Pam Jacobs

Pam Jacobs’ 40 years of dedication to the University of Illinois Extension is unmatched.
Serving about 19 years as the Monroe County extension director and another six as the director for the Madison-Monroe-St. Clair unit of U of I Extension, Jacobs has received many accolades for her efforts, including the Waterloo Chamber of Commerce’s 2010 Community Service Award.

Jacobs’ office will recognize her service during a special ceremony from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Monroe County Annex in Waterloo.

“Pam is very supportive,” 4-H and youth development program coordinator Kelly Brandt of the county extension office told the Republic-Times. “People are saying now that she has 40 years, she will retire. That would be crazy. I absolutely don’t know what we would do without her.”

Residents would be hard-pressed to find someone who believes in the mission of the U of I Extension more than Jacobs, who said the local extension program provides valuable educational opportunities to youth, adults and communities.

“Youth are provided the opportunity to experience University of Illinois through the variety of educational experiences offered both locally and on campus,” she said. “It is great to recognize many 4-H members chose to attend University of Illinois, crediting their 4-H involvement.

“Many of those individuals have come back to live, work and serve the local area.”

Having gone through the 4-H program in Washington County and taking on leadership roles in college, Jacobs has an intimate knowledge of the programs and opportunities that will best serve 4-H kids. She also has used her tenure to establish key relationships.

“She has a lot of connections in the community that are very helpful,” Brandt said.

For instance, her connections to people within the Monroe County Extension & 4-H Education Foundation proved quite helpful in securing the land that would become Baebler Educational Farm in 2014. Jacobs also helped the foundation realize the potential of the farm for 4-H club projects, workshops and other ideas.

“It was a very positive experience knowing there would be many opportunities for youth, school enrichment, Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists, yet the group also knew it came with financial challenges and the need for active volunteers for care and development,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs and the extension office faced quite a challenge in 2011 when the Monroe County extension office merged with both the St. Clair and Madison offices — two heavily populated counties with different government structures and funding support, according to Jacobs — due to the state’s ongoing fiscal problems.

“We were able to pull through the challenge with great volunteers who commit to assisting with major programming and a variety of fundraising activities in all three counties,” she said.

In continuing her career, one of Jacob’s goals is to “increase funding support to make it possible for staff and volunteers to continue to offer an excellent program for youth and adults.”

Anyone who works with Jacobs or knows her intimately could spend hours listing her accomplishments and positive character traits. But what also sets her apart is her humility, evidenced by the long list of people to whom she owes her success, such as her husband, Allen, staff and volunteers, government officials and organizational partners.

It’s no wonder that when asked how it feels to be recognized by the extension office, she replied: “It has and continues to be a privilege and honor to work together with wonderful staff and volunteers through my career.”