Lee Hayes Byron has accepted a conditional offer to become the new director of Sarasota County UF/IFAS Extension and Sustainability. Byron has served with Sarasota County Government since 2005, starting her career as a land manager in the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection program. The Sarasota native became the county's Sustainability manager in 2008 and has served in that position since. The Sustainability program merged with UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County in 2014. As part of the national Extension system founded in 1914, UF/IFAS Extension provides practical education to help individuals and organizations make informed choices through community initiatives, classes and volunteer opportunities related to food systems, water and environmental resources and youth and community resource development. Byron previously worked in Washington, D.C., as the coordinator of the U.S. Climate Action Network, a coalition of environmental organizations working to establish climate change policies at the state, federal and international levels. In her previous role as Sustainability manager, Byron was responsible for the county's sustainability education and outreach programs and oversaw the addition of more than $4 million in grant funds to support those programs.

Sarasota County UF/IFAS Extension and Sustainability