Extension leadership | UMN Extension

Office of the Dean

Beverly R. Durgan

Dean

mnext@umn.edu
612-624-2703

Brent Hales

Senior Associate Dean, Chief Financial Officer

bdhales@umn.edu
612-626-8256

Sarah Greening

Chief of Staff

greening@umn.edu
612-625-1972

Michael Schmitt

Associate Dean, Extension Center for Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources

schmi009@umn.edu
612-625-7098

Jennifer Skuza

Interim Associate Dean, Extension Center for Youth Development

skuza@umn.edu
612-624-7798

Karen Shirer

Associate Dean, Extension Center for Family Development

shire008@umn.edu
612-626-3971

Kent Olson

Associate Dean, Extension Center for Community Vitality

kdolson@umn.edu
612-625-7723

Bob Byrnes

Director of Field Operations

byrne007@umn.edu
507-337-2809

Kathryn Draeger

Program Director, Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships

draeg001@umn.edu
612-625-3148

Leslee Mason

Human Resources Director

lam@umn.edu
612-624-4205

Amy Baker

Chief Technology Officer

amy@umn.edu
612-626-2897

Becky Beyers

Director of Communications & Public Relations

bbeyers@umn.edu
612-625-1759

John Vreyens

Director of Extension Global Initiatives

vreyens@umn.edu
612-625-7779

Advisory committees

Citizens' Advisory Committee

This volunteer committee provides consultative support to the Extension Dean. They meet two times a year to discuss Extension priorities.

Committee members

Rick Anderson, Lyon County, Balaton
Jerry Arneson, Clay County, Moorhead
David Benson, Nobles County, Bigelow
Anna Brekke, Scott County, Shakopee
Robert Cline, Olmsted County, Rochester
Wade Fauth, Itasca County, Grand Rapids
Jacqueline King, Dakota County, Apple Valley
Barb Liukkonen, Lake County, Two Harbors
Jeane Pearson, Ramsey County, St. Paul
Thom Petersen, Pine County, Pine City
Fatima Said, Winona County, Winona
Darlene St. Clair, Stearns County, St. Cloud
Matthew Wolle, Watonwan County, St. James
Laura Wyatt, Anoka County, East Bethel
Don Yutrzenka, Marshall County, Argyle
Marvin Zutz, Red Lake County, Red Lake Falls

County Extension Committee

Extension engages citizen stakeholders and county commissioners across the state. State law requires that all 87 counties have a County Extension Committee that includes county citizens and two county commissioners.