Posted on August 22, 2022 at 11:21 AM by Cade Cameron
Trece Lonneman has served Hancock County Extension for 30 years. She has been the first smiling face that 4-H families, community members, and clients see when they arrive at the office. She has the answer to any question you might think to ask. Trece is an advocate for serving all youth in Hancock County.
In her 30 years of service, she has done many behind-the-scenes, dirty jobs that no one else is willing to do. She has spent a lot of time filling shifts at the 4-H food stand. She has set up and torn down before and after 4-H awards banquets, countless council meetings, and many 4-H workshops. She was quick to come to the rescue of a workshop gone wild where she had to help scrape melted crayon wax off the walls.
Customer service is Trece’s top priority. She will do whatever it takes to identify the mysterious bug for a client. She knows how to answer complicated 4-H deadline and paperwork questions without hesitation. She understands all the ins and outs and how to get farmers set up to complete the annual continuing education. She even has a candy or treats stash for the future 4-Hers who stop by the office with a parent or grandparent.
She has organized and given leadership to the Extension office since 2014. In that time, there has been a 763% growth of youth workshops offered by Extension staff. Trece has expertly navigated staff turnover with seamless service to our 4-H families. The Clover Kids numbers grew from 50 in 2014 to over 100 in 2022. Our 4-H exhibits at the fair have seen a major display overhaul and an increase in participation because Trece has supported efforts for those improvements.
Trece does all these management efforts while keeping up with Extension budgeting and bookkeeping. Counties from across the state call to ask Trece when they need an answer to a complicated Extension budget question. She walked the 4-H clubs smoothly through the financial transition.
Staff considers her a great friend and mentor. 4-H families remember being 4-H members themselves and she helped them fill out paperwork. She has positively impacted the lives of thousands of residents in Hancock County and will always serve with a smile. Hancock County Extension greatly appreciates her 30 years of exemplary service and wishes her all the best in retirement!