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Garey
is an Example of Learning for Life
There has never been a period in Jerda Garey's life when she wasn't learning, challenging herself, or giving a caring boost
to someone to pursue their dreams through education. Driven early in life by
a desire to bolster the fortunes - both human and economic -- of her rural,
ranching area of McCook, Neb., Garey has made a career out of building programs
teaching technical and vocational skills to anyone willing to consume the knowledge
she has to share.
While co-managing the family's farm/ranch, Garey worked to complete her master's
degree, helped create a nursery school based a community need, and training
high school students the life skills embodied in the curriculums of family and
consumer sciences. Upon earning her master's, she joined McCook Community College
and spent the next 20 years developing a program in family and consumer sciences,
eventually also serving as division chair for vocational education at the college
to dean of the community services (establishing the community education programs
of the college).
She even became involved in a pilot program called Nebraska Community Builders
Academy that sought ways to bring better paying job opportunities to her rural
area. She also served stints as local Chamber of Commerce president, president
of the Kiwanis Club, and volunteer worker for several political and civic organizations.
"Rural economic development has always had a strong influence on my life," Garey said. "I have always been driven to work toward
a better quality of life for people. I developed my early career interests from
my involvement in 4-H as a youth, 25 years as a leader, and now a grandparent
whos grandchildren are involved in 4-H. 4-H programs are one element that connects
all educational resources."
After receiving her doctorate, Garey said she had to think hard about leaving
the address she had called home for all but about three years of her life for
the job of executive director of the Iowa Vocational Education Council in Des
Moines. She still owns the McCook ranch. In the end, the opportunities and potentials
of the position made the move to Iowa a given for her. After two years, she
moved on to her current position with the department of education. One aspect
of her job marriages both her love of education with her desire to boost the
economic options of rural communities - the work of community colleges.
"Community colleges are uniquely suited and have the background
to make things happen quickly to benefit communities and the state in economic
development," she said. "The education areas my department oversees include
manufacturing, computer training, management information systems, business education,
marketing, family and consumer sciences, agricultural programs and health occupations."
All of those areas, she said, are vital to the economic success and responsiveness
of Iowa and especially of rural areas. One challenge in this area, she said,
is to attract and retain trained, committed instructors, especially in the robust,
competitive economy the national is experiencing now. "There is an increasing demand from business and industry for qualified graduates
in all of those areas," Garey said. "The challenge
is securing staffing at both the community college and secondary school levels
to meet that need. We spend a great deal of time on retention strategies." In addition, Garey said her department encourages joint programs between secondary
schools and community colleges that will create a natural link from high schools
to college vocational and technical programs. "Today,
80 percent of all careers require a minimum of two years of post secondary education," she said. "Programs from secondary schools to community
college creates career opportunities and ladders that lead students to those
higher skills and academic opportunities."
Garey also notes that salaries paid to associate degree holding job applicants
are becoming equivalent to some graduates from four-year programs. "It
is not uncommon for community college graduates to earn entry-level salaries
from $30,000 - $40,000 per year," she said. "In
some cases, these graduates actually may earn higher salaries than four-year
graduates in some degree programs." Garey also noted that more four-year
colleges and universities are allowing the transfer of community college technical
and vocational coursework toward earning a four-year degree - a practice that
once was almost nonexistent. "This whole movement ties
into the concept of life-long, continual learning. It is just never too late
to learn."