Dear Colleagues:
I am pleased to announce that Janine Parker Woods will be joining UC ANR as the Executive Director of County Cooperative Extension.
We are excited to have her lead our UCCE county offices, promoting equity, collaboration and innovation across the state.
Janine is currently associate dean and associate Extension administrator for Virginia Cooperative Extension in the College of Agriculture at Virginia State University, where she leads two statewide program units – Food, Agricultural Systems & Agroforestry and Integrated Well-being of Youth, Family & Community.
Prior to joining VSU, Janine was an agricultural business and marketing Extension specialist at North Carolina A&T State University and the Extension program leader for its Agriculture and Natural Resources Unit in Cooperative Extension.
At the national level, Janine has served as a board member of the Extension Foundation, chair of the National Urban Extension Leaders Steering Committee, and secretary of the Association of Extension Administrators.
Janine earned a doctorate in agriculture and communications from the University of Florida, specializing in international Extension systems and agriculture leadership. She earned both a master’s degree in agriculture economics with a Peace Corps International certificate and a bachelor’s degree in business management and economics from NC A&T.
She began her career as a graduate intern in agricultural economics at the University of Kentucky, studying small ruminant market economics. She later served as a sustainable agriculture and marketing peace corps volunteer in Chimaltenango, Guatemala, supporting coffee cooperatives in brand development, production quality and organizational leadership.
She succeeds Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty, who retired in July. Our thanks to Keith Nathaniel, who is serving as interim Director of County Cooperative Extension until Janine joins us on Jan. 2, 2026.
Janine will be based at the UC ANR building in Davis. Please join me in welcoming her to UC ANR.
Brent D. Hales
Associate Vice President for Research and Cooperative Extension