Colorado State Cooperative Extension Larimer County Office Director Recognized for Exceptional Performance

Laurel Kubin, Colorado State University Cooperative Extension Larimer County office director, received an award Thursday, Nov. 15, for her leadership of and contributions to Cooperative Extension. The award was given at the annual Cooperative Extension banquet in Fort Collins.

The Alton Scofield Distinguished Service Award recognizes off-campus members of the Colorado State Cooperative Extension family for dedication and contributions to the organization.

Kubin’s work has included service in the Fort Collins and Larimer County communities. In addition to managing 14 staff members, Kubin works with the public to address personal finance management and issues faced by families and the aging.

Among her accomplishments, Kubin served on the Larimer County committee to implement welfare reform, using a new system that is tailored to participants’ needs and that draws on local resources.

She also led staff and volunteers to educate the community about Cooperative Extension when the office faced county budget reallocations. In addition to preserving the local office, Kubin secured funding for an additional Cooperative Extension agent. Kubin also was involved in the passage of two ballot initiatives to purchase land and create a new Larimer County fairground.

Kubin’s leadership of the Colorado State Cooperative Extension office in Larimer County continues to have significant impacts on the quality of life for county residents. For example, the Larimer County Healthwise for Life skills program for the elderly shows that, after one year, 92 percent of the 660 elderly program participants said they were communicating with the doctor better, 83 percent said they were doing a better job of managing their healthcare, and 64 percent saved money on health-care costs.

In addition to directing Colorado State Cooperative Extension in Larimer County, Kubin has served as assistant director of the Family and Consumer Sciences programs in the state, the organization’s staff development committee, the Cooperative Extension Joint Board, the executive committee of Cooperative Extension Food and Nutrition Education Programs, strategic planning teams and several other internal committees and boards.

Kubin also has served on the Larimer County Advisory Committee on Aging, Pioneers Hospital board of directors, FirstCall Service Net board, church administrative committees and co-chair for the Larimer County United Way campaign.

Awards recognizing Kubin include the Meeker Chamber of Commerce Woman of the Year in 1986, National Association of Cooperative Extension Home Economists’ Distinguished Service Award in 1986, Affirmative Action Team Award from the University of California in 1990, Colorado State Cooperative Extension Sustained Superior Service Award in 1998, Colorado State Cooperative Extension Team Award in 1999 and the Colorado Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Professional of the Year Award in 2001.