PORT HADLOCK — Jefferson County will lose one of its most vocal supporters of agriculture, education and social programs when Washington State University Extension Executive Director Kathryn Baril retires at the end of this month.
In a letter announcing her resignation Tuesday, Baril said she was excited about the future.
“The time has come for me to move on to pursue some other interests; to devote more time with my family, friends and garden; to weigh and embrace other offers and opportunities that are before me now,” she wrote.
“I’ll be changing the shape of my days and the scope of my focus, but I’ll be staying in our community.”
“It’s really time right now,” Baril, 63, said of her decision.
“You know when you have done really good work, and I have accomplished many of my goals, teaching people how to feed and support their families.”
The extension office, which was the first of its kind in the state, does this in two ways.
It supports agricultural programs like 4-H and teaches sustainable agricultural techniques to county residents.
Its affiliation with Washington State University brings course material to people who would have to drive to the big city in order to go to class.
This segues into Baril’s latest accomplishment, which she will not see come to fruition, the installation of comprehensive broadband service that will allow people to receive college-level video instruction in the comfort of their own home.
“With broadband, people in rural communities are no longer isolated,” she said.
“So people can live here, they can live anywhere and have access to all the information they need to learn about a subject or run a business.”
Baril has run the extension office for 20 years, beginning with one employee in the historic Customs House in Port Townsend — “where every time a truck went by, it felt like stones were going to land on our head” — to the facility in Port Hadlock that now employs a staff of 24.
Her last day will be Dec. 31, after which time the county and Washington State University will meet to develop a strategy for selecting a replacement.
In the meantime, Baril said, the programs will be able to operate without her leadership, as they are functioning smoothly.
Baril makes $65,000 a year.
While it is not uncommon for people to have multiple degrees, Baril was unique in the 1970s, earning both business and law degrees, which has given her the ability to see business and commerce from a unique perspective.
She admits the present economy can be crippling but added that people who are looking for jobs often should change their way of thinking.
“Young people tell me they can’t find a job anywhere, but their definition of a job is an industrial 1950s model,” she said.
“If you can be entrepreneurial and figure out what your passions are, live with a little ambiguity and work well with others, you can find work that pays you.”
With broadband, the extension concept can only grow, Baril said.
“I think extension programs have become the living room of the community,” she said.
“It’s where people come together to talk about things, learn new ideas and work through their problems together.”
After her announcement, Baril’s e-mail box filled up with good wishes, and her phone rang off the hook, so she changed her voicemail message to acknowledge all the positive feedback.
This included local officials and friends — among them Jefferson County Public Utility District Commissioner Barney Burke, former Jefferson County Commissioner Larry Dennison and Washington Department of Agriculture Director Fred Berman.
“Kathryn has a tremendous heart and spirit,” said Jefferson County Commissioner David Sullivan.
“I’ve always told her that I would like to find a way to download what’s in her brain.”
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.