The University of Wyoming Extension is excited to announce the appointment of Dannele Peck as its new associate director. As one of two associate directors, Peck will provide leadership for extension educators throughout the state. She will oversee the Master Gardener program and lead the agriculture and natural resources and community vitality and health teams.

“We are thrilled that Dannele has joined the UW Extension team as associate director,” says Mandy Marney, director of UW Extension. “Her understanding of Wyoming, administrative experience, and passion for serving communities make her a great fit for this role.”

Peck earned her bachelor’s in wildlife biology in 2000 and a master’s in agricultural economics in 2002, both at UW. She went on to achieve a doctorate in agricultural and natural resource economics from Oregon State University in 2007.

Post graduation, Peck worked in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at UW for almost a decade. She taught courses like rangeland economics and conducted research on the economics of animal health management, such as the costs and benefits of brucellosis prevention.

From 2016 through 2025, Peck worked at the USDA Agricultural Research Service as the director of an outreach team focused on making weather and climate information accessible and useful for farmers, ranchers, and foresters. In this position, she developed tools like Grass-Cast, which predicts how much grass will grow during the year, allowing producers to plan how much forage they will need to provide for their livestock.

“I find great joy in connecting with people and supporting them as they pursue their goals,” says Peck. “In my new role as associate director, I have the honor of supporting an amazing team of extension professionals who share this passion for helping others.”

Peck started her new role with UW Extension Thursday, Aug. 28. She can be contacted at dpeck@uwyo.edu.