Portage County’s Agriculture and Extension Education Committee voted to schedule a stakeholder scoping session in August to define responsibilities for a Human Development & Relationship Institute (HDRI) position after the recent retirement of longtime staff member Sherry Daniels.

An extension staff presenter said Sherry’s work concentrated on financial education but that HDRI also covers lifespan/aging work and family engagement. “Sherry’s concentration, 80% of her work, would be done with financial education,” the presenter said, and described differing local priorities expressed by partners — aging supports, family engagement and financial education — that a scoping session would reconcile.

Committee members debated timing and uncertainty over federal and state budgets. Supervisor Joukowsky urged caution: “I think we maybe need to just pump the brakes on this just a little bit, and maybe bring this back in a month and see what happens with this federal budget,” he said, citing the potential effect of SNAP‑Ed funding changes on related county services. Several other supervisors said they preferred to proceed with planning so the committee could evaluate options in August once federal appropriations were clearer.

Extension staff described the planned process: the county will invite partners (ADRC, CAP Services, Partners HP and others) to a noticed scoping session; the session will collect partner views on gaps and needs and inform a position description and hiring timeline. The presenter said the scoping process does not commit the county to a specific hiring decision immediately but sets a path for developing a position description and evaluating funding options.

Supervisor Mike Splinter made a motion “to hold the stakeholders meeting in August, and evaluate our path for the HD” (as stated in the meeting). The motion was seconded and the chair called for a voice vote; members present responded “aye,” and the motion passed.

Committee members clarified scheduling and next steps: invitations and planning to occur in July, the scoping session in August, and subsequent follow‑up at regular committee meetings to finalize any position description or hiring decisions. The extension presenter noted that delays were possible but said a scoping session would allow the county to make a locally grounded decision once budget clarity improves.

The committee did not authorize an immediate hire; it approved the August scoping session and asked staff to invite relevant partners to participate.