Gift to Support County-Level Programming and Facilities
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – University of Tennessee President Randy Boyd made it one of his goals to visit every UT Extension office in the state. Now, he and his wife, Jenny, are extending that support by committing $200,000 from their personal foundation, The Boyd Foundation, to support program enhancements and facility or equipment needs within UT Extension.
“Visiting each of our 95 UT Extension offices was extremely educational and inspiring for me,” says Boyd. “While our UT Extension offices across the state share the same mission and passion, each local office is unique in how it serves the specific needs of the communities in its county. UT is here to serve the people of Tennessee and no one does it better than the great folks at our Extension offices.”
Boyd has long praised the county-level education and programing available through UT Extension and the land-grant mission. From youth education through 4-H to adult education such as nutrition classes through family and consumer science programing and programming to support the state’s livestock and crop producers, UT Extension seeks to improve the lives of every Tennessean.
“From his first day with UT, President Boyd has cultivated a deep connection to UT Extension and he understands the value Extension provides to the state of Tennessee,” says Scott Senseman, interim dean of UT Extension. “We are grateful for his personal generosity that will extend and enhance the reach of our statewide presence.”
The donation will be dispersed in awards matched 1:1 by UT Extension, for a total up to a $4,000 award available to all UT Extension county offices.
“I asked everyone at each office what their biggest wish was to improve the impact they make,” says Boyd. “I’ve got a list of over 300 wishes! My goal is to make as many come true as I can. As president of the UT System I can address some of them, but Jenny and I wanted to address a few personally, too. We are hopeful these grants will be able to make many of the wishes happen and make an impact across our state by empowering the great work of our Extension agents.”
Through its mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. utia.tennessee.edu.