Outreach Ministry in which programs were established to address diversity, inclusion, and childhood obesity while at the same time providing volunteer-based educational Extension programs.
She was also presented the Community Partnership award for her leadership in establishing a partnership with Pineywoods Outreach to provide weekly nutrition, health, fitness, wellness, gardening, and 4-H programs for 75 at-risk youth, 22 mentally challenged adults, and 34 low-income adults. Sponsors and funding was secured by the partnership from local civic organizations, banks, businesses and Better Living for Texans to support this endeavor.
Her last individual award was Communications through Marketing for her annual Friend to Friend Breast Cancer awareness program. This program helped fund mammograms for 38 women at risk in Shelby County.
The 4-H & Youth Development award was presented to Jheri-Lynn McSwain and Lane Dunn, Shelby County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources, for their Let's Go, Let's Grow initiative implemented to increase 4-H club enrollment. Agents identified new target audiences within the community and assisted in developing a new 4-H club for at-risk youth. New projects implemented included virtual photography, virtual fishing, and taxidermy.
In March, The Better Living for Texans program award was presented to Jheri-Lynn as the 2015 Bronze level winner for Regions 4 and 5 by completing over 211% of hours towards programs involving low-income audiences.
