Lela Vandenberg, retired senior specialist in leadership and professional development for MSU Extension, was awarded the Epsilon Sigma Phi Distinguished Service Award Nov. 5 at the annual Fall Extension Conference. At the awards dinner, Vandenberg and others were recognized for their efforts, achievements and dedication in their specific areas of work.
In her 21-year tenure with MSU Extension, Vandenberg witnessed the structural, technological and educational evolution of MSU Extension while continuously leading MSU Extension’s professional development efforts, including LeadNet and the Organizational Development team, and MSUE’s participation in the national, interactive Extension delivery program, eXtension.
She also developed educational materials and taught workshops on leadership, facilitation, team building, conflict resolution, consensus decision making and the Myers-Briggs personality inventory as applied to group work. Some of her later contributions to MSU Extension focused on virtual teams, virtual collaboration and distance learning.
The MSU Extension Epsilon Sigma Phi chapter is made up of faculty members and other academic staff members dedicated to cultivating standards of excellence and encouraging and promoting professionalism in Extension. ESP honored two additional individuals for their dedication, service and excellence this year; Brenda Reau, associate director of MSU Product Center Food-Ag-Bio, and Nancy Thelen, MSU Extension educator in agricultural literacy.