Kyle McManus has been named Texas A&M Extension Service’s new agricultural agent in Bee County.

The Bee-Picayune caught up with McManus recently and asked him a few questions about his new job and life in general.

Q: Have you set any goals you’d like to accomplish as the new ag agent? If so, what are they?

A: I would like to pick up where Donnie Montemayor left off. He was an agent who had great success over the last 10 years here in Bee County and I hope to add to that success with my experience. My primary goal the next few months is to get know the community, and let the community know there is a new agriculture agent in Bee County.

Q: What guides you day to day in your job?

A: I want to do my best to educate my clientele, and if I don’t have the answers they need I will work like crazy to help them. My philosophy is that I may not know all the answers but I am not scared to get the information.

Q: What message do you share with kids, to motivate them or inspire them?

A: I like to tell them about my story and my background as a kid involved in 4-H. I tell them about how I was a wallflower, scared as can be at my first 4-H meeting, but turned into a 4-H member who served on the state 4-H Board as a district representative, qualified for state livestock judging two years, and became an individual who has 4-H to thank for all of the opportunities I have today.

Q: Who motivated you? What did he, she or they tell you that inspired you to attend college, become an ag agent, etc.?

A: My grandfather inspired me. He was a man of little words, but instilled in me that a person is only as good as one’s word. He made me promise him at an early age I would go to college, so I could better myself. He also made me promise I would have a positive impact on people’s lives. As a result, I knew I had to keep my work and go to college. I also knew that once I became an Extension agent that I found my way to make a positive impact on people’s lives.

Q: Tell us something about what you did at the last place you worked. A success story, perhaps.

A: I feel like there is not just one area that I can say was a success, there are really a couple of areas I am very proud of. One thing that made me so proud was that at the 2009 San Antonio Livestock Show, San Patricio 4-H had six steers qualify for the premium auction and included the Champion Simmental. That was more steers that made the sale than any other organization in the state, but what was even more rewarding was that five of the six steers were bought for less that $1,500.

I am also proud of the fact that San Patricio 4-H tied for the highest number of graduating seniors receiving state 4-H scholarships in the state this past year and each of them received anywhere from $10,000-$15,000 scholarships.

As county extension agent for 4-H and youth development in San Patricio County, I strictly worked with the youth program. I was very proud of the success of the program I had in San Patricio County and look forward to supporting Kelsey Hill in the 4-H program here in Bee County

Q: Every year hundreds of local kids raise animals for the county fair. Many sell their animals at auction. Some don’t. Can you talk to us about the youth livestock show? Why it’s important? What you would hope kids come away with, besides a scholarship?

A: There is no doubt that the livestock projects are raised with an effort to “make the sale” so that there’s a return on the families’ investment. But I like to remind the families that it’s not just a monetary return that we need to be teaching our kids about these projects. We have to remind ourselves what end of the halter is most important. It’s what the kids get out of the projects, other than money, that lasts a lifetime. Families will get what they put into the project, and if their only object is to make the auction, then those children are going to show that as they get older, such as lack of responsibility and commitment.

Q: On a lighter note, tell us a little bit about what makes you, you.

Who’s your favorite author? What’s your favorite book, or movie? Why?

A: You know, I really don’t watch a lot of movies .... with a job like this there’s not a lot of extra time for things like that. I spend most of my free time outside taking pictures.

Q: Do you have time for TV? What about your favorite television series?

A: I am a huge “Seinfeld” buff...It just makes me laugh.

Q: How about hobbies?

A: I have one hobby that I approach with a passion, and that is wildlife photography. I truly enjoy capturing our native South Texas environment. I like to then take that passion and use it to educate our area youth. There are so many kids who have no idea what lives in their own back yard, and what we need to do to allow that wildlife to continue to live here. The Coastal Bend Wildlife Photo Contest Organization has a program called Kritters 4 Kids, that is a science-based curriculum for schools. It teaches kids about our area wildlife and their habitat and I think it’s a great program that kids should be exposed to.

Q: Tell us about your family. Do you have a wife and kids? If so, who are they? What does she do? Children?

A: I do have a wife, Jodi, and we have been married for eight years. She is the District 11 4-H specialist, and is based out of the district office in Corpus Christi. We don’t have any kids at this time but have high hopes for them soon.