Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
SANTA ROSA — Guadalupe County finally has a new extension agent. Susann Mikkelson’s first day on the job was June 1.
A New Mexico native, Mikkelson comes to town by way of Tucumcari and Quay County, where she was the Family & Consumer Science extension agent for the past 2 1/2 years.
She was raised on her family’s small cattle ranch in Datil in southwest New Mexico that was settled by her ancestors in 1882.
Mikkelson has close to 30 years’ experience in the nonprofit sector and in small business development. That includes nonprofit management and leadership, fundraising, marketing, strategic and business planning and business/organizational development and marketing.
Her experience in small business development has been working mostly with agricultural producers and producer groups to expand, evolve or develop their business and revenue.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in public relations from Northern Arizona University and a Master of Science in public service/leadership and policy, with an emphasis in rural development, from DePaul University.
In her Quay County position, she offered a broad range of educational programming and assistance, including 4-H, gardening and water conservation, small business tech classes, personal finance and risk management programming for women in agriculture.
Mikkelson is filling a position that has been vacant since last fall, when Cheyenne Law resigned shortly after the county fair.
Lorina Velasquez, administrative assistant in the Guadalupe County office in the Rita F. Martinez City/County Government Complex, has remained on the job.