SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Lela Vandenberg, leadership and professional development specialist at Michigan State University Extension was named an eXtension Champion for 2014. The award was presented here at the National eXtension Conference/National Extension Directors & Administrators joint meeting, March 26.
The eXtension Champion Award is presented by the organization’s Governing Committee to individuals instrumental in the creation and development of the eXtension initiative within Cooperative Extension.
“In 2009 Lela Vandenberg was bitten by the eXtension ‘bug’ after attending the first national eXtension conference. It was life and career changing for Lela and she was especially motivated to see how she could work with eXtension in Michigan,” said Terry Meisenbach, eXtension Communications & Marketing leader.
Lela has been an active member of the Michigan State University Extension Institutional Team and offered training on eXtension tools statewide. She also volunteered to work with eXtension nationally on the State and Local Value Enhancement initiative.
“Lela’s contribution and her skill and expertise in online learning have been invaluable to eXtension. She took the leadership in creating and delivering a very successful series of Digital Information Broker trainings. She has been a critical national voice with Ask an Expert. She’s an outstanding Question Wrangler. And she has always been at the ready to passionately help in any way she can to advance eXtension and its tools both inside and outside of Michigan,” said Elbert Dickey, eXtension Executive Director.