OSUE Clermont educators, from left, Kelly Royalty and Gigi Neal, along with Director Margaret Jenkins, right, present FINE project manager Sue McKinley with the 2012 Partner of the Year award Dec. 17 at OSUE Clermont’s Annual Partnership Luncheon.

OSUE Clermont educators, from left, Kelly Royalty and Gigi Neal, along with Director Margaret Jenkins, right, present FINE project manager Sue McKinley with the 2012 Partner of the Year award Dec. 17 at OSUE Clermont’s Annual Partnership Luncheon.
Clermont County Commissioners Ed Humphrey, Robert Proud and David Uible attended OSUE Clermont’s 2012 Annual Partnership Luncheon Dec. 17 at the Clermont County Fairgrounds. From left are Clermont staff Margaret Jenkins, Humphrey, Proud, Kelly Royalty, and Gigi Neal, and Uible.
The Ohio State University Clermont County Extension Office named Sue McKinley 2012 Volunteer of the Year Dec. 17 at its Annual Partner Appreciation Luncheon.

McKinley is the project manager of Felicity Initiative for Neighborhood Excellence (FINE). She was selected because she partnered FINE with OSUE Clermont to provide programming, such as the Family Nutrition Program and housing education, to FINE participants.

FINE, a branch of Place Matters, focuses on youth success, property improvement and crime reduction within the Felicity-Franklin community. Place Matters is a community restoration initiative between Xavier University and United Way

Additionally, McKinley served on OSUE Clermont’s Advisory Committee, attended legislative luncheons in Columbus, and judged and interviewed 4-H youth projects for the Clermont County Fair.

Also at the lunch, OSUE Clermont shared local program highlights and thanked county commissioners, the OSUE Clermont Advisory Committee and organizations throughout the region that assist with programming and support.

Some of OSUE Clermont’s 2012 local program highlights include:

• The Family Nutrition Program reached 1,118 residents through 148 classes, thanks to support from county offices and housing communities.

• OSU Housing Corps program worked directly with five local families to save their homes from foreclosure.

• The agriculture program taught 230 students about Asian Longhorned Beetle awareness.

• The Clermont County 4-H program grew with 973 members and 271 adult volunteers; 4-H youth exhibited 2,441 projects at the 2012 fair.

OSUE Clermont is a nonformal education branch of OSU. The office merges needs of local citizens with OSU’s research through four focus areas: Family & Consumer Sciences, 4-H Youth Development, Agriculture & Natural Resources and Community Development.

To learn more, please visit OSUE Clermont at http://clermont.osu.edu.