Rural Prosperity Nebraska is welcoming a familiar face back to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln community. Hailey Walmsley, who earned her degree in agricultural education in 2021, is the newest Extension instructor serving the Pierce County office. Though her path has taken her from the classroom to the farm and now into community development, her passion for rural Nebraska has been a constant thread as she brings with her both a lifelong connection to rural Nebraska.
Raised on a farm near Norfolk, Walmsley spent the last four years teaching agricultural education to seventh through 12th graders in Bassett. This past summer, she and her husband, Austin, settled near Elgin on his family’s farm, where they grow corn and soybeans. Just one week after getting married, Walmsley began her new role with Rural Prosperity Nebraska — a whirlwind start she describes as exciting and energizing.
Her interest in rural communities traces back to her college years, when she served as a Rural Futures Institute fellow (now coined the Rural Fellows program) in Broken Bow. That summer of hands-on work left a lasting impression.
“Prosperity to me means people making big ideas happen in small towns,” Walmsley said. “It’s the change-makers who bring people together to make their community better, and I’m excited to support that work.”
In her first weeks, Walmsley has jumped into leadership programming and is eager to connect with small business owners, local leaders and students. With her teaching experience, she sees herself as a connector — helping communities build tools, networks and encouragement to turn ideas into reality. While she works in the Pierce County office, she also is the lead RPN Extension instructor for Cedar, Dakota, Dixon, Madison, Stanton and Wayne counties.
When she’s not working with communities, Walmsley enjoys gardening, photography and time on the farm. She and her mother grew the flowers for her recent wedding, and she continues to manage a small photography business with her sister and a friend.
“Rural Nebraska has always been home to me,” Walmsley said. “I’m excited to help others see the possibilities here.”
