Congratulations, Michael!
~by Michael Wilcox
Assistant Director and Program Leader for Community Development / Purdue Extension
Associate Director / North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD)
For the December 2020 edition, we have hijacked Michael’s column to bring you some great news! Dr. Wilcox, Purdue Extension’s Assistant Director and Program Leader for Community Development and Associate Director of the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD), was awarded the Mid-Career Award by Purdue University during our Professional Development Conference (PDC) this week.
The Mid-Career Award recognizes an Extension specialist with 11-20 years of service. Recipients must demonstrate:
- Extension leadership
- Excellence in delivering public education programs
- Innovative approaches to program development
- Outreach efforts to county Extension Educators
- Research that benefits Extension clientele through practical application
- Demonstrated collaboration with county Educators, agencies, or community leaders
All of us who work with Michael know that he fits the bill perfectly, and we are so happy to congratulate him on the occasion of receiving this high honor.
But, don’t just take our word for it! Here’s what some of his nominators said:
“Foundational to Michael’s work is his deep commitment and personal ethos towards the advancement of diversity, equity and inclusion. In fact, Michael has been a national leader in pushing our profession to deepen our learning, expand our perspectives, and do more in providing voice (and action) to marginalized populations.
~Dave Ivan, Michigan State University
“His work is always grounded in data and his process always involves open dialogue with stakeholders. He is a master at facilitating difficult conversations and moving projects, ideas, and communities forward with intention and grace.”
~Erin Emerson, Executive Director of Perry County Development Corporation
