Andrea Haubner is a Virginia Cooperative Extension area specialized agent for community health serving communities across Southwest Virginia. In her role, she works alongside local Extension agents, community organizations, and regional partners to address some of the area’s most pressing health challenges, including chronic disease prevention, nutrition, food access, and mental health. Her work helps connect research-based resources with the needs identified by communities throughout the region.

A Virginia Tech graduate and former family and consumer sciences (FCS) agent serving Lee and Scott counties, Haubner brings both local programming experience and a regional perspective to her current position. She is particularly passionate about food preservation, nutrition education, and helping Extension expand its reach through partnerships and collaborative programming. As one of Virginia Cooperative Extension’s first area specialized agents for community health, she is helping shape a new approach to supporting agents and communities across Southwest Virginia.

This story is part of Get to Know Extension, a Q&A series highlighting the people who make Virginia Cooperative Extension’s mission possible.

How did you get started in Extension? 

"I started in FFA at Blacksburg High School, and my FFA advisors really pushed me to do soil judging. Through those contests, I met local Extension agents who put them on, and I thought, “Oh, this is a cool career field. How do I get involved with this?”

My undergraduate degree is in crop and soil science from Virginia Tech. Originally I thought I wanted to be an agriculture agent. After graduation, I took an AmeriCorps position in an Extension office in Austin, Texas. I taught gardening and cooking classes through a 4-H after-school program, and I realized I really liked the cooking and farm-to-table aspect more than the crop and soil science side.

After that, I worked in Texas Extension for several years before returning home to Southwest Virginia and becoming the family and consumer sciences agent serving Lee and Scott counties."

Woman in business attire leans across a table to address a group of teens. Table is covered in cooking ingredients.
Haubner works with teenagers on basic cooking skills at the Adulting 101 program in Abingdon, VA. Photo by Case Keatley for Virginia Cooperative Extension.

What do you enjoy most about your role in Extension?

"Every day is different!

I also like the freedom we have to serve the community in the best possible way. I’m very driven to look at what the data says a community needs and also what community members say they want. Sometimes those things don’t perfectly align, and I enjoy figuring out how to bridge that gap and create programs that make people care and want to get involved."

Tell us about a moment or project that really made you proud to work in Extension.

"My mind automatically goes to Kasey Fioramonti and my work with the Food Challenge kids.

We’ve had youth who participated in that program tell us they want to pursue careers in nutrition, health, and Extension. Others still send me pictures of meals they’ve made and tell me they were thinking about something they learned on the trip.

To me, those moments mean a lot. They may seem small, but they’re important. If a young person learns how to cook for themselves, take care of their health, or discovers a future career path because of an Extension experience, that’s incredibly rewarding."

How does your work make a difference in your community or region?

"Sometimes we get focused on the reports, paperwork, and numbers, but the things that make it worth it are the individual stories.

I taught a diabetes prevention program in Scott County, and one of the participants ended up losing a lot of weight and lowering her A1C. Her doctor told her it likely added years to her life."

Woman poses in front of a sign that reads "Wythe County Extension Office"
Haubner outside the Wythe County Extension Office. Photo by Case Keatley for Virginia Cooperative Extension.

What’s a typical day (or week) like for you in your role?

"There really isn’t a typical day.

In my current role as an Area Specialized Agent for Community Health, my work involves looking at community health data, identifying needs, and helping connect agents with resources that can support their communities.

At the same time, I’m planning programs, delivering programs, and doing all the behind-the-scenes work that comes with them. A lot of my time is also spent working on larger district-wide projects that can expand the reach of FCS programming across Southwest Virginia."

What are you currently excited about?

"I’m really excited about a regional food preservation conference we’re planning in Southwest Virginia.

Food preservation classes are the number one request we receive, and there are only a handful of FCS agents serving a large area of Southwest Virginia. This conference is an opportunity for agents across program areas to work together and expand our reach.

I’m also excited about the work our Area Specialized Agent team is doing around community health. We’re beginning to explore larger policy, systems, and environmental approaches that can create long-term impacts for communities across the district."

Woman in business attire stands over a group of teens and smiles as she gestures with her hands.
Haubner teaches a class on professional dress at the Adulting 101 program in Abingdon, VA. Photo by Case Keatley for Virginia Cooperative Extension.

Finish this sentence: “Extension is important because...”

"Extension is important because it is a connector.

Not just between Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, and communities, but between people, organizations, and resources. We have the opportunity to meet lots of different people and help connect them with programs, services, and partnerships that can make a difference.

Sometimes our role is simply helping people find each other and work together. That connection is one of the most important things Extension provides."

- Written by Case Keatley, field marketing & communications coordinator

Contact: