RISON - David West, a 1991 Woodlawn High School graduate, is the new agent for the Cleveland County Cooperative Extension Office in Rison.
West replaces Les Walz, who served as the staff chair for the Cleveland County office for more than 22 years before being named Agriculture and Natural Resources Livestock and Forages Educator for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture in May.
Under his new position, Walz will serve as a mentor to county agents across the state.
West officially began his new duties at the Cleveland County office on Sept. 26.
After graduating from Woodlawn, West earned an animal science degree from the University of Arkansas at Monticello. He previously worked for Tyson Foods for nearly 25 years, first serving as a broiler service technician before becoming a pullet technician.
West said he was raised in the Rye area on his family’s old homeplace. While his job took him away from Cleveland County, he said he is still familiar with the area.
“Cleveland County is something I’m familiar with,” he said, noting that we worked poultry farms in the New Edinburg, Rison and Woodlawn areas.
West said he was ready for a change in his career so he decided to pursue the Extension opening in Cleveland County. He acknowledged that he has some “big shoes to fill” in following Walz, who will headquarter his new position out of the Cleveland County Extension Office.
West is the second new agent at the Cleveland County office this year. Danielle Watson replaced the retired Diane Clement as the county’s Family and Consumer Science agent in March.