Jefferson, surrounding counties get new regional ISU Extension director

Craig Leager is the new regional director for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach's Region 26, which includes Jefferson, Van Buren, Wapello and Davis counties.

Leager is not a native Iowan, but he has extensive experience in education and a background in agriculture.

He grew up on a dairy farm in Maryland and attended Iowa State University where he obtained degrees in elementary education and education administration.

He's worked as a teacher, principal and a science educational consultant with Great Prairie Area Education Agency.

For a few years, he managed a team of 40 people who focused on promoting STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

Leager said he felt it was time to reconnect with Iowans and particularly with his alma mater. On July 1, he became Extension's regional director for four counties in southeast Iowa. As regional director, he supports the elected county councils and the county staff, which together decide the programming offered through the Extension office.

Iowa State University has many resources to offer its local Extension offices in the form of specialists in a number of fields that cover Extension's four areas of focus: agriculture and natural resources, community and economic development, human sciences, and 4-H youth development. However, it's up to each county Extension office to decide on their priorities and what kind of programs they want to offer their residents. With direction from the county councils, the regional directors help Extension staffers arrange programming according to that county's desires.

'Each county has its own needs based on its age and socio-economic status,” Leager said. 'As regional directors, we funnel ISU research into the areas the counties want.”

Leager said that, when people think of Extension, they probably think of its 4-H and agriculture programs first. But Extension is more than that.

He said it does educational camps, STEM festivals and programs in human sciences. It does programs for seniors, too, such as planning their finances.

'Our goal is to serve residents from cradle to grave,” he said.

A lesser known element of Extension's work is its role in economic development, which involves business planning and hosting speakers who specialize in that area.

Extension's programming has had to change since the advent of the coronavirus pandemic, since it can no longer host large gatherings at its county offices. Much of its programming has moved online, though some, like its 'Clover Crate” activity program for kids, has shifted to become take-home projects.

Leager said he visits Jefferson County at least once a week, and is looking forward to meeting the community's programming needs in any way he can.