Weatherly Thomas

Extension Associate
Healthy Food Access
Rural Health and Nutrition Program Team, PeeDee Research and Education Center

Office: 2200 Pocket Road, Florence, SC 29506
Phone: 803-738-5937

Email: marjort@clemson.edu

Educational Background

MAGED Agricultural Education
Clemson University 2020

M.F.A. Film & Television
Savannah College of Art & Design 2008

B.A. Broadcast Journalism
University of South Carolina 2002

Research Interests

Food Systems; Food Security; Food Access

Publications

Johnstone, M.B., Wilson, H., Griffin, S., Thomas, W., Sweatt, E., & Windham, A. (2026, May 12-14). PowerSNAP SC - A Nutrition Incentive Pilot Program for Increasing Access to Affordable Vegetables and Fruits in a Rural, South Carolina Grocery Store [Poster Presentation]. Presented at the 2026 National Health Outreach and Engagement Conference (NHOC), St.George, UT.

Bales, M., Naumuk, B., Thomas, W., Matthews, R., & Tanner, S.C. (2026, May 12-14). Growing Health: A Cross-Extension Team Collaborative Program [Poster Presentation]. Presented at the 2026 National Health Outreach and Engagement Conference (NHOC), St. George, UT.

Altman, M., & Thomas, W. (2026, April 20–22). Advocacy in action: Clemson Extension's Food Pantry Giving Guide response to the 2025 SNAP disruption [Conference presentation]. Joint Council of Extension Professionals Public Issues Leadership Development Conference, Washington, DC, United States. https://www.jcep.org/pild

Thomas, W. (2025, October 20–23). SNAP retailer application process deconstructed for quick and easy success assisting non-profits, farmers, and markets [Conference presentation]. National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Annual Session, Grand Rapids, MI, United States.

Altman, M., Thomas, W., Griffin, S., & Matthews, R. (2025, April 29-May 1). Huspah Missionary Baptist Church and Clemson Extension Partner to Address Food Insecurity in the Community [Poster]. National Health Outreach and Engagement Conference, Omaha, NE. https://food.unl.edu/national-health-outreach-engagement-conference-2025/.

Bales, M., Naumuk, B., Thomas, W., Vargo, M., Tanner, S., & Matthews, R. (2025, April 29-May1). Growing Health: A Cross Extension Team Collaborative Program [Poster]. National Health Outreach and Engagement Conference, Omaha, NE. https://food.unl.edu/national-health-outreach-engagement-conference-2025/.

Bales, M., McFall, D., Altman, M., Lane, E., Thomas, W., Matthews, R., Mebane, P., Johnstone, M.B. (2025, April 7-8). New Agent Checklist: A New Tool for Onboarding Clemson Extension Rural Health and Nutrition Agents [Poster]. Joint Council of Extension Leadership Public Issues Leadership Development Conference, Arlington, VA. https://www.jcep.org/pild.

Bales, M., Bryan, C., Parker, E., Eyabi, Y., Baker, K., Thomas, W., Shifflette, H., Hill, J., Bentley, R., Khan, T., & Matthews, R. (2025, April 7-8). Revitalizing SCEAFCS: Strengthening Professional Connections Between Clemson, South Carolina State, and Our Communities [Poster]. Joint Council of Extension Professionals Public Issues Leadership Development Conference, Arlington, VA. https://www.jcep.org/pild.

Thomas, W., Altman, M., Green, W. (2024, May 13-15). How Health Extension Uses CDC HOP to Expand Food Access, Physical Activity, and Community Collaboration in South Carolina [Conference presentation]. National Health Outreach and Engagement Conference, Greenville, SC, United States. https://nationalhealthoutreach2024.sched.com/event/1cGsj/how-health-extension-uses-cdc-hop-to-expand-food-access-physical-activity-and-community-collaboration-in-south-carolina

Altman, M., Thomas, W. (2024, April 15-17). Health Extension Creates Pathway to Expanded Food Access, Education, and Community Collaboration in Rural South Carolina [Conference presentation]. Joint Council of Extension Professionals Public Issues Leadership Development Conference, Washington, DC, United States. https://www.jcep.org/pild

Thomas, W., Pickett, M. Connecting to Create New Food Pathways in the Pee Dee. Presentation at the South Carolina Women's Agricultural Network Conference. Florence, SC, United States. January 2024.

Thomas, W., Altman, M. Health Extension Creates Pathway to Expanded Food Access, Education, and Community Collaboration in Rural South Carolina. National Agricultural Marketing Summit. Washington, D.C., November 2023.

Altman, M, Greene, W, Thomas, W, Baxter, S, Matthews, R, Griffin, S, and Parisi, M. Clemson Extension Coordinates Faith-Based Organizations to Expand Food Access Points in Rural Communities. Presented at the National Health Outreach Conference. Ithaca, NY, May 2023.

Thomas, W, Green, W, Altman, M, Matthews, R, Baxter, S, Griffin, S, and Parisi, M. Community Garden Creates Pathway to Expanded Food Access, Education, and Community Collaboration in a Rural South Carolina City. Presented at the National Health Outreach Conference. Ithaca, NY, May 2023.

Altman, M., Green, W., and Thomas W. 2022. PSE approach used to increase food access in identified rural South Carolina counties. Joint Extension Conference. Poster presentation.

Altman, M., Green, W., and Thomas, W. Health Extension creates sustainable rural food access improvements through PSE approaches. Oral presentation at Joint Extension Conference 2022. Clemson, SC. December 2022.

Altman, M., Green, W., and Thomas, W. Health Extension creates sustainable rural food access improvements through PSE approaches. Oral presentation at FoodForward 2022. Clemson, SC. September 2022.

Baxter, S., Green, W., and Thomas, W. Establishing a faith-based SNAP eligible food vender in South Carolina. Oral presentation at National Rural Health Association Rural Health Equity Conference, Virtual. May 2021.

Graham J, Altman M, Thomas W, Green W, Matthews R, Baxter S, Griffin S, Parisi M. Implementation of a cooperative extension food distribution action plan during times of crisis. Clemson (SC): Clemson Cooperative Extension, Land-Grant Press by Clemson Extension; 2021. LGP 1118. http://lgpress.clemson.edu/publication/implementation-of-a-cooperative-extension-food-distribution-action-plan-during-times-of-crisis.

Eck, C. J., Layfield, K. D., DiBenedetto, C. A., Jordan, J. K., Scott, S. O., Thomas, W., Parisi, M., & Dobbins, T. (2022). Assessing Awareness and Competence of Best Practices in Synchronous Online Instruction During the COVID-19 Pandemic for Clemson Cooperative Extension Professionals. The Journal of Extension, 60(1), Article 8. https://doi.org/10.34068/joe.60.01.09