FCS Association Names Extension Educator of the Year

Megan O'Neil-Haight (r) receives the Extension Educator of the Year Award from Patsy Ezell

Megan O'Neil-Haight was named the 2009 Extension Educator of the Year by the Maryland Association of Family and Consumer Sciences at the association's spring meeting held May 1 in Silver Spring, Maryland. Co-President of the Association, Grace Halifax, said of the award, "In these times of unexpected financial crisis it is good that you have the expertise to develop community programs such as The Lower Shore Cash Match Savings Program to help those in crisis be the owner of their situation and become responsible for developing ways to solve their problems." In addition to peer review of a key current program, other factors considered in naming Extension Educator of the Year are overall scholarship and contributions to the profession and service to the Association. Megan was previously honored as MAFCS Extension Educator of the Year in 2007 for the Parents and Teachers as Wealth Coaches Program and currently serves as Extension Representative to the Board and President-Elect of MAFCS and Public Policy Committee Vice Chair of the national affiliate, the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. For more information on the association, visit www.aafcs.org

"The Cash Match Savings Program is an asset-building pilot project in which people attend educational workshops on savings habits and credit worthiness and then save their own money to earn up to $325 matching funds from a grant received by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Funds are applied toward participants' goals in homeownership, small business development/expansion, or higher education/workforce training."