Organizational Structure

Organizational structure category | County and tribal organizational structure | Statewide organizational structure

Organizational structure work groups were responsible for assessing and recommending changes to the positions, organizational structures, and support processes across counties, tribes, multi-county areas, regions, University of Wisconsin campuses, and program areas.

Organizational structure category work group:
This work group focused on advising and facilitating communication across the two organizational structure planning work groups, and for:

  • Identifying what Cooperative Extension staff need in terms of organizational structure, positions, career advancement, and support to deliver programming to the residents of Wisconsin; and
  • Identifying options for how educator, specialist, and administrator positions could be structured across the future program areas, multi-county areas, and other organizational structures.
  • Co-chairs
    • Denise Retzleff, 4-H Youth Development Educator and Co-Department Head
    • Richard Straub, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Senior Associate Dean
  • External partner
    • Robert Krause, Shawano County Board of Supervisors
  • Members
    • Members include co-chairs of the organizational structure planning work group

County and tribal organization structure planning work group:
This work group focused on assessing the current structure, staffing model, and support structures for educators and administrators across the four regions, including:

  • Assessing the current organizational structure, staffing levels, roles, and responsibilities across all regions, counties, and tribes among:
    • Educators and staff employed by Cooperative Extension located in county and tribal offices;
    • Staff employed by counties and tribes who support Cooperative Extension activities; and
    • Regional Directors and related support staff;
  • Determining how educators serve and provide programming to counties and tribes;
  • Describing what advancement opportunities exist for educators;
  • Identifying what administrative activities educators perform in addition to their programming duties;
  • Identifying how relationships and contracts between Cooperative Extension, counties, and tribes are maintained;
  • Determining how the needs of counties and tribes are currently being addressed; and
  • Determining how the needs of educators are currently being addressed, including support structures, career advancement, pay scale, etc.

This work group recommended how these functions could more efficiently and effectively be managed in the future.

  • Co-chairs
    • Julie Keown-Bomar, Northwest Regional Director
    • Paul Roback, Washington County UW-Extension Community Development Educator
  • External partners
    • Dave Bretl, Walworth County Administrator (county partner)
    • Shelia Stubbs, Dane County Board of Supervisors (county partner)
  • Members
    • Barb Barker, Waushara County UW-Extension 4-H Youth Development Educator
    • Jennifer Gauthier, Menominee County UW-Extension Community, Natural Resource and Economic Development Educator
    • Eloisa Gomez, Milwaukee County UW-Extension Director
    • Kristin Krokowski, Waukesha County UW-Extension commercial horticulture Educator
    • Carrie Laboski, UW-Extension soil fertility and nutrient management Specialist
    • Art Lersch, Lincoln County UW-Extension community resource development Educator
    • Mark Mayer, Green County UW-Extension agriculture Educator
    • Tedi Winnett, Kenosha County UW-Extension Director

Statewide organizational structure planning work group:
This work group focused on assessing the current structure, staffing model, and support structures for specialists and administrators across the four program areas, including:

  • Assessing the general organizational structure, positions, staffing levels, and responsibilities across all program areas among:
    • Specialists who are Cooperative Extension employees;
    • Specialists who are employed by UW campuses; and
    • Program Directors and related support staff;
  • Determining how specialists provide programming across the state and support programming within counties and tribes;
  • Describing what advancement opportunities exist for specialists, program administrators, and support staff;
  • Identifying what administrative activities specialists perform in addition to their programming duties;
  • Identifying how relationships and inter-institutional agreements between Cooperative Extension and UW campuses are maintained; and
  • Determining how the needs of specialists, program administrators, and support staff are currently being addressed, including support structures, career advancement, pay scale, etc.

This work group recommended how these functions could more efficiently and effectively be managed in the future.

  • Co-chairs
    • Nancy Brooks, UW-Extension Family Living Programs Specialist
    • John Shutske, UW-Extension Agriculture & Natural Resources Specialist
  • External partner
    • Mark Abeles-Allison, Bayfield County Administrator
  • Members
    • Judi Bartfield, UW-Extension Family Living food security research and policy Specialist
    • Shawn Conley, UW-Extension agronomy soybean and small grains Specialist
    • Vance Haugen, Crawford County UW-Extension agriculture Agent
    • George Kraft, UW-Extension Central Wisconsin Groundwater Specialist
    • Matt Kures, UW-Extension Geographic Information Systems state Specialist
    • Patty McManus, UW-Extension fruit and plant pathology Specialist
    • Cindy Sarkady, Waukesha County UW-Extension 4-H Youth Development Educator
    • Joanna Skluzacek, UW-Extension 4-H Youth Development STEM Specialist

Contact: nextgencommunications@ces.uwex.edu