Gresham Retiring Again, This Time From Extension Service

By Ryan McGeeney UA Division of Agriculture FORDYCE - At 71, Keith Gresham isn't exactly slowing down. But he is retiring from the Cooperative Extension Service, the latest in a lifelong string of fulltime careers. For the former schoolteacher, Justice of the Peace, and 40-year Calhoun County fire chief, it likely won't be the last.Gresham, Dallas County extension staff chair for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, joined extension in 2011 after teaching vocational agriculture at Rison High School for more than 33 years in neighboring Cleveland County. During his time as a public school teacher, he helped lead the local FFA program, which in turn introduced him to Les Walz, then Cleveland County extension staff chair.There will be a retirement reception for Gresham from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 30, at the Fordyce Civic Center. Those planning to attend are asked to call the Dallas County Extension Office at (870) 352-3505.Gresham "was the fair board president when I first came to Cleveland County, and I was fortunate to learn from him during those early years as a staff chair," Walz said. "I quickly learned what a valuable asset Keith was to Rison and Cleveland County and quickly fell into friendship with him, mainly because of what I could learn from him on what a 'citizen' is truly supposed to look like." Gresham and Walz organized many events involving both FFA and Arkansas 4-H over the years. When Gresham decided to move on from his position with Rison High School, he con-sulted with Walz about the plausibility of taking on an extension agent role in Dallas County."I asked Les about the job, he said, 'Well, there's quite a bit to it,'" Gresham said. "I asked him if he thought I could handle it, and he said, 'You probably could.' I asked him about apply-ing at Fordyce, and he said, 'If you ain't serious about it, I wouldn't put one in.'" But he was, and he did. Partly due to staffing shortag...