COLLEGE STATION — Present and past members of the Travis County Commissioners Court have been honored collectively with the Extension in the City Award by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
Current court members include Judge Samuel Biscoe and Commissioners Ron Davis, Sarah Eckhardt, Gerald Daugherty and Margaret Gómez.
The award, created in 2006, “recognizes elected officials (and) signifies the highest regard and gratitude of AgriLife Extension educators across the state, particularly the faculty in 21 counties organized under the agency’s Urban Program,” said Doug Steele, agency director.
The court was cited for its “long history of strong support for the total Extension program in Travis County,” which resulted in numerous benefits for residents.
“The unwavering support of the Travis County Judge and Commissioner’s Court over the years has been essential to the success of the urban AgriLife Extension program,” said Dolores Sandmann, AgriLife Extension Travis County director.
Sandmann said the court provides 30 percent of the salary and benefits for seven professional staff members and, for more than 20 years, has supported the 4-H Capital program, which reaches inner-city children with after-school programs on science, engineering and technology. It also supported the Travis County 4-H Capital Americorp effort with staff in 30 schools reaching more than 2,200 students annually.
The court has also provided office space and equipment, and when the county offices flooded in 2010, the county led the effort to relocate and temporarily house the AgriLife Extension offices until the office was repaired.
Sandmann also cited the court for providing a grant to establish a scholarship program for Travis County 4-H members.
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