Koenen, J,* Campbell, D, DeLong, T, Whiston, D.

University of Missouri Extension Agricultural Business Specialist, Putnam County, Unionville, Missouri 63565
University of Missouri Extension Agricultural Business Specialist, Schuyler County, Lancaster, Missouri 63548
University of Missouri Extension County Council Coordinator, Columbia, Missouri 65211
University of Missouri Extension Family Financial Education Specialist, Clark County, Kahoka, Missouri 63445

Missouri has more governmental boards than any other state in the Midwest and many of these board members receive very little or no training before taking office.
Their responsibilities to the public make it increasingly difficult to recruit good board members. Requests from public boards to hold training specifically for them led to several Extension Specialists developing a "Serving on Public Boards" program. Extension Specialties included Agricultural Business, Family Finances and a Local Government Specialist who is now deceased. The 1st time the program was offered in 1992 around 100 persons attended and many of those in attendance requested this to be held on a regular basis. The program was eventually expanded to other locations via Interactive Television or ITV to multiple sites and is now done every other year. In the last 5 years 124 persons have attended the training sessions held. Topics include the Missouri Sunshine Law and how it affects Your Board, Fiscal Responsibilities of Boards, Written Policies and Procedures, Record Retention, How to Hold An Effective Meeting and University of Missouri Extension Resources for Boards. Impacts included 100% of attendees felt board members should be required to attend this program and 89% understood the importance of having written personnel policies and by-laws.
County government and boards know see Extension as a valuable resource related to the Sunshine Law and assistance for them. Specialists respond to local government questions on eXtension from throughout the state now also.