Burkhalter begins job as ISU Extension program coordinator

FAIRFIELD — Jefferson County ISU Extension and Outreach has created a new position, program coordinator, and the person filling it is a familiar face.

Courtney Burkhalter was hired in early July as the office’s program coordinator. Burkhalter will be returning to the extension office, where she previously worked as 4-H county youth coordinator. For the past eight years, Burkhalter has been an agriculture instructor and FFA adviser at Fairfield High School.

Burkhalter said she’s looking forward to working with both the community’s youth and its adult population through various programs in the coming months. She said this new job has many similarities to her work at FHS.

“I won’t be in the classroom every day like I was before, but in eight years, I taught a lot of lessons,” she said. “Especially on the FFA side, I worked with several community partners, and so I’m hoping to bring my knowledge of the community to this job.”

As the extension’s program coordinator, Burkhalter will be in charge of its master gardener program. In fact, one of the first programs she’s helping to organize is the Iowa Master Gardener Program’s fall hybrid training, which includes a 10-week online training portion and four in-person sessions beginning Sept. 19. Applications are due Thursday, July 28, and those interested can contact Burkhalter at 641-472-4166 or at cburk@iastate.edu.

Burkhalter said she will meet with the extension office’s specialists about hosting programs on human sciences. In the past, those programs have ranged from canning, parenting classes, caregiver training to financial courses. The extension office is also home to numerous agronomy programs. The next one of those is on farmland leasing, and will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 27.

The role of program coordinator was created this year at Jefferson County Extension to better coordinate all the classes extension offers. Burkhalter said she will work closely with Jefferson County Extension’s regional director Cindy Hall, 4-H youth program specialist Rachel Fishel and the rest of the team in the Fairfield office.

Burkhalter said she’s not sure what role she will play in helping to organize the Greater Jefferson County Fair. She said that will be the purview of County Youth Coordinator Hilary Lanman.

“I’m sure I will help with fair, but I’m not sure what role I will play in it,” Burkhalter said.

Burkhalter is just working part-time in July, and will start full-time on Aug. 1. She said it feels good to be back at the extension office, where she not only worked before, but also spent a lot of time as a member of 4-H.

Burkhalter graduated from Fairfield Christian School in 2006, and went to Fairfield High School for band and ag classes. Fairfield Christian School closed shortly thereafter.

Burkhalter continued her education at Iowa State University, where she obtained a degree in ag education with a minor in agronomy. She also got her master’s degree in ag and extension education from ISU.

Burkhalter is the daughter of Brian and Sherry Taglauer, and has two younger siblings, Brandon and Whitney.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com