Chris Boerboom, North Dakota State University Extension Service director since 2012, has announced his retirement effective July 2.

Boerboom joined NDSU Extension in January 2010 as assistant director for agriculture and natural resources (ANR) and district director for five southeastern North Dakota counties. He served as interim Extension director for 4 1/2 months before being named director in May 2012.

“I want to publicly thank Chris for the tremendous work he’s done as Extension director and wish him the best in his future,” said Ken Grafton, vice president for Agricultural Affairs; dean of the College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources; and director of the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. “He has led Extension with integrity and steadiness through both positive times and challenges, and he will be missed at NDSU.”

Grafton said an internal search will begin soon to find an interim director and that a national search will be carried out next year for a permanent director.

“When I applied for my original position at NDSU as ANR program leader, I was drawn to the NDSU Extension Service because it has a genuine purpose of serving all the people of the state through a county-based, specialist-supported system,” Boerboom said. “In applying for the director position, I stated that I believed in Extension. I continue to believe that NDSU Extension is serving North Dakota extremely well and will continue to serve North Dakotans even better in the future. I know the success of Extension is safeguarded because of the dedication, passion and expertise of all the staff.

“Lisa and I look forward to moving closer to and spending more time with our family,” he said.

Boerboom earned a bachelor’s degree in agronomy and agricultural economics in 1984, a master’s degree in agronomy in 1987 and a doctorate in agronomy in 1989, all from the University of Minnesota.

Before coming to NDSU, he was an Extension weed specialist in the Agronomy Department at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

NDSU Agriculture Communication - March 26, 2018