ÐÓ°Épro

Cooperative Extension director finalist presentations scheduled

The ÐÓ°Épro Cooperative Extension Service will host Zoom presentations from three finalists vying to serve as the program’s new director. The finalists — Joe Sanders, Annie Steed and Jenn Wagaman — will present talks about their vision for the program’s next 10 years and its economic and geographic challenges.

Joe Sanders

Tuesday, June 10, at 9 a.m

Sanders is a senior international development leader with more than 27 years of experience designing and managing large-scale programs across Africa, Asia and Latin America. He has led eight major U.S. Agency for International Development-funded initiatives totaling more than $330 million, with a focus on agricultural market systems, food security, climate resilience, youth livelihoods and governance. Sanders’ work is rooted in locally led solutions and long-term institutional strengthening. 

In Kenya and the wider East Africa region, Sanders spearheaded efforts to expand trade, strengthen agriculture and livestock markets, scale climate-smart technologies and attract private sector investment. His teams have supported more than 2,600 cooperatives and small businesses, improved access to finance and infrastructure and increased economic opportunities for women and youth. 

He has a master's degree in managing rural development from the University of London and a bachelor's degree in biology from Catholic University of America. Fluent in Spanish and conversational in Dari and Quechua, Sanders is based in Nairobi, Kenya, and brings a collaborative, forward-thinking approach to community engagement and applied research.

to attend Sanders’ talk or visit .  

Annie Steed

Wednesday, June 11 at 4 p.m.

Steed has more than two decades of experience strengthening agriculture market systems, food security and community resilience in developing countries. She joined the U.S. Agency for International Development as an agriculture officer in 2010 with USAID postings to Rwanda, Egypt, Tajikistan and Georgia. Most recently, she served as the deputy director for the Office of Economic Growth in USAID/Georgia, where she oversaw the mission’s rural development and renewable energy portfolio. 

Steed has conducted research on invasive insects at Penn State University and developed an integrated pest management program to reduce pesticide runoff in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. She has a bachelor’s degree in wildlife and fisheries science and a master’s degree in entomology from Penn State University. Steed also has a master’s degree in water resources and livelihood security from Linköping University in Sweden. Steed served five years in the U.S. Army. She is an avid equestrian, enjoys reading books, hiking, and exploring new countries and cultures.

to attend Steed’s talk or visit . 

Jenn Wagaman

Thursday, June 12 at 10 a.m. 

Wagaman has served as the communications manager at UAF’s Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension since 2022. She has 25 years of experience in science communication, public relations and community program management to support the institute's diverse research and community engagement missions. 

As a long-time resident of Fairbanks and a UAF alumnus, she is passionate about IANRE's mission and the opportunity to use her skills to serve ÐÓ°Épro’s communities.

Wagaman has a bachelor's degree in anthropology and art and a master’s degree in communications, both from UAF. She grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, and spent time there between degrees working in legal aid services. She has served as an adjunct professor teaching writing, science writing and special education courses at the university level for over 20 years. Wagaman runs her own consulting business, providing training to caregivers and professionals working with individuals with complex neurobehavioral conditions.

She lives with her family in Fairbanks, where she enjoys walking on the trails, traveling and making pottery.

to attend Wagaman’s talk or visit . 

All of the presentations and feedback forms will be available on the Cooperative Extension website.

For more information, contact Alex Wilson at jawilson16@alaska.edu or 907-474-5807.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made five business days in advance to Wilson. Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information, will be provided free of charge to individuals with limited English proficiency upon request to amnorris2@alaska.edu. This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

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