AMARILLO – Renda Nelson has been hired as the Better Living for Texans regional program manager for the north region of Texas AgriLife Extension Service, according to the program’s state coordinator.
Nelson started Feb. 1. She will serve all counties with Better Living for Texans programs in the Amarillo, Lubbock and Vernon districts. Her office is located in the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Amarillo.
Better Living for Texans, known also as BLT, is a cooperative effort between AgriLife Extension, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and the U.S. Department of Agriculture\’s Food and Nutrition Service, said Jon Perrott, state program coordinator in College Station. The program has been serving limited income families throughout Texas since 1994.
“Renda brings a wealth of experience to the position, including nearly three years as a nutrition program associate in Extension with the University of Missouri,” Perrott said.
Most recently, Nelson served as education and customer services supervisor with Western Missouri Medical Center. Her past duties have included conducting training for staff and participants and working with volunteers.
“She demonstrates a passion for our audience and our cause and is eager to get started,” Perrott said.
“I look forward to working with and assisting the educators in the counties to implement the BLT program and reach new audiences,” Nelson said.
The goal of Better Living for Texans and the USDA\’s Supplemental Nutrition Education Program is to provide educational programs that increase the likelihood that recipients will make healthy food choices, Perrott said. The nutrition education provided by program educators is research-based.
-30-