Retired Associate Director, Youth and Families
Extension Administration

Professional Achievements:
Sandy Zaslow is one of those extraordinary Extension career professionals who has been everywhere and done everything. She has been a pioneer in many ways among women in academia. She is a visionary leader who has explored new directions for family and consumer sciences. And she has been a mentor to many in Cooperative Extension who look to her as a role model.

Today, I want to share with you a little bit about Sandy’s career and accomplishments. A native of Kansas, Sandy first came to North Carolina as student at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she earned degrees in art history major and interior design and housing. She went on to teach in higher education in Iowa, before returning to North Carolina as an associate home economics agent in Guilford County.

Sandy later served as an Extension specialist for the Cooperative Extension Service in Montana, an energy program coordinator for the state of North Carolina, and an Extension housing specialist and associate professor in family and consumer sciences at N.C. State University.

Sandy became a leader for North Carolina Cooperative Extension. Since 1994, she has served as a district Extension director for two North Carolina districts and as department head and state program leader for family and consumer sciences. In these roles, Sandy fostered an environment for innovative educational programs developed by campus and county faculty, and interdisciplinary activities and partnerships with other universities and agencies. She also provided leadership for resource development, focusing on critical issues of interest to families, youth and communities.

About a year ago, Sandy began working with Marshall Stewart, then the new head of 4-H youth development, on with a bold idea: merging the departments of family and consumer sciences and 4-H youth development. The newly created department would bring together a wealth of knowledge to tackle issues confronting the state’s youth and families. Sandy and Marshall worked together to develop a plan for the new department, and, with the blessing of our college’s administration, the merger became effective in July. With the merger, Sandy became the state’s first associate director for youth and family programs, a position that will continue after she retires.

Sandy’s vision has earned her numerous awards and recognition during her career. She has received the George Hyatt Scholarship for professional development, as well as N.C. State’s Outstanding Extension Service Award. She served as president of the American Association of Housing Educators. And North Carolina’s chapter of Epsilon Sigma Phi honored her as one if its first International Award winners and as recipient of the Distinguished Service Award.