Penn State Cooperative Extension and Outreach

Penn State is Pennsylvania's land-grant institution. Its mission is to develop research-based information that is then transferred through educational programs that are relevant and important to the people of Pennsylvania. Penn State Cooperative Extension is housed within the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State and is one of the outreach entities of the University.

Cooperative Extension County Boards

Each of Pennsylvania's 67 counties has a Penn State Cooperative Extension office that provides educational programs and information to local citizens. Because Pennsylvania is very large and diverse, the types of programs needed in metropolitan areas often are quite different from those needed in rural areas. Therefore, extension advisory boards, comprised of community volunteers, are formed in each county to interact regularly with local extension administrators and educational specialists to help determine local program priorities. In addition, county board members serve as advocates with elected officials in support of adequate public funding to support cooperative extension programs.

County cooperative extension offices and their advisory boards become members of the statewide PCCEA organization by paying annual membership dues. Membership entitles each county to select two delegates from their local advisory board to serve as voting PCCEA members who represent their respective county at PCCEA regional and full-membership events.

Harry VanSickle County Commissioner Union County Click here to hear Harry... (you will need Windows Media Player to play -see link at bottom of page)

PCCEA Regional Advisory Boards

Penn State Cooperative Extension has eight administrative regions. Each of these regions has a regional office, a regional director, and may have a PCCEA regional advisory group or board comprised of county delegates.

Regional board members interact with each other and their Penn State Cooperative Extension Regional Director to share program information, discuss program needs, determine regional priorities, and participate in regional activities. They also serve as cooperative extension program advocates with elected officials. Each regional board may select as many as three members to serve on the state administrative board.

Bob Lieberum, former President NW region PCCEA Board Click here to hear Bob... (you will need Windows Media Player to play -see link at bottom of page)

PCCEA State Administrative Board

The PCCEA organization elects a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer who serve on the state administrative board. The three representatives from each regional board also serve as voting members of the state board. Ex officio members include Penn State's Associate Vice President for Outreach and Cooperative Extension; the Associate Director of Cooperative Extension; and representatives from the Regional Directors' office, the four extension professional organizations, and the Penn State Board of Trustees.

PCCEA bylaws require the state board to meet four times per year. Meetings usually occur in August, October, January and March. Then, an Annual Meeting concludes the business year with the statewide membership meeting in April.

Joan Roginski Vice President, PCCEA State Board click here to hear Joan... (you will need Windows Media Player to play- see link at bottom of page)

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