Michael Woods joined the Rock Island County Extension Unit as Director in 2008. Woods is a twenty-five year extension veteran—ranging from being a 4-H member in Henry County to a university professor of Extension Education and now a county director.

Before joining the Rock Island County Unit, Woods served as the department chair for Kaplan University's Business and Management Department at their Davenport campus, Director of Development for WQPT, Quad Cities PBS, assistant professor of Agricultural Communications and Extension Education at Michigan State University, an Agricultural Advertising Copywriter for Badder Rutter Advertising Agency in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and a Wienermobile Spokesperson for Oscar Mayer Foods in the US and Canada.

Woods was born in Geneseo and raised in Atkinson, Illinois. After graduating from Atkinson High School in 1987, Woods went on to attend Black Hawk College – East Campus in Kewanee majoring in agriculture and graduated with an Associates of Science in 1989. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois in 1992, in agricultural communications with an emphasis in marketing and advertising, and his master's degree in 1994, in Extension Education with an emphasis in marketing communications and volunteer management and a doctoral degree in 2001 from the Iowa State University in agricultural and extension education with an emphasis in organizational behavior and marketing communication.

During his graduate studies, Woods lived and taught in the Ukraine and the Slovak Republic. His international experience spans a 10 year period as both a scholar and traveler. His international travels have afforded him an opportunity to explore Europe and South Africa. Woods was named the Outstanding International Scholar in 2000 by the Phi Beta Delta's Honor Society for International Scholars.

An avid gardener and cook, Woods truly enjoys exploring the wonders of local grown produce and recipes that expand the food pallet. Bitten by the entrepreneurial bug in 2006, Michael began to explore ways that he could facilitate the relationship between the local food producer and the consumer. Combining these two qualities continues to underpin his passion for advancing the Home Grown Challenge and food and nutrition programs across the county.