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2025 Annual Meeting

• Thursday, December 11, 2025, 4:30 PM - 7:00 PM

Join us at our Annual Meeting to reflect on the past year, recognize and celebrate partnerships, and plan for our future! The Annual Meeting is open to everyone; tickets are $15 each (subsidization or scholarship assistance is available). All Tompkins County residents are invited to participate in electing new members of our Board of Directors during the meeting.

ENJOY hors d'oeuvres and conversation with our staff and community. A range of finger foods will be available alongside a cash bar.

REFLECT on a presentation by CCE Assistant Director for Program Development and Accountability Celeste Carmichael on The Campus–County Connection: Innovation, Partnership, and Public Purpose .

CELEBRATE and re-elect board and program committee members.

SHARE your thoughts on our major program directions. CCE Tompkins County’s connections in the community are among its greatest assets.

MEET community members, collaborators, and others who share interests in Extension’s work. A brief meeting to elect board members be held.

Some scholarship assistance is available.  Please register by Wednesday, December 3, to ensure a seat. No guarantee of open unreserved seating on day of event. If you have a disability and require an accommodation, please contact tompkins@cornell.edu for assistance.

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Celeste Carmichael, CCE Assistant Director for Program Development and Accountability

Cornell Cooperative Extension’s greatest strength is its unique position between communities and the university—translating local needs into research opportunities and bringing evidence-based solutions back to the people of New York State. Yet navigating this landscape of campus partners, county associations, faculty leads, Program Work Teams, and administrative structures can be complex.

Celeste will share her story about connecting campus partners, Extension Administration, Program Leads, Department Extension Leaders, and Program Work Teams, highlighting how these networks support innovation and effective programming. She will also introduce findings from her 4-H Bridging STEM/Nature Learning Project, demonstrating how research-informed design can strengthen learning pathways for rural youth by linking classroom, home, and community.

Through examples, this presentation will emphasize why investing in the campus–county partnership is essential for advancing CCE’s public purpose—and how intentional relationship-building empowers staff and volunteers, strengthens programs, and deepens local impact.

Celeste Carmichael is an Assistant Director for Cornell Cooperative Extension Administration, where she works with educators and directors to strengthen program design, evaluation, and success documentation. With more than 36 years in Extension, she is committed to building stronger connections between campus and county-based staff and programs. Her passion for science and nature, shaped by her Central New York upbringing and her children’s involvement in 4-H, informs her dedication to creating inclusive learning environments where all participants feel welcomed and engaged. Celeste holds degrees in biology, environmental resource engineering, and instructional design, and will complete her Ph.D. in Natural Resources at Cornell University in May 2026, focusing on how educational experiences motivate youth and families to explore STEM and nature and take meaningful action in their communities.

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Returning Board of Directors Members to Be Re-Elected for 2026

• Lou Hom
• Tibor Janosi
• Jeramy Kruser

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Eligibility: All persons, who, as of this date, are Tompkins County residents, 18 years of age or older, and who qualify as an enrollee (Persons enroll by: (a) participation in programs or activities of the association, evidenced by registration or lists generated with respect to such programs or activities, (b) requesting the association to place their names on an association list that will be maintained for one calendar year, or (c) serving the association as a volunteer.

Fee

$15

Register

https://ccetompkins.wufoo.com/forms/cce-tompkins-county-2025-annual-meeting/

Location

Hotel Ithaca
222 S Cayuga Street
Ithaca, New York 14850

Last updated December 8, 2025