SDSU Community Vitality Bits and Pieces

By Kenneth Sherin and Paul Thares SDSU Extension

Kenneth Sherin, Ph.D., has been chosen as the Program Director for the SDSU Extension Community Vitality program. Sherin has served as a Community Vitality Field Specialist in the Mitchell Regional Extension Center with SDSU Extension since June 2012. A North Carolina native, Sherin completed his doctoral studies in Rural Sociology and Organization Development at the University of Missouri in 2012. Sherin will continue to work from the Mitchell Regional Extension Center and he will travel to Brookings regularly for meetings and other administrative duties.

Sherin is the second Program Director of the SDSU Extension Community Vitality team. David Olson, Ph.D., became Program Director after the SDSU Extension reorganization in 2011 and built a strong team of community resource professionals. Olson served as Program Director until he lost his battle with cancer in February 2016. Sherin said, “I want to build on Dr. Olson’s commitment to be the best resource for South Dakota communities who are seeking to stay or become vibrant, healthy communities.”

Program Name Change

The SDSU Extension Community Vitality program is the new name of the former Community Development program. The new name better reflects the goals and purposes of the program, as well as, the greater mission of South Dakota’s land grant university. SDSU Extension’s purpose is “to foster a learning community environment that empowers citizens to advocate for sustainable change that will strengthen agriculture, natural resources, youth, families, and the communities of South Dakota.” Sherin states, “South Dakota communities are worthy of our earnest effort to make available the best evidence-based, vetted, and relevant community and economic development resources.”

Vetted and Trusted Programs

Currently, the SDSU Extension Community Vitality program offers researched and evidence-based community development tools for building capacity in areas of entrepreneurial development (business plan writing, and marketing), leadership skills workshops, community marketing for new resident recruitment, strategic planning for organizations and communities, community-based approach to workforce development, civic engagement processes, and non-profit board training.

Sherin said, “The programs and resources of the SDSU Extension Community Vitality program are a great value for communities and organizations in South Dakota.” The community resource professionals deliver programs under the outreach mission of South Dakota State University. Therefore, the cost to communities and organizations is greatly reduced compared to other community resource providers in South Dakota.

Sherin stated, “The SDSU Extension Community Vitality team provides great opportunities for South Dakota communities. The community resource providers collaborate with other Extension professionals across the nation and other South Dakota resource providers. Their connection to national and local resources benefits South Dakota communities by sharing the best in rural community and economic development resources with the citizens of South Dakota.”

Adding to the Team

Sherin will be working with an experienced team of community resource professionals including Kari O’Neill, Peggy Schlechter, and Paul Thares. The SDSU Extension Community Vitality team is seeking another team member to be based in the Watertown Regional Extension Center. Sherin said, “We are excited to be able to offer the opportunity for someone to join this great team.” (For more information visit YourFuture.sdbor.edu.)

The SDSU Extension Community Vitality team is available as you seek to make your place a better South Dakota Great Place. For more information visit iGrow.org.