Two North Dakota State University Extension Service professionals were honored at the 2013 Epsilon Sigma Phi national conference in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Kathleen Tweeten, director of the NDSU Extension Service’s Center for Community Vitality, received the North Central Region Distinguished Service Award. Retired NDSU Extension Director Duane Hauck received the North Central Region Continued Excellence Award.

The Continued Excellence Award recognizes an Extension professional with more than 20 years of experience who has exhibited continued leadership, initiative and excellence in planning, delivery and evaluation in Extension programming or administration on a state, regional or national level five years after receiving the Distinguished Service Award.

Hauck joined the NDSU Extension Service in 1976 as an assistant agent in Stutsman County. He then served as an associate agent in Ward County, an Extension associate in the Agricultural Engineering Department, a Cass County Extension agent, district director and assistant director for agriculture and natural resources before being named interim Extension director on Jan. 1, 2004. He was appointed director six months later and served in that role for seven years.

He has continued to be involved in the Extension Service following his retirement by serving as an Extension representative on the State Energy Advisory Board for the U.S. Department of Energy and overseeing special projects such as the capital campaign for major renovations and the construction of a multipurpose 4-H center at the North Dakota 4-H Camp near Washburn.

“It was an honor to receive this award and to be recognized by my peers for continued service,” Hauck says. “My involvement with Extension activities after retirement is no different than that of many other Extension retirees. After spending a career doing Extension work, your passion and interest in doing Extension work doesn’t end just because you retire.”

The Distinguished Service Award pays the highest tribute to an experienced Extension professional who consistently exhibits leadership and excellence in planning, delivery and evaluation in Extension programming or administration throughout a career of more than 20 years.

Tweeten joined NDSU Extension as an Extension agent in Stutsman County in 1985 and became an area leadership specialist in 1996 and an Extension community economic development specialist in the Agribusiness and Applied Economics Department in 1998. In 2004, she also was named director of the Center for Community Vitality.

She focuses her Extension efforts on business retention and expansion, community action planning, the creation of rural business opportunities, entrepreneurship and leadership development. She works with NDSU faculty and others to coordinate research, teaching and outreach to assist individuals and community leaders interested in community vitality.

“It means a great deal to know that our work in community development is nationally recognized,” Tweeten says. “It’s an honor to have received this award.”

NDSU Agriculture Communication - Oct. 1, 2013