Sharon Lezberg
I’ve been the Community Development Educator with Dane County UW-Extension since 2014. In this role, I provide educational, planning, facilitation, and evaluation support for community-based organizations.
My primary areas of work are:
• Organizational capacity building
• Community development
• Food system entrepreneur training
• Inclusive engagement and
• Facilitation.
My goal in this work is to support community-based organizations and social good businesses so that they can do their best work in meeting the needs of our community. As an Extension educator, I work with organizations to identify their needs, goals, and assets, and then work collaboratively to design processes to enable the group to be most effective at fulfilling its mission. My programs include: Strategic planning and facilitation for non-profit organizations; Food & Farm Entrepreneur education, including the Edible Startup Summit and the startafoodbiz.org Roadmap for Food Businesses; collaboration with FEED Kitchens and Madison’s MarketReady program; Market Analysis & Chamber of Commerce planning for small towns and villages; and working with the Dane County Board of Supervisors on developing inclusive engagement strategies.
History: I’ve been working with community organizations for over 30 years. My roles have included program developer and manager, fund-raising, non-profit organization Executive Director, and organizational consultant. I’ve also worked as a researcher and outreach coordinator with various programs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I received a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Michigan, a M.A. in International Development and Social Change from Clark University, and a PhD in Environment and Resources.
Connect Information
Dane County UW-Extension
Dane County UW-Extension provides education and resources to help people understand and solve problems. Educational programs developed and conducted by Dane County educators reflect local concerns. Through this unique partnership, educators work with the Dane County Extension Committee and other local groups to identify needs for education and design programs to meet those needs.
UW-Extension’s purpose to which we commit…
We teach, learn, lead and serve, connecting people with the University of Wisconsin, and engaging with them in transforming lives and communities.