ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, July 3, 1996 TAG: 9607030058
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: GREG EDWARDS
Virginia Tech's temporary chief farm agent now has the top job permanently.
Andy Swiger, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, said Tuesday that he has named C. Clark Jones director of the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service. Jones, a Chesterfield County native, has served as the interim director of extension for the past year.
The Extension Service, a cooperative effort of county, state and federal governments, provides continuing education on a variety of topics to farmers and other Virginia residents in rural and urban areas.
The extension service, which was hit hard by state budget cuts earlier this decade, has 232 county agents, compared with 370 in 1989.
Jones has worked for the extension service for almost 20 years. Before taking over as interim director on the retirement of William Allen last year, Jones was assistant to the director of extension and responsible for such things as strategic planning and governmental relations.
"For me, being named director of Virginia Cooperative Extension is the realization of a lifelong dream and goal," Jones said.
During the past year, Jones worked with other Tech administrators on one of the most comprehensive Extension Service restructurings in decades, Tech spokesman Charlie Stott said. The plan, which includes reducing the size of administration and investing in technology, is designed to take the organization into the next century, Stott said.
The extension service plans to place an emphasis on those who work directly with people and communities, Jones said. Besides agents and specialists, those people included more than 45,000 volunteers in 1995.
Jones obtained his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from North Carolina State University.
LENGTH: Short : 41 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Jonesby CNB