BROOKINGS, S.D. — The South Dakota State University College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences has announced interim roles for several SDSU Extension leadership positions.
Alexander “Sandy” Smart has been named the interim director for SDSU Extension, Rosie Nold has been named as the interim program director of South Dakota 4-H, and Heather Gessner has been named interim director of SDSU Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources programs.
“I greatly appreciate Dr. Sandy Smart, Dr. Rosie Nold and Ms. Heather Gessner agreeing to step into these leadership roles during this time of transition,” Joe Cassady, South Dakota Corn Endowed Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, said. “I am confident that with their leadership we will continue to deliver impactful extension programming.”
Smart chosen as SDSU Extension interim director
Smart was chosen as SDSU Extension’s interim director after the retirement of Karla Trautman last spring. He has led extension’s Agriculture and Natural Resources programs for the last four years. Prior to that role, he served as an assistant department head and professor in the Department of Natural Resource Management while maintaining an extension appointment.
"I am excited and honored to serve as the interim director of SDSU Extension,” Smart said. “We have a great team of program leaders, and we are looking forward to strengthening our relationships with stakeholders and clients, increasing communication of our impacts and training staff to be more effective in their extension roles."
Smart received his bachelor's degree in soil science and his master’s degree in agronomy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He completed a doctorate in agronomy and range management from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln before joining SDSU's Department of Animal and Range Sciences in August 2001. He has more than 20 years of teaching and research experience and more than 15 years of extension experience.
A nationwide search to fill the SDSU Extension director role is expected to begin this fall.
Nold to lead South Dakota 4-H in interim role
Nold, director of global agricultural leadership programs for the college, has been appointed the interim 4-H program director. Nold’s experience with 4-H programming is vast. She has been involved in developing 4-H programming at the county, state and national level, including currently chairing the National 4-H Livestock Skillathon Committee, serving as a member of the National Youth Livestock Contests Management Committee and previously serving on national meats judging and quiz bowl committees.
“As interim program director, I am committed to advancing youth education in livestock and agriculture while building on the strength of existing programs supported by dedicated staff and volunteers,” Nold said.
Prior to her current role, Nold served the college as assistant department head and professor in the Department of Animal Science and was an integral part in the department becoming the first in the nation to earn accreditation from the American Society of Animal Science. She received her bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in animal science from SDSU and also has a master’s degree from Kansas State University on the same topic.
While Nold will hold the interim role through the 2026 South Dakota State Fair, a nationwide search to fill the 4-H program director role is expected in the coming year.
Gessner steps into Agriculture and Natural Resources program director role
While Smart is serving as interim director, Heather Gessner, a livestock business management field specialist for SDSU Extension, has stepped in to lead the group’s Agriculture and Natural Resources programming. She has been with extension for more than 24 years and in her current role for 14.
"I am very excited to take on this appointment," Gessner said. "The Agriculture and Natural Resources staff are enthusiastic about working with farmers and ranchers, so supporting them as they develop and grow their activities is a great honor."
Gessner is a two-time SDSU alumna with a bachelor’s degree in animal science and a master’s degree in economics. Her focus is working with South Dakota producers on the financial aspects of their operations as well as assisting with farm transitions and rural behavioral health issues.
More information about SDSU Extension programs and the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences are available on their respective websites.
