Ron Beard, Extension Educator University of Maine Cooperative Extension & Sea Grant 63 Boggy Brook Road · Ellsworth, ME 04605 Phone 1.800.287.1479 · Fax 207.667.2003 Email rbeard@umext.maine.edu

Ron is an extension educator with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. Based in Hancock County, his focus is community development education and includes three strands:

• Projects that network citizens, local government and nonprofit organizations in creating a "preferred future" for the community and implementation plans to move things forward;
• Assistance to groups and organizations, helping them become more effective through review of their mission, current and planned projects, structure, roles and responsibilities, and communication; and
• Citizen education, about public issues and about how groups, organizations, and communities work.

Ron is also a member of the Marine Extension Team. In 1996-2000, Ron served as interim Maine Sea Grant Extension leader and helped create the memorandum of understanding that led to formation of the Marine Extension Team. After that, he assisted the Maine Community Foundation with a three-year initiative funded by the Ford Foundation, working with community action agencies to stimulate rural development.

In 2001, Ron returned from a sabbatical leave, where he spent seven months looking at community development strategies in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. In August of 2003, Ron returned to Scotland to learn more about environmental education aboard Leader, a refurbished 110-year old trawler.