University of Nevada, Reno Extension is excited to welcome Donald Deever to the Extension office in Lincoln County as the Extension educator.

As Extension educator, Deever has specific goals he plans to focus on, the first of which is helping to improve the economic vitality of the county. Another objective is to help the community enhance their healthy lifestyles, all while making sure that the values of Lincoln County continue to be supported.

Deever has started participating in Extension programs throughout the county, hoping to better understand the impact they have and be at the forefront of change within the community. One of these programs is the Nevada Radon Education Program. In an article Deever published in the Lincoln County Record, he points out that, according to the Radon Education Program, between one-third and one-half of homes tested in the County had high levels of radon. Deever is also an avid supporter of both the Master Gardener Program and the Healthy Kids, Early Start Program, which, with funding from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed), offers several programs and resources to teach children and their parents about making healthy food and lifestyle choices.

Deever has taught all grade levels from kindergarten through college, and he has experience in the tourism industry and educational technology. He worked in travel journalism and as an assignment adventurer with National Geographic, and he plans to apply his experience from across countries to cultivate the tourism experience in Lincoln County. As for his work with educational technology, he worked with a program to enhance high school-level literacy and mathematics skills, and with programs to assess the thoroughness of academic lesson plans and assignments. He plans on using these experiences to help the workforce development office pioneer new ways to address unemployment rates in the county. His programs can train individuals on a variety of computer literacy skills.

While he has extensive experience abroad, Deever has also lived in Searchlight, Nevada, for the previous 21 years, making him familiar with the needs of rural communities.

“I was raised in the agriculture industry and was always helping with the livestock and landscaping,” Deever said. “I’m so passionate about this job, and I understand how rural communities work, which I think helps with connecting with the residents in Lincoln.” 

Going forward, Deever aims to begin outreach to senior citizens in the community to get them involved with the different resources that Extension offers. Additionally, he wants to offer seniors new resources, such as Medicare consultations, and incorporate programs that offer physical activity, such as dancing. He also plans to implement a Master Gardener Program so that the community can learn the importance of self-sustainment on fresh, home-grown vegetables.

“We are very pleased to have Deever on board as our Lincoln County educator,” Eric Killian, southern area director, said. “It is very exciting to see how quickly he has connected with the community.”