Announcing the 2026 American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Board of Directors Election Results.
ALEXANDRIA, VA, UNITED STATES, February 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) is pleased to announce the results of the 2026 Board of Directors Elections. This year the AAFCS Leadership Council has elected two individuals to serve as Directors-at-Large and one individual to serve as our 2026-2027 President-Elect. All elected individuals will begin their terms in June following the closing ceremonies of the AAFCS Annual Conference.
The AAFCS Leadership Council has elected Kathryn A. Carroll, CFCS, CPFFE to serve as the AAFCS Board President Elect.
Kathryn A. Carroll, CFCS, CPFFE
Kathryn is an Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director in the Department of Nutrition and Family Sciences at the University of Central Arkansas. She has over 15 years of experience in higher education, including time spent in cooperative extension. Kathryn’s work focuses on consumer food choices, food insecurity, behavioral nudges, and health interventions. She also has an interest in financial decision-making and education, particularly among college students.
Kathryn earned her MS and PhD in Consumer Behavior and Family Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and MS and BS degrees at the University of Delaware. She has been a member of the Arkansas affiliate (ArAFCS) since 2018, where she has served in various capacities, including on the Executive Board and Nominating Committee. Kathryn also previously served as Chair of the ArAFCS Scholarship, Awards and Recognition Committee, where she helped establish two new annual awards, and as Chair of the ArAFCS Say Yes to FCS Committee, where she helped secure an AAFCS Membership Growth Grant. Kathryn also helped secure external funding to start a childcare stipend program to support professionals and students attending the ArAFCS State Conference in 2020 and 2021. In 2023, she received the ArAFCS Outstanding Educator of the Year Award.
Kathryn is a 2019 graduate of the AAFCS Leadership Academy and recently served as a mentor for the 2025 AAFCS Leadership Academy. In 2024, she received the AAFCS New Achiever Award and was a co-recipient of the 2025 AAFCS Ruth O’Brien Project Grant, where she explored the use of AI-generated recipes in a college food pantry. Kathryn holds both the CFCS and CPFFE certifications, and just recently passed the CFCS-HDFS exam.
The AAFCS Leadership Council has elected Samantha Kennedy and Cheryl Lively, CFCS, as the AAFCS Directors-at-Large for 2026-2029.
Samantha Kennedy
Samantha has worked with the University of Florida/IFAS Extension Service since 2004. She spent the first 9 years of her Extension career as the FCS agent in Manatee County, specializing in nutrition, food safety, home energy efficiency, and family financial management. She became the County Extension Director in July 2013, where she managed a staff of 25, a contingent of over 400 volunteers, and worked with various community partners to strengthen the reputation of Extension within the county. She then moved to Wakulla County in 2017, where she currently works as the FCS agent, specializing in health and wellness, financial literacy, food entrepreneurship, and youth and adult leadership.
Samantha received her Bachelor’s degree in both Microbiology and Cell Science and Nutritional Sciences with a minor in Chemistry from the University of Florida in 2000, receiving her Master’s degree in Agricultural Education (specializing in Extension Education) in 2002, also from the University of Florida. She earned a Graduate Certificate in Public Health Essentials from Cornell University in 2023.
Samantha’s leadership roles have been varied. She is currently serving on the board of the Florida affiliate, has previously served as affiliate president and VP for Public Affairs, and has twice served as the president of the Florida Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. She also recently completed her 6-year term on the board of directors of the Alpha Delta chapter of Epsilon Sigma Phi, and her second two-year term on the national board the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. Samantha is looking forward to continuing the mission of Teaching, Research, and Service within Extension and supporting other FCS professionals across the country.
Cheryl Lively, CFCS
Cheryl currently serves as the Greer County FCS, 4-H Educator and County Extension Director with the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, a position she has held since July 2011. She has lived in Greer County for 22 years and values the opportunity to collaborate with the citizens of her husband’s home county, building strong relationships and supporting families through practical, research-based education.
Cheryl’s passion for FCS began early. Her involvement in FHA/FCCLA as a student sparked her interest in the profession, while meaningful experiences in Oklahoma Home and Community Education alongside her grandmother solidified her desire to pursue a career dedicated to strengthening individuals, families, and communities. These formative experiences shaped her professional path and commitment to the FCS mission.
An Oklahoma graduate of Broken Bow High School, Cheryl earned her Bachelor of Science degree from East Central University. She spent nineteen years teaching high school FCS before transitioning to the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service. This combination of classroom teaching and Extension work has provided her with a broad perspective on education, leadership, and community engagement. Cheryl is currently working toward a graduate degree at Oklahoma State University.
About AAFCS:
The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, founded in 1909, is the only professional association dedicated to Family and Consumer Sciences students and professionals who represent multiple practice settings and content areas. For 114 years, AAFCS has focused its mission on providing leadership and support for professionals whose work assists individuals, families, and communities in making more informed decisions about their well-being, relationships, and resources to achieve optimal quality of life. Through research, experiential education, and technology, our members help people develop the essential knowledge and skills to lead better lives, be work and career ready, build strong families, and make meaningful contributions to our communities.
FCS is the research-based discipline focused on the science and the art of living and working well in our complex world. The field represents many areas, including human development, personal and family finance, housing and interior design, food science, nutrition, and wellness, textiles and apparel, and consumer issues.
Karin Athanas
American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences
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