Nassau County will celebrate the opening of a new UF/IFAS Extension office in Yulee, Florida, with a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 10 at 2 p.m. The building is named in honor of the late Rebecca Jordi, county Extension director from 2010 to 2020.

Located at 85831 Miner Road, the Yulee office will serve as the primary office for the county, with the existing Callahan office functioning as an annex. The two facilities will allow Extension faculty to offer a more diverse array of programming and reach more people throughout the county, said Taylor Clem, director of UF/IFAS Extension Nassau County.

“Our goal is to provide the best programming for county residents. With the Yulee office, we’ll have a dedicated classroom space as well as outdoor learning areas that will enhance our programs in the areas of agriculture, residential horticulture, natural resources and 4-H youth development,” Clem said.

The second facility was always part of Rebecca Jordi’s vision for the county Extension service, Clem said.

Members of the county’s Master Gardener Volunteer Program, which Jordi led, see the new office as a testament to Jordi’s commitment to the local community.

“This building was a long time coming,” said Shirley Lohman, who has a Master Gardener Volunteer in Nassau County for the last 15 years. “About ten years ago, Becky and I were drawing up floor plans for the kind of facility she wanted. After that, she found a piece of property owned by the county and three years ago the county broke ground for the new building. We are excited to see what wonderful things Taylor, the other agents and the volunteers can make happen.”

The ribbon cutting ceremony will include remarks from county officials and UF/IFAS leadership. During the ceremony, Keep Nassau Beautiful will unveil a tree planted in Jordi’s honor accompanied by a commemorative plaque.

To learn more about UF/IFAS Extension Nassau County, visit https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/nassau/.

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