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"Somebody
once described me as the system’s permanent interim director,"
the 64-year-old Autauga County native said, breaking into a big smile
during an interview at his Auburn University office.
Smith
currently is serving his second term as "interim" director of
a system that has 729 employees and an annual budget of more than $60
million.
The
director of the Extension System has a huge responsibility because it
involves supervision of agricultural experts in each of Alabama’s 67
counties.
Smith
served as interim director from 1994 to 1997 when Steve Jones was hired
as full-time leader of the system. When Jones left four years later,
Smith was picked once again as interim director.
The
Extension System is an informal outreach arm of land grant universities
throughout the country. Alabama has three—the most in the U.S.—with
Auburn and Alabama A&M University in Huntsville working as partners.
The
two also have close ties with Tuskegee University, another land grant
institution that also has an extension system. It is located only 20
miles south of Auburn.
What
makes Alabama’s system unique is its mission—providing educational
opportunities to farmers, children and homemakers from Madison to Mobile
counties.
That’s
a tall order for anyone, but Smith has twice accepted the challenge and
the responsibility without flinching. In short, he loves what he does.
Many
in important state positions are aware of his accomplishments and they
are quick to praise him for what he has done as director of one of
Alabama’s most important public services.
"Gaines
could have played it safe, accepted the status quo and coasted to
retirement," Tommy Paulk, president of the Alabama Farmers
Cooperative, Inc., said. "But, his integrity and his courage took
him on a different, more progressive course and Alabama is a better
place because of it. All of us owe Gaines Smith our thanks."
Doug
Rigney, assistant commissioner of the Alabama Department of Agriculture
and Industries, described Smith as a "stabilizing force" for
the Extension System "during some difficult times.
"He
has handled so many situations with grace over the years," Rigney
said. "I truly believe that he has been the right person at the
right time to help the Extension System move forward in its efforts to
provide support and services for the agriculture industry in
Alabama."
Smith’s
quick acceptance of the system’s top job reflects his upbringing in a
family that traces its roots in Alabama back to its origins.
This
is a special year for the Smith family because it marks the 175th
anniversary of Elizabeth Over-street’s purchase of land from the
federal government.
The
year was 1832 and Alabama had been a state for only 13 years. His
ancestor was able to come up with $80 to buy 40 acres.
The
Smith farm, located in the Evergreen community of Autauga County, is
much larger today. Gaines and his brother, Merrill, are co-owners.
"We were a diversified farm when I was growing up," said
Smith. "We had hogs, peanuts, cotton, corn, watermelons, sorghum
and other products."
Watermelons
helped Smith earn enough money to help finance his education at Auburn
University. He can’t resist saying that the watermelons provided the
"seed" money for his future. Times were different back then,
especially the cost factor. Smith will never forget his first quarter
tuition at Auburn. It was only $35.
Taking
care of the hogs was one of his primary duties on the family farm. In
the spring and fall, he was allowed to leave high school early to get
back to the Overstreet-Smith farm which, today, is in a family trust
supervised by the Smith brothers.
When
he picked up his bachelor’s degree from Auburn, Gaines began his
career at the Lower Coast Plains Research Center in Wilcox County.
One
of Smith’s jobs at the AU Agricultural Experiment Station was to test
various kinds of feed and additives, especially the protein levels.
In
1965, he moved to Jefferson County where he served as assistant county
agent. He worked primarily with the 4-H livestock program there. In the
early 1970s, he helped with a hog operation that was the largest in the
state.
After
that, Smith moved on to Selma which provided the next rung up on his
long ladder of success. Instead of working with farmers in just one
county, he became district manager of cooperatives over a 22-county
area. His job was to supervise county agents in each one.
"My
district stretched all the way down to Mobile and Baldwin counties and
then all the way up to Pickens County," he said. "I wore out
several vehicles getting around that area."
During
that period, soybeans provided a comfortable living for farmers who had
just the right soil to grow them. Then, the bottom fell out in
the late 1970s and early 1980s. Droughts and interest rates that topped
20 percent pretty much spelled the end of the soy-bean industry in
Alabama.
Japan
had been one of America’s favorite soybean customers, but when other
countries began producing the same crop at lower prices, it proved to be
a bitter pill for U.S. farmers.
Now,
with biofuels a hot topic in Washington, Smith sees a possible rebound
for soybeans in the United States.
Smith
basically serves two masters—the presidents of Auburn and Alabama
A&M—and it’s up to him to make sure they are pleased with the
System’s progress.
As
an interim director in any business or industry, one misstep could prove
costly. Smith has proved that he has what it takes to not only step
in and take over when needed, but to run the Extension System with
as much skill as anyone in the country.
With
his many years of service within the System, Smith could easily retire
and live comfortably without working anywhere, but he’s not one to
grab a fishing pole and head for the nearest pond.
"The
Extension System is a great organization and I love the people within
it," he said. "I enjoy driving around the state and seeing
them."
Smith
has been involved in significant changes within the Extension System and
one that he’s most proud of involves introduction of a regional
concept.
"At
one time we had enough staff to handle what needed to be
handled," he said. "Over time, the funding stream changed and
we didn’t have enough money to go around."
Smith
said the regional approach allows the Extension System to focus
"more clearly on livestock, crops or family programs."
"We cover
a large geographic region, but we’ve been given approval to specialize
in specific areas," he said. "I think that has been a big
advantage for us."
Monetary
woes can be a major hurdle for any business and the Alabama Cooperative
Extension System is no different from tire or microchip industries.
"Our
sources of revenue have changed over the years," Smith said.
"Federal funding once provided most of our finances, but that
is no longer the case. We still get federal funds, but most of our money
comes from the Legislature."
The
state allocates about 60 percent of the Extension System’s funding,
Smith said with other sources of revenue coming from the Defense
Department and the Department of Energy.
He
estimated that about $10-12 million of the system’s funding comes from
sources other than Alabama taxpayers.
"We
could see over time how our costs were going up and our revenue was
going down and knew we had to find a way to generate revenue from other
sources," he said. "I think we’ve done a pretty good job in
finding what we needed."
As
director of a sprawling operation that covers the state, Smith finds
himself on the road quite a bit—often going up to Huntsville to meet
with Alabama A&M officials on matters of importance to the Extension
System.
Smith
rotates meetings between Huntsville and Auburn and has been holding more
conference call sessions using television hookups. He also tries to meet
at the halfway point in Shelby County where a new 4-H facility is being
built.
One
new wrinkle is the use of regional meetings with agents at 33 different
locations around the state. Instead of driving to Auburn or Huntsville,
the agents can sit at a table and exchange notes on TV hookups about
everything from droughts to price controls.
Agricultural
education has been the cornerstone of Smith’s life and he never stops
learning or helping others learn about the latest trends in agriculture.
His
education doctorate involved a dissertation on the relationship between
technical subject matter as it pertains to performance ratings.
"The
theory I tested was whether someone’s subject matter expertise had a
direct relationship to job performance and the answer was no," he
said. "In my opinion, people skills are far more
important."
As
far as Smith is concerned, it’s more important to interact with others
than sitting behind a desk and working on theories.
"We
can tell people what’s in swine manure and how to be a manager, but it’s
harder to teach people skills," he said.
Gaines
Smith has shown through the years that he can examine swine manure and
read profit and loss statements with the best in the country.
That’s
why he’s the "go to guy" in the Alabama Cooperative
Extension System.
Alvin
Benn is a freelance writer from Selma. |
