Greenup County has experienced multiple changes in county leadership over the past year. A new judge executive, county attorney, tourism director, mayors and city managers, and a newly designed Chamber of Commerce have all led to new ideas and streamlined projects. Informing new people informed about Extension programming and keeping Extension involved in community partnerships has been a top priority of our office.    

The Greenup County Extension Office's monthly reports to the Fiscal Court led to the implementation of a rotation of reporting from all taxing districts in the county. The Health Department and Library were asked by the judge to report to the court in the same manner that the Extension Office has been doing over the past year. This development allowed for greater transparency and sharing of services in the court meetings which are also live streamed via a local media outlet.  

As a member of the Tourism Commission, the Greenup County Community Arts Agent agreed to serve as chair and lead the program until a director could be hired. In early 2024, the court added the position and interviewed multiple qualified candidates. Jaime Bloss was hired and has been working closely with the CA Agent to take on the responsibilities of administrative procedures for finance, programming, marketing, community development, and state-level tourism advertising. This community leadership development met the goal of expanding the reach of Greenup County Tourism and placing the responsibility with county staff. The agent will return to regular board chair duties.    

Leadership development has been a focus across all Extension programming in preparation for a new plan of work. Club leaders, project leaders, program council leaders, CEC, and District Board members have all been encouraged to facilitate updates to bylaws, communication methods, membership committees, advisory councils, and safety plans. Support for that process has been provided with training opportunities and sharing of resources.

While this is an ongoing process, the focus on leadership has been successful with results showing throughout the community by way of new collaborations, participation, and partnerships.