Extension organization Epsilon Sigma Phi recognizes excellence and leadership
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – University of Tennessee Extension agents and specialists are the winners of three Epsilon Sigma Phi awards that recognize leadership, service, outreach and engagement among their regional Extension professional peers.
The awards were presented at the Epsilon Sigma Phi annual conference in Springfield, Illinois, October 12-15. Winners included:
- Johnny Barnes, UT Extension DeKalb County director, who won the Visionary Leadership Award for the southern region.
- Brigitte Passman, UT Extension Trousdale County director, who won the International Service Award for the southern region.
- A team representing the Tennessee Extension Leadership Academy, which won the Excellence in Outreach and Engagement Team Award.
Epsilon Sigma Phi, founded in 1927, is the largest organization of Extension professionals. Omega Chapter is the organization’s chapter for Tennessee Extension, which also includes Tennessee State University Extension professionals.
About the Winners
Johnny Barnes began his career with Extension while still a student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, working at the 4-H Camping Center, and afterward he was appointed a 4-H agent in Wilson County. He has been in DeKalb County since 2016, when he became director. He played a key role in establishing the Upper Cumberland Extension Team and helped plan and support the Middle Tennessee Grain Conference while developing many workshops and programs for local constituents and strengthening DeKalb County 4-H. Barnes has served the Omega Chapter in many leadership capacities, including two terms as president. In these roles, he provided strategic leadership, supported member engagement initiatives and helped strengthen professional growth opportunities for Extension professionals across the state while renewing and revitalizing the state chapter.
Brigitte Passman began her Extension career as a 4-H agent in Tipton County and was promoted to county director in 2019. She transitioned to Trousdale County in 2025. She chairs the Tennessee Extension Leadership Academy and serves on multiple strategic and curriculum committees, advancing youth development, leadership and mental health. Passman was selected to serve as a chaperone to Japan as part of the state’s 4-H international exchange, served on the Tennessee delegation to Cambodia through the Farmer-to-Farmer Program with UT AgResearch and the Smith Center for International Sustainable Agriculture and participated in an Epsilon Sigma Phi professional development trip to Greece focused on international agricultural practices. She has intentionally translated her international experiences into sustained programming. For example, she launched the “Sizzle Squad” culinary project group that emphasizes fresh-to-table principles and global food awareness, and she assisted with the 2025 Japanese delegation visit to Tennessee.
The Tennessee Extension Leadership Academy was started in 2022 to support employees at all levels.
With the philosophy that everyone is a leader, the academy is open to all individuals with an Extension appointment at UT or TSU, including administrative assistants, program assistants, agents, specialists, regional directors, specialists, and faculty members. By encouraging participation across roles and career stages, the academy reinforces the principle of “leaving titles at the door,” emphasizing leadership as influence rather than position. A cohort of employees is chosen each year. Academy graduates report they have advanced their careers, applied for and promoted to higher levels of leadership and helped start or lead large-scale, multi-county and multi-state initiatives.
Academy team leaders include Amy Kirk, Brandi Berven, Brigitte Passman, Jim Todd, John Toman, Laura Clark, Nancy Rucker, Chris Binkley, Hilda Lytle, Kenny Herndon, Matt Devereaux, Rebecca Seratt and Tim Woods.
About UT Extension
UT Extension is part of the national Cooperative Extension Service established by the federal government through the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 to provide a way to bring university-based research directly to farmers, families and businesses in communities. UT Extension has an office in all 95 counties with agents who work in agriculture and natural resources, family and consumer sciences, 4-H youth development and community development and specialists and faculty who work statewide.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.