Contact: Joshua Wescott, Office of the County Executive (608) 267-8823 or cell (608) 669-5606
The Dane County UW-Extension Cooperative Extension has announced the hiring of Carrie Edgar as the new director of the County’s Extension Department.
Edgar comes to Dane County after more than 11 years as County Extension Director for two counties in Illinois. There she managed a team of 15 staff and helped develop new partnerships that doubled her department’s budget, enabling it to offer additional educational programs and services.
“Carrie is a highly respected County Extension Director within the Illinois Cooperative Extension system,” said Richard Pederson, District Director for the UW Extension. “Her goal is to ensure the team members she leads have the support, knowledge, skills, and environment to be successful in providing the best educational programs and information to the people we serve.”
“Carrie’s diverse management and educational experience make her the perfect choice to lead our department and the many services it offers for kids, families, farmers and growers,” County Executive Kathleen Falk said.
The Dane County/UW Extension coordinates a number of helpful programs including tax preparation assistance, helping families manage their money, and working with growers to maximize their productivity. It also offers a wide array of resources for everything from buying a home to eating healthy.
Edgar has a Masters Degree in Child, Family and Community Services and has done a lot of work in the area of local foods, an area of tremendous economic opportunity for Dane County growers.
Edgar’s first day as Director of the Dane County/UW Extension Department is October 1st. David Fischer has been serving as the department’s Interim Director and Mindy Habecker as Interim Assistant Director since former director Lee Cunningham retired earlier this year. Cunningham had served as the agency’s director for about nine years.
