President's Corner (continued)
The story of our impacts is a story worth telling, and it should be shared broadly and frequently. University administrators, county government, and federal and state legislators should be able to clearly see the high return on investment that Extension brings if we expect continued public investment in our programs. It is also important for our own well-being and achievement that we regularly take stock of our impacts to help us stay focused, stay motivated, and keep our eyes on the prize. After all, if we were not measurably changing the world, why would we do what we do?
Our impacts start with knowledge change. As educators we are brokers of knowledge, and not just any kind of knowledge. The knowledge we offer is not the general sort, but rather the kind that empowers people to meet their own needs and improve their lives – the kind that changes the world. Effective knowledge transfer leads to behavior change, which, if we do our jobs well, will result in environmental, economic, and social condition change. It is this condition change that is the heart of our purpose and relevance.
Effective knowledge transfer to others starts with our own knowledge. Our knowledge is always expanding as we accumulate experiences and are exposed to new research, new ideas, and new ways of doing things. As I grow in knowledge over time, I have a greater and greater awareness and respect for the volume of things that I do not know. Even though I learn new things every day, I do not know now nearly as much as I thought I did 20 years ago.
When it comes to expanding our knowledge, regular professional development is crucial. The value of professional development is sometimes discounted or seen as a luxury. Our jobs, though, are to present the current state of knowledge and best practices. As such, professional development is not a luxury – it is an essential part of our duties.
One of the best things that ANREP offers you is opportunities for professional development. Our biennial conference is a shining example of this. Our next conference is May 12 – 15, 2026 in Wilmington, North Carolina. Registration will be open soon on the conference website. The conference planning team at NC State is putting together an outstanding program. This is not a conference to miss! In addition to our biennial conference, the ANREP Professional and Leadership Development Committee offers timely professional development opportunities throughout the year. Recordings of recent professional development webinars are available in the ANREP webinar archive. Watch these news digest emails for additional opportunities.
ANREP is one of seven Extension professional associations that together form the Joint Council of Extension Professionals (JCEP). JCEP offers two professional development conferences each year: the Extension Leadership Conference (the next one is February 3 – 5, 2026 in Savannah, GA) and the Public Issues Leadership Development Conference (the next one is April 20 – 22, 2026 in Bethesda, MD). Both of these conferences are outstanding, and they are relevant to everyone in Extension regardless of rank, position, or subject area. When I first attended these, I wished that had attended sooner.
Knowledge is wonderful, powerful, and empowering, hence our passion for building out own knowledge and extending it to our clientele. As an educator, I would like to be able to say that knowledge and education will ultimately solve the world’s problems. However, history is full of examples of knowledge applied toward evil purposes and crimes against humanity. My German teacher in high school was a Holocaust survivor. One thing he said that has always stuck with me is that the Nazi death camps were designed, built, and run by knowledgeable, well-educated people – engineers, doctors, and scientists. Educated scientists have used racial minorities as forced or unwitting subjects for experimentation in the name of advancing knowledge, with horrifying results. Knowledge and education alone will not improve lives, protect natural resources, or build a just society. We have to dig deeper, beyond just factual knowledge, and incorporate strength of character into the equation.
Just as knowledge without character is insufficient, character without knowledge can be similarly troublesome. As 12th-century French theologian Saint Bernard of Clairvaux said, “L’enfer est plein de bonnes volontés et désirs.” This roughly translates to our modern saying that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. In natural resource management, we see numerous examples of how an earnest desire to do good, coupled with ignorance, can result in disastrous unintended consequences.
I often tell forest landowners whom I work with that I do not care what decisions they make when it comes to stewardship of the land, as long as they make informed decisions. This is not really truthful, though, as the reality is that I do care quite a bit about decisions and outcomes. It is disheartening to see even well-informed landowners still make poor decisions that will not help them meet their objectives. It also makes me acutely aware of my own tendency to make informed but poor decisions. For instance, I know the perils of eating a lot of junk food, and yet…
The combination of knowledge and strong character is a powerful force for positive change and impact. Cultivating knowledge is a relatively straightforward part of our jobs. Cultivating strong character to go with that knowledge is more challenging and may ultimately be beyond the realm of what we do. There are things we can do, though. We can lead, we can inspire, and we can model strong character in all that we do. I think it also helps that the people who seek out Extension resources tend to be those whose desire for knowledge is rooted in strong character and a desire to do good.
As you reflect on your impacts over the past year, consider how both your knowledge and your character shaped those impacts. You are a force of nature! The story of your impacts and your role in those impacts is a story that deserves to be told, so I hope you can embrace your annual reporting with that in mind. Also, as you look at the year to come, watch for opportunities for professional development that build not only your knowledge but your skills of leadership and inspiration.
