I have some news that I would like to share with you if you
have not already heard. I have accepted the title MRS. and will be leaving my
current position as Family and Consumer Science County Extension Agent in
Monroe County in July. I will be marrying Clifton Angel and will be leaving
Monroe County to become his wife and relocate to Coldwater, Mississippi. I also
will be transitioning into the DeSoto County Family and Consumer Science
Extension Agent position with the Mississippi State University Extension
Service. The last day I will be in the office locally will be Monday, July 7th.
It has been my honor to serve as your
County Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences for the past five years.
I have had the pleasure of working with many wonderful people
during this time. I appreciate the professional relationships and the personal
friendships that I have had the opportunity to build while working, living, and
playing in Monroe County. Thank you Monroe County for welcoming me with open
arms, hearts, and homes! I could not have done my job without the support of my
many volunteers, the Extension Homemakers, the Family and Consumer Science
Advisory Council, the County Extension County, and the Monroe County Extension
District Board. Everyone has willingly been accepting of change and has given
selflessly to help me build relationships while they gave their time, talents,
and efforts to investing in me and my FCS work. You have my greatest gratitude
and appreciation. I would not be the person I am today without having known the
wonderful people here in Monroe County.
I would like to salute my FCS Extension clientele families
and individuals and the community partners and collaborators I have had while
being here in Monroe County. Through their hard work and enduring faith of
building strong families one individual at a time together collectively we have
made Monroe County a better place to live, work, and play while I have been
here in the past five years. When you look at our Monroe County statistics we
are living on less that the national average and our population is slowly
decreasing, but Monroe County is shining and slowly our community is rallying
together and collectively we are in the process of moving forward to sustain
ourselves in the future instead of letting the future consume us. I have
witnessed our community switch gears and begin to being a proactive community
instead of a reactive community. Change around here is slow because good ideas
take time to manifest and become great innovative ideas.
In the last five years, our county gained many new things
that we all need to celebrate! Now in Monroe County we have primitive camping
at Tompkinsville City Park, gained a Farmers Market building, opened a Family
Wellness Center state-of-the-art facility, opened many new businesses
throughout the county and in the downtown business district of Tompkinsville, created
a foundation with a vision for the downtown area of Tompkinsville, started an
annual summer concert series at Printers Park, developed a seasonal decoration
plan for Tompkinsville, and the list could go on and on.
Together since I have been here in Monroe County we have
lost weight together via the Weight the Reality Series, learned how the Stand
Up to Falling, preserved fresh fruit and vegetables, began to Take Ownership of
Diabetes, Plated it Up Kentucky Proud, celebrated physical activity via the
Second Saturday/Sunday, started Life Stories and Memory Banks, participated in
Drive By Quilt Hanging, taken Small Steps to Health and Wealth, and gotten more
Moneywise in addition to multiple other things. I have asked you to step
outside of your comfort zones and hear about new methods and research based
programs. Please join me in patting you on the back for taking a gamble on
listening to my crazy ideas and research based methods while I extended
knowledge to you. Collectively we have begun making the small steps to lay the
ground work to begin improving the quality of life for individuals and families
so that we can have strong families for Monroe County, Kentucky.
I personally am looking forward to visiting Monroe County to
see to progress that you will continue to make once I am gone. I have no clue
what is in store for my future, but I know that I am very thankful and blessed
to have been given the opportunity to be your Monroe County Extension Agent for Family
and Consumer Sciences. I thought this was my “forever” job but plans have
changed. Thank you Monroe Countians for making my time here so memorable. I am
thankful for the opportunity to have served all of you for these past 5 years.
My co-workers here locally in Monroe County are hosting a
farewell reception for me on Monday, July 7 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the
Monroe County Extension Office. I would love for you to drop by so I can say a
proper thank you, goodbye, and see ya later before I embark on the next chapter
of my life.
