Dr. Durriyyah R. Kemp, Assistant Director for University of Illinois Cooperative Extension, received the North Central Urban Extension Leadership Award at the Regional NUEL Conference hosted at the University of Wisconsin – Madison June 7-9, 2023. This recognition is awarded to Extension Leaders who have made exceptional contributions to Urban Extension. Recipients have demonstrated success with programming and/or administration within the Cooperative Extension Service, specifically within urban geographic areas. Dr. Kemp's nomination materials will be forwarded on for consideration in the recognition of a national-level award at the 2024 National Urban Extension Conference in Nashville, TN.

Dr. Kemp began her Extension career as a Regional Youth Development Educator with Illinois Extension in 2006. Throughout her entire career, Dr. Kemp has realized the unique challenges that fulfilling the Land Grant Mission in densely populated geographic areas presents. Her efforts to draw the resources of the University into her communities have been recognized by her institution and her professional associations. She is a recipient of the Excellence in Extension Award, Outstanding Innovative Programming Award, and Excellence in Diversity Award.

Since 2022, Dr. Kemp has been leading the efforts of Illinois Extension as an Assistant Director where she influences programmatic efforts across a very diverse region of the state. Since 2021, Dr. Kemp has served on the National Urban Extension Leaders’ Executive Committee and Steering Committee where she co-leads the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Action Team and serves as the Action Team Liaison for the Steering Committee. These efforts have positioned Dr. Kemp well to inform the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program Action Team of the Extension Committee on Policy (ECOP).

The selection committee for the North-Central Regional Leadership Award noted Dr. Kemp’s strong commitment to raising the quality of the work of the National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL). Dr. Kemp is clearly a worthy recipient of this award. She is a leader and a change-maker in Urban Extension and an inspiration to her colleagues.