Associate Director and
State Program Leader for Community Development,
Extension Administration

Professional Achievements:
Dr. Ed Jones has provided visionary leadership to position North Carolina Cooperative Extension as an important state partner in responding to natural disasters. As a national leader, he has shared his knowledge and expertise to help other Extension services provide education and assistance to citizens preparing for and recovering from disaster.

Over the past decade, North Carolina has been hit by a number of devastating weather-related disasters. During that time, an unlikely person has emerged as a leader in Cooperative Extension’s disaster preparedness and recovery education programs. A wildlife expert by training, Dr. Ed Jones became Cooperative Extension’s representative to the state Emergency Management Team. Working with state agencies, he has helped prepare and position Cooperative Extension locally and nationally to bring its vast network and educational resources to help families, communities, agricultural businesses and governments prepare for and recover from disasters.

This year, Jones heads the Extension Disaster Education Network, a national clearinghouse for Extension educational information on disaster preparation and recovery. EDEN’s mission is to share education resources to reduce the impact of natural and man-made disasters.

Jones helped organize the general sessions at the Southern Region Program Leadership Network meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in August 2006. That meeting focused on the role of southern Extension educators in disaster education.

Following hurricanes Fran and Bertha in 1996, Jones was part of the North Carolina Timber Salvage Council, which worked to alleviate utilization issues resulting from Fran and Bertha. In 1999, he represented Cooperative Extension as the primary contact in the Emergency Operations Center for hurricanes Dennis, Floyd, and Irene.

The devastation of Hurricane Floyd and the associated flood was extensive, particularly to the state’s livestock industry, faced with disposal of poultry and swine mortality. Companion animal owners and clinics also faced difficult circumstances. The state of North Carolina was unprepared for an event of this magnitude, and decisions had to be made quickly.

With lessons learned from Floyd, Jones and his colleagues organized the State Animal Response Team, which has become a national model for evacuating and sheltering animals in a disaster and disposing of mortality after a natural disaster. The team includes all agencies, organizations and groups with an interest in animals in emergency situations. It covers all aspects of emergency response: planning, field operations, veterinary services, sheltering, dead animal disposal, logistics, finance and administration.

SART is now in several states, thanks to a grant that allowed the organization to develop SART programs in other states. The organization works closely with emergency management groups at the state and national levels to respond in an orderly way to the needs and recovery efforts in situations involving animals of all types and kinds. Jones is a member of SART’s national board of directors and serves as board secretary.

During the 2004 hurricane season, seven tropical storms and hurricanes struck the state. North Carolina Cooperative Extension offered recovery assistance for citizens and in the spring, was called on again to offer assistance to a statewide effort, Operation Brighter Day. As a member of the state’s Emergency Management Team, Jones helped organize an effort for 50 county Extension centers to serve as recovery assistance centers. Extension staff members were trained to help citizens file computer-based applications for state-provided hurricane relief.

Accomplishments:
NC State University Academy of Outstanding Faculty Engaged in Extension (Executive Council, 2000-2002; Chair, 2002-2004)

National Extension Disaster Education Network (chair-elect, 2002-2004; chair, 2005-2006)

National 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program (chair, 1988-1993) This program received The Wildlife Society’s Outstanding Conservation Education Group Award

Co-Founder and Member of the Board of Directors for the State Animal Response Team

Natural Resources Leadership Institute (faculty advisor and member of development team)

North Carolina Community Solutions (network co-chair)

NC Association of Cooperative Extension Specialists (president, 1994-95)

The Wildlife Society (member since 1976; Certified Wildlife Biologist 1988; Editor of the Wildlife Society Bulletin 1996-1998)