From serving as an instructor to help Nevadans maintain good health as they age to overseeing a multimillion-dollar federal nutrition grant, Macy Helm has consistently stepped up to meet the moment and support the mission at the University of Nevada, Reno Extension.

She now steps into a newly created role as Extension’s director of statewide program initiatives, a position designed to strengthen alignment across programs and better demonstrate Extension’s impact throughout Nevada.

Helm joined Extension in 2020 as an instructor with the Healthy Aging Initiative and steadily advanced through a series of leadership roles. As the federal nutrition education coordinator, she oversaw $4 million annually in federal-funded programs that teach people how to make their federal food assistance benefits stretch further, how to shop for and cook healthy meals, and how to stay physically active. This included programs under the umbrellas of SNAP-Ed and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Program, both federal programs that serve these purposes and administer funds to states.

In her new role, Helm will provide strategic direction and administrative oversight to sharpen evaluation methods and reporting systems and to create a data system that provides better program insights in order to help guide future programming that supports communities. The role also adds administrative capacity to pursue collaborative, large-scale initiatives that benefit communities across Nevada.

“My main goal is to really be able to tell the story and show the value of the great work Extension is doing in a cohesive manner,” Helm said. “We often hear that Extension is the best kept secret. I don't think we want to be a secret. Our programs do amazing work.”

Jake DeDecker, Extension director, said Helm’s leadership makes her a natural fit for the role.

“Macy brings leadership, operational coordination and a deep commitment to our mission,” DeDecker said. “Her ability to connect community impact with statewide systems makes her incredibly valuable to Extension and to Nevada.”

Helm emphasized that the work builds on Extension’s strong community foundation.

“Extension is deeply connected to our communities and is able to adapt its programs and its activities based on local needs,” Helm said. “We are uniquely positioned to have statewide coverage and to be able to balance local needs with research-tested, evidence-based, evidence-informed programming.”

That statewide reach and connection, she said, is powered by Extension professionals across Nevada.

“I think the people in Extension are special because they really care about the work,” she said. “There’s just a commitment to community that I did not always see when I worked in the private sector.”

Prior to her roles at Extension, Helm worked as a nutrition educator with Three Square Food Bank in southern Nevada, and before that, in financial services in New York City. She credits those experiences with building transferable skills in budgeting, administration and partnership development. Helm holds two undergraduate degrees: one in the history, philosophy and social studies of science and medicine; and a second in nutrition sciences. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in interdisciplinary health sciences at UNLV.