Current Flagship Programs

Community Assessment and Development Services (CADS) is a program that will enhance the ability of communities and organizations to make decisions using current, reliable and relevant data. Currently, information is gathered in various ways depending on services and resources available. It is not uncommon for outside private consultants to be brought in at great expense to provide these services. A second goal of CADS is to enhance the relationship of Extension to the various groups and governmental bodies in Illinois counties.

CADS will provide services within 5 broad areas: Data, Assessment, Training, Implementation, and Evaluation. The following components might be part of a CADS project: questionnaire design, sample selection, statistical consulting, surveys (phone, mail, and personal interview), focus groups, key informant interviews, demographic profiles, strategic planning, feasibility studies, evaluation, client satisfaction surveys, asset mapping, and more. In addition, the CADS team will collect, analyze, interpret and disseminate information on social, economic, and demographic trends in support of community and regional analysis.

CADS will offer many tremendous opportunities…

• For Extension professionals, training as a CADS Facilitator will offer an opportunity to add to their respective skill sets.
• For local Extension offices, finding and assisting in CADS projects will provide an opportunity to enhance relationships with local government, business and organizations, bringing in revenue in the process.
• For university faculty and staff, partnering with CADS projects will take advantage of an opportunity to utilize a statewide system of professionals trained in applied research methods.
• For University of Illinois Extension, CADS presents an opportunity to meet local needs around the state in ways that reflect well on the entire organization and connect to other Extension programs.

The first group of Extension professionals selected to be in the first CADS Facilitators training cohort represent a variety of disciplines and geographic locations. They include:

• Earl Bricker, Coordinator, CADS
• Carrie McKillip, Unit Educator, CED, Knox County
• Kathie Brown, Extension Specialist, CED, Macomb Center
• Pete Fandel, Unit Educator, Crops Systems,, Woodford County
• Jennifer Mowen, County Extension Director, Pike County
• Duane Friend, Extension Educator, Natural Resources, Springfield Center
• Kevin McGuire, Unit Educator, CED, Fulton County
• Mary Spahr, Unit Educator, Youth Development, Tazewell County
• Steve Wagoner, Extension Educator, Youth Development, Edwardsville Center
• Jim Becker, Extension Educator, CED, Mt. Vernon Center
• Dale Kehr, FNP Coordinator, Lake County
• Susan Odum, Program Coordinator, CED, Alexander/ Johnson/ Massac/ Pulaski/ Union Unit
• Heather Coyle, Unit Educator, CED, LWBW Program Coordinator, Whiteside
• Pennie Crinion, Program Planning and Evaluation, Campus

Plans call for additional training cohorts in the next two years. If you or someone in your office might be interested in joining the ranks of CADS Facilitators, contact Earl Bricker to make sure you are contacted directly when applications are next solicited.

During the spring and summer months, the first CADS Facilitators will undergo intensive training to gear up for upcoming CADS projects anticipated to get underway in Fall 2008. (Link to training Schedule for CADS Facilitators, - attachment) Over the next few months as the CADS facilitators build their capacity to deliver CADS projects, the Advisory Board will work to develop marketing and pricing plans so County Extension Directors and other field staff will become more knowledgeable about CADS and can begin "spotting" projects in the fall.

Because of the diversity in the first group of Facilitator trainees, we are currently exploring an altered delivery model where individuals would be assigned to project teams based on their respective strengths. For example, if someone were strong in GIS, partner them with others who are strong in survey design, analysis, reporting and so on.

For the foreseeable future, all requests and CADS ideas should be directed to Earl Bricker, CADS Coordinator. This will help Earl monitor the range of requests and be able to troubleshoot and share CADS experiences across the state as the CADS structure and routine becomes established.

For more information on the CADS program, please visit the CADS website.

The CADS Advisory Board is large and diverse, including representatives from across geographic boundaries, across campus, and inter-disciplinary.

• Earl Allen, County Extension Director, Fulton County
• Sharon D. R. Baksh, Assistant Director, Curriculum and Evaluation, Cook County Extension
• Lisa Bouillion Diaz, Extension Specialist, Technology and Youth development
• N. Dennis Bowman, Extension Educator, Crop Systems, Champaign Center
• Vicky Broos, County Extension Director, Ogle County
  Kathie Brown, Extension Specialist, CED, Macomb Center
• Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant, Extension Specialist, Small Farm and Sustainable Agriculture
• John Church, Extension Educator, Natural Resources Management, Rockford Center
• Pat Curry, Extension Educator, CED, Springfield Center
• Aaron Ebata, Extension Specialist, Adolescent Development; Associate Professor, Social Development
• Carrie Edgar, County Extension Director, Adams/Brown Counties
• Cindy Erickson, Extension Specialist, CED
• Pete Fandel, Unit Educator, Crops Systems, Woodford County
• Darla Heath, County Extension Director, Champaign County
  Paul Hixson, Associate Dean / Director of ITCS
• Ryan D. Hobson, West Central Regional Director
• Karen Hogenboom, Assistant Professor, Library Administration
• Rachelle A. Hollinshead, County Extension Director, Marion County
• Erin Knowles, Extension Specialist, Public Health Initiatives
• Mark Maidak, County Extension Director, Jo Daviess/Carroll Counties
• Jeri Marxman, Extension Specialist, Public Policy / Public Administration
• Michael Mazzocco, Associate Professor, Food & Agribusiness Management
• Allen McCaulley County Extension Director, Whiteside County
• Karen S. Moore County Extension Director, Ford/Iroquois Counties
• Robin Orr, Extension Specialist, EFNEP/FNP
• Vicki Rowe, Extension Specialist, EFNEP/FNP
• Rachel Schwarzendruber, Extension Educator, Family Life, East Peoria Center
• Robert Sheets, Director of Research and Development, Business & Industry Services
• Emma Theuri, County Extension Director, Will County
• Steve Wagoner, Extension Educator, Youth Development, Edwardsville Center
• Thomas Ward, Extension Specialist, Computer Training Services
• Richard Warner, Interim Assistant Dean, Program Coordination
• Bruce Wicks, Extension Specialist, Recreation and Tourism Development; Director, East St. Louis Action Research Project
• Cynthia Worsley, County Extension Director, Kane County

Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Illinois -- Professor Andrew Isserman and graduate students have designed a curriculum on secondary data for CADS "boot camp" and will lead the week long training in May.