PARIS—Stacy Woodyard began working at the University of Illinois Extension office Oct. 27, 1997. From there, she would grow within the organization and become an impact-maker in her profession.
“I started in the Edgar County office as the local 4-H person. I remember on my very first day walking into the office … and I was the only full-time person on the staff,” Woodyard said. “I think it was a really great way to learn because there was nobody there to cover for you. You had to figure it out and learn your way. It was a great, great way to start my career.”
While spending 10 years in the role she started with, Woodyard spent time attending school for her Master’s degree. She then moved up in the extension office and became the 4-H Youth Development Educator.
“In 2008, I transitioned into the role of Unit Leader/County Director for Vermillion County. It was a great learning opportunity for me,” Woodyard said. “I was there for three years and worked with some amazing individuals up there. The biggest challenge was coming into an area where I did not live, work or play. So, I did not have a lot of personal contacts already in Vermillion County, but the amazing staff there stepped in and helped guide me and got me going in the right direction.”
Woodyard’s connection and pull to the extension office and 4-H can be traced back to her childhood.
“I grew up with 4-H in my life. I was a member of the Shiloh Sparklers 4-H club as well as the Happy Horsemen. My mom was actually a club leader for that club as well. So our whole family, my sister and I, were in 4-H and my mom was a volunteer,” she said.
When she is not busy with her duties at the extension office, Woodyard is heavily involved in several agricultural projects.
“Outside of work, I am married to a grain farmer. So this afternoon, I’ll be getting in the tractor with the grain cart and helping in the field. I’ve done that every fall during corn harvest. I take time off from work to do that,” she said. “My hobby has always been and will continue to be horses.”
Woodyard said she has done everything from “trail riding to 4-H shows.”
“My daughter and I show horses together. We’re currently into the ranch horse scene,” she said. “We ride horses, and we do classes where we work cattle, and we do a lot of those things that if you watch Yellowstone, you might see those guys have their guest riders, of course, that are way more advanced than I am, but I’m doing some of that type of riding and that type of thing. So we continue to ride and show horses together and have the horses here at our farm.”
While spending her retirement with horses and family will be fun, Woodyard will always remember the times she had with U of I.
“From the work that I’ve done, I truly think (my proudest memory) has been seeing the growth, personal growth and professional growth of the staff that I supervise, and encouraging them to take advantage of the benefits of being a university employee, continuing their education, applying for other positions, supporting them, and doing so, even if that meant they would leave our offices and I’d have to hire someone else,” Woodyard said. “I just really feel like if I were to leave a legacy, it would be that I have helped individuals that I’ve worked with to gain that confidence in their skills and abilities and encourage them to maybe do things that they never would have tried without my guidance and encouragement.”