For more than four years, Paul Bonaparte-Krogh has served in the role of Assistant Director for County Operations. This position was newly created following the recommendations submitted to me in May, 2002, by the Committee to Review the UNH Cooperative Extension Structure (CRAS).

Key components of the position have been to manage and coordinate county and field operations, supervise County Office Administrators (COA), support County Advisory Councils and provide leadership for external relations. Effective December 3, 2007, I will be reassigning some of the responsibilities associated with the position currently held by Paul to the Associate Director and will be adding new responsibilities, including volunteer management, to Paul's position.

As a result of these revised responsibilities, I will be dropping the designation of "County Operations" and referring to the position as Assistant Director. The responsibilities associated with the supervision of County Office Administrators will transition to the Associate Director on December 3. UNH Cooperative Extension currently has more than 4,000 volunteers. A new component to the revised responsibilities of the Assistant Director position will include an emphasis on volunteer management.

Our five year (2007-2012) Strategic Plan acknowledges that volunteers extend the reach of UNH Cooperative Extension, multiplying the educational effect and increasing visibility of the organization. Three related strategic plan implementation action steps include: 1) recruit high-quality volunteers and retain them by offering continuing education and recognition; 2) provide better access to facilities, equipment and other resources for volunteers to carry out their duties; and 3) determine how volunteer management can be made more effective to achieve the desired outcomes.

An additional strategic action step is to effectively utilize each County Advisory Council to communicate UNH Cooperative Extension program impacts to legislators, key decision-makers and the media. The Assistant Director, in keeping with the volunteer management responsibilities and in conjunction with the Associate Director, will continue to serve as the administrative liaison with County Advisory Councils. Here is the revised description for the position of Assistant Director in PDF or Word.