July 12, 2007

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COLLEGE STATION – Three administrators have been named for key positions with Texas Cooperative Extension, according to said Dr. Ed Smith, Extension director in College Station.

Dr. Galen Chandler has been named District 1 administrator in Amarillo, Dr. Darrell A. Dromgoole has been named North Region program director for agriculture and natural resources in Lubbock, and Jeffrey Ripley has been named Extension administrator for District 11 in Corpus Christi.

All three will begin their new positions on Sept. 1, Smith said.

Chandler has been with Extension for 27 years, most recently as District 3 administrator in Vernon. In Amarillo, he will have personnel and management responsibilities for all agriculture, family and consumer science, and 4-H agents in the 22 counties of District 1.

Chandler, a native of Irving, earned a bachelor's degree in animal science from Texas A&M University in 1980; a master's degree in science-teaching from Tarleton State University; and a doctorate of agricultural education from Texas A&M and Texas Tech University.

He began his professional career in 1980 as an assistant agriculture agent in Atascosa County.

Chandler also served as an Extension agriculture agent in Comanche, Wise and Denton counties before moving to Vernon in 1996 to become the district Extension director for agriculture. In 2003, he was named the district Extension administrator.

Chandler said this latest career move coincides with his love of the weather and people in the Panhandle region and offers him a chance to live closer to his son, Cody, an agricultural education student at West Texas A&M University in Canyon.

As district Extension administrator, Chandler will work directly with county commissioners courts to secure funding and support for Extension, as well as market Extension programs.

"One of my goals is to visit every county within the first two months to get acquainted with the agents and judges and as many commissioners as I can," he said. "One thing I do that I'm proud of is meet with each commissioners court each year to do an interpretation visit and keep them updated on what Extension is doing."

Chandler is also looking forward to developing a good working relationship with all the research faculty with Texas Agricultural Experiment Station at Amarillo, as well as the Extension specialists.

"That will be a good challenge for me, because there are more Extension specialists and researchers to work with in Amarillo than there are at Vernon," he said.

Leaving Vernon will be hard, though, Chandler said.

"I've hired a lot of good agents in this district and that's the part I'm going to miss – seeing how they do over the years," he said.

Dromgoole, who currently is Extension administrator at Corpus Christi, will work with other regional program directors, Extension administrators, specialists and agents. He will oversee regional agriculture and natural resources programs – including planning and coordinating educational programs, supervising faculty and staff, and fiscal planning and management, and will serve as a liaison with government and public and private clientele.

"I look forward to working with the agents, specialists, agriculture commodity groups and clientele in the Panhandle, South Plains and Rolling Plains," Dromgoole said. "We will work to identify agriculture and natural resource issues and develop educational strategies that will have a positive impact on the agriculture community."

Dromgoole earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics from Texas A&M University in 1984, a master's degree in agricultural education from Texas Tech University in 1991, and a doctoral degree in agricultural education from Texas A&M and Texas Tech in 2007.

A native of Yoakum, he has served Extension as district administrator in Corpus Christi since 2003 and as district director for agriculture and natural resources in Uvalde from 1997 to 2003.

Dromgoole began his Extension career in 1984, serving as a county agent for agriculture and natural resources in Victoria, Crosby, Calhoun and Collin counties through 1997.

He has authored and contributed to many publications, and is known for his contribution to county agent training. He also has a strong background in crop and livestock production and programming, Smith said.

During his career, Dromgoole has received several Extension awards and was named to the Chancellor's List in 2006. He has also been recognized by his peers for excellence in livestock production programs, applied science and technology, result demonstrations and applied research, and his work with 4-H youth.

Ripley currently is Extension director of Travis County.

"I'm excited about going to another region that has such an active Extension outreach and such a great tradition of service to the community," Ripley said. "I'm looking forward to working with the people there, who are among the best (in the agency)."

Ripley will oversee the Extension personnel in 18 southeast Texas counties.

"I hope to be a good resource for my coworkers and the volunteers we work with, as well as for the community as a whole," he said.

Ripley has more than 18 years Extension experience, serving in Guadalupe, Williamson, Palo Pinto, Tom Green and Travis counties.

He earned a bachelor of science degree in agricultural business from Tarleton State University and a master of education degree in agriculture from Texas State University - San Marcos, formerly Southwest Texas State University.