Cache County Extension director Gunnell moves up to lead USU Extension ag department

LOGAN - JayDee Gunnell, who has led the Cache County office of Utah State University Extension, is the new executive director of USU Extension's Agriculture and Natural Resources Department, the university announced in a USU Today story posted Oct. 28.

Extension Vice President Justen Smith made the appointment after a national search, according to the university. Gunnell replaces Smith as head of the department.

Gunnell is an Extension horticulture professor with 21 years of experience, USU said. He worked in Davis and Salt Lake counties before Cache County, and he has taught more than 1,000 Master Gardener volunteers.

"He has worked at the county, regional, and statewide levels," Smith said in the announcement.

Jenna Dyckman, an Extension associate professor in the Home and Community Department, will take Gunnell's place as Cache County Extension director. Both appointments began Nov. 1, the university said.

Why this matters

Cache County residents who use the local Extension office for gardening, farm and family programs now have a new director in Dyckman.

Source: USU Today, "USU Extension Names New Executive Director for Ag and Natural Resources" (Oct. 28, 2026).