MSU Extension Sanilac County Extension Office

Betty Jo Krosnicki is a Supervising and Staff Development Extension Educator in the Children and Youth Institute.  She has supervisory responsibilities for 4-H Program Coordinator staff in District 9 & 10: Bay, Genesee, Huron, Lapeer, Midland, Saginaw, Sanilac, Shiawassee, St. Clair, and Tuscola Counties.  Her main area of focus is to provide coaching, training, technical support and supervision to 4-H Program Coordinators. She works in collaboration with faculty, specialists, Institute Leadership, District Directors and Extension Educators to help build skills the 4-H Program Coordinators need to 1) design, implement and evaluate quality educational programs that provide opportunities for youth to develop life skills needed for success today and in the future; 2) recruit, train and manage volunteers who provide support for youth program participants; 3) build effective community partnerships; and 4) effectively manage risk and child safety issues in a variety of educational settings, ensuring that programming is available to diverse audiences of individuals and community groups and meets the needs of clientele.

In her past role, she was an Extension Educator with responsibilities on the Career Exploration and Workforce Preparation work team. Her work team roles included youth educational content development and delivery in the areas of entrepreneurship, financial literacy, career exploration and developing job skills.  Her projects included: 

• 4-H Ag Innovators Experience grant manager
• 4-H Commodity Carnival grant manager
• Michigan 4-H State Awards Program coordinator
• World Food Prize Michigan Youth Institute co-coordinator
• 4-H Teens as Teachers Workshop
• 4-H Teen Spokesperson Training

She is a contributing author on the following resources: 

• Promoting Life Skills through 4-H Projects workshop kit (lead)
• 4-H Life Skills Sheets and Pocket Cards
• Head, Heart, Hand, and Health Skill Sheets and Pocket Cards 
• Experience 4-H with the Experiential Learning Model workshop kit 
• Michigan 4-H Member's Personal Portfolio (lead) 
• Michigan 4-H Market Animal Project Record Books
• Cloverbud Animal Record Book, and record book supplemental pages 
• Youth Business Guide to Success-Make the Most of Your 4-H Market Animal Project

Betty Jo is a member of the Michigan Association of Extension 4-H Youth Staff. She has served as a regional chair for the association and chair of the awards committee. She has been the recipient of the 2009 Communicator Award, 2013 National Achievement in Service Award, 2015 Michigan Distinguished Service Award and 2016 National Distinguished Service Award.  She has presented at MSU Fall Extension Conference, CYI Spring Conference, National Extension Conference on Volunteerism, National Association of Extension 4-H Agents Conference, and Michigan College Access Network Conference.  She has served on the NAE4-HA National Task Force for Ag Literacy and on the National Youth Agri-Science Summit planning committee.

Betty Jo graduated Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and Agribusiness Management and Siena Heights University with a Master of Arts in Not-for-Profit Leadership.  She began her career with MSU Extension in 2005 as an Extension Educator.  She has worked in Cass, Ingham, and Sanilac Counties.  Her past work assignments have included county 4-H program coordination, volunteer management, educational programming, working with boards and committees, and overseeing after school and outreach programming.  Additional MSU Extension projects that Betty Jo has worked on during her career include: Volunteerism Area of Expertise Team, Capitol Experience steering committee, Citizenship Washington Focus coordinator, Environmental and Outdoor Education priority area, Michigan 4-H Youth Conservation Council regional advisor, and 4-H Livestock Camp.  Her prior work experiences include conservation district education coordinator, dairy farm, and retail.  Outside of work, she is a member of Farm Bureau and serves as the St. Clair County Board President.