PULLMAN, Wash. — For the third consecutive year, a Washington State University Extension educator has received the Award for Excellence in Extension from the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities. Daniel L. Fagerlie, WSU Ferry County Extension and the Colville Reservation Federally Recognized Extension Program Director, will accept the award on Nov. 14 at the APLU annual meeting in Washington, D.C.
The award is presented annually to individuals who excel at Extension programming, make a positive impact on constituents served and provide visionary leadership for the system. Fagerlie receives the award for the western region, which is comprised of 16 states and territories. WSU Extension educators Marcie Ostrom and Don Meehan won the same honor in 2007 and 2008, respectively.
“WSU Extension’s track record of excellence continues,” said Linda Kirk Fox, associate director of WSU Extension. “Dan is a passionate leader whose positive, practical approach and creativity attracts state, national and international acclaim. His positive outlook and can-do attitude are both legendary and contagious, inspiring volunteers and program participants alike to dream bigger and reach higher.”
Fagerlie has been the Extension Director in Ferry County, located in northeastern Washington, for over 23 of his 29 years serving the area. He also serves the Colville Reservation Extension, so he works in two locations, supervising a full-time staff and hourly employees.
Fagerlie led the creation of a local invasive weed control program that brought together more than 50 groups and agencies as it grew into a statewide program to help eradicate invasive weeds. This award-winning bioagent program attracted international attention, and he has also worked on a new program called Weeds Cross Borders Project led by Okanogan County Weed Board. Fagerlie is one of 5 members in this first international Coordinated Weed Management Area along the U.S.-Canadian border.
His office also has had great success with the County 4-H Program, and several projects created in cooperation with the Ferry County and the Colville Confederated Tribes. Private Donors have pledged their own resources to help Fagerlie’s visions become successes. He and his staff team have brought over $5 million in funded projects to deliver enhanced programs to Ferry County, the Colville Indian Reservation, and state residents, since the special projects began in 1991. More than 13,500 tribal and non-tribal youth have benefited from the office’s efforts through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Youth at Risk initiated 4-H Challenge program alone.
Ferry County Extension programs have received numerous awards for innovation and effectiveness. They were the first recipient of the “Big Cat” award, which is the highest honor bestowed by WSU Extension for program impact and collaboration.
“I believe Dan Fagerlie is one of the most creative and productive Extension faculty I’ve had the privilege to know,” said Vickie Parker-Clark, director for WSU Extension’s Eastern District.
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