Meet Your Board Member….Carol Schlitt, Historian

I’m excited to serve as your NEAFCS historian for the next 4 years, as NEAFCS is very near and dear to my heart.

I started my career with University of Illinois Extension in 1976 and believe it or not, I selected the county where I was going to interview by the flip of a coin.  See I wanted to serve in an urban county and at the time I applied, 2 urban counties – one in the north of Illinois, the other in the south –had openings for assistant home economics advisors. Heads one and I decided to apply for the job in the south and low and behold, I’m still here 37 years later.  I met my husband when he served as a 4-H public speaking judge soon after I started work and we celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary last October.

I worked for U of I Extension for 5 years, 1976-1981 and with a young child – our first son Brian – decided to stay home and be a full-time mother. In 1985 I taught vocational food service at a local vocation school and loved it but was cut due to the budget. But I was able to find another position as an assistant food service administrator for a large school district in St. Louis and served in that position from 1986-1991. One of my former Extension colleagues informed me of an opening for an EFNEP advisor in the same county where I started my Extension career in 1976 and applied and got the job in July 1991.  I loved being back with Extension and felt like I was now back where I belonged.  In 1993 I became an Extension Educator, Nutrition and Wellness serving at first, 7 counties in southwestern Illinois and eventually by the time I retired in 2010, serving 31 counties.

Attending my first Annual Session in 1979 was a real thrill and I knew even then that one day I wanted to be involved in the leadership of this great organization.  After returning to Extension in 1991 I became involved in my state association, serving as president in 1995.  I ran as an “unknown” in 1998 for NEAFCS secretary and to my surprise was elected.  After serving as secretary, I served as Central Region Director and was elected NEAFCS President-elect in 2005.  I had the great fortune to serve as JCEP President during Galaxy III in Indianapolis in 2008. My years on the NEAFCS and JCEP board were some of the best professional years of my Extension career.

Since retiring from Extension, I formed my own company “Safe & Savory Solutions, Inc.” (www.safeandsavorysolutions.com) and now do free-lance and custom food presentations, demonstration and food safety education.  I love being an entrepreneur and working just as much as I want to – when I want to.  And there are no monthly reports!

My husband, Glennon, is still working for Dial Corporation as a chemist but is contemplating retiring this year. Our oldest son, Brian (34), is a free-lance graphic artist and our second son, Kevin (30), is an electrical project manager and estimator.  Neither is married – or even dating –but both are happy and enjoying their work and life. Glennon and I love to travel and are looking forward to a trip to Alaska this summer.