April 24th: Culturally Responsive Mentorship
Join us as we host Dr. Mellion as she shares her pearls of wisdom, her approach to mentorship as a leader within the 1890 land grant system, and how she inspires her mentees through the Extension Foundation.
About Dr. Dawn Mellion:
Dawn A. Mellion, PhD, MBA is a retired Vice Chancellor for Extension and Outreach at Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA. Her programming portfolio includes whole farm planning, leadership development, and managing agricultural risks. Her work in the field of agriculture has provided her with several awards and accolades, most notably she was recognized by her alma mater, Iowa State University in 2018 with the George Washington Carver Distinguished Service award and by Tuskegee University in 2019 as the Thomas M. Campbell Leadership Award and in 2017. In 2013, she was recognized by the 1890 Association of Extension Administrators and has also received the USDA NIFA Cooperative Extension System Outstanding Leadership Award. Since retiring in 2021, she has served as an Ag Extension Catalyst and mentor for the Extension Foundation where she supports the development of Extension professionals across the Cooperative Extension System. Dr. Mellion supports the mentoring of emerging leaders and is an advocate for developing and growing the 1890 land grant system.
May 1st: Tailoring the Mentoring Experience
Join us as we host Victor Villegas as he shares his passion for mentorship and how he creates a unique experience for each of his mentees so that he can create an impactful experience.
About Victor Villegas:
Victor Villegas is an award-winning technologist and Broadband & Digital Technologies Adoption Coordinator at Oregon State University. He engages with communities and organizations across Oregon to help them access and use broadband and digital technologies safely and responsibly for education, telemedicine, workforce, and economic development. Mr. Villegas is committed to helping students and the next generation of Extension Professionals hone their skills and leverage technology to support the development of others. He mentors undergrad students participating in Oregon State University’s URSA program and helped establish the Association of Communications Excellence (ACE) “Amp Up” professional mentoring program. He has received the Diversity Multicultural Individual Award, from Epsilon Sigma Phi, and the Outreach and Engagement Vice Provost Award for Excellence, from Oregon State University.
May 8th: Continued Growth and Capacity Building at 1994 Tribal Land Grants
Join us as we host Brian Kowalkowski as he shares how he strives to build capacity within and across the 1994 land grant system and how he strives to create the next generation of leadership.
About Brian Kowalkowski
Brian Kowalkowski is the Dean of Continuing Education at the College of Menominee Nation. As Dean of Continuing Education, he manages and administers all grants and contracts of the department and acts as the Extension Director. Dean Kowalkowski analyzes community data to determine appropriate activities to be undertaken by the department. He also works with community agencies to establish cooperative working relationships. He is involved with numerous local, state, and federal professional organizations, representing his college and 1994 Tribal Land Grant schools.Dean Kowalkowski supports the mentoring and development of extension professionals and strives to grow the 1994 land grant system and its talented professionals.
