After more than a year, the Webster County Extension Agency again has a Family and Consumer Science agent.

Whitney Dodson was hired earlier this month for the position, which has been vacant since former FCS Agent Myra Braden retired in January 2008.

Dodson, who officially took over as Webster County Extension FCS agent on Wednesday, July 1, said she has several goals for the program under her leadership.

“I’d like to work with kids and the schools,” she said. “I want to also host cooking classes to show people how to use home-grown food.”

She said she also wants to grow the Extension’s “Homemakers” program to include more people around the county.

Dodson is a recent University of Kentucky graduate with a degree in family consumer science, and interned with the Fayette County Extension office while she was a student. Dodson said she intends to apply the lessons she learned there under the direction of Fayette County’s FCS agent. One of the goals, she said, is to establish strong ties with members of the community as part of the effort to build the various programs the Extension office will host.

Dodson, who is from Henderson, said she plans to continue to reside there with her family for the time being, but added that she may eventually move to Webster County.