Cooperative Extension....America's most democratic institution

I have had a 30 career in West Virginia University's Extension Service. Most of these have been within my field of occupational safety and health: teaching, consulting, researching how to make American workplaces safer for workers. Six years were in administration as Associate Director. The Extension Service is under recognized as an incredible (but continually overstretched and stressed) institution. In my mind it is one of America's most democratic institutions.
It is a governmentally supported institution that benefits from steady funding streams, but acts like most non profists or NGO's by working consistently to better the lives of ordinary Americans, For example, WV's Extension Service has offices and faculty in each of WVa's 55 counties who probide significant socially beneficial programs in agriculture, youth development, family life, health, nutrition and community development. Think of the amazing reach attained through its ability to dissminate signifcant information (recent example: H1N1 recognition and prevention) by face to face mechanisms in the communities of our State. The people who work in Extension are also smart, committed, hard working, and self motivated to make the world better. I can't think of a better career to recommend to a young person. I have (and continue to) loved mine.