New eXtension CEO begins July 1; Member Documents Now Available

ECOP Monday Minute will return 7.13.15. 
Happy Independence Day, USA!

New eXtension CEO begins July 1; Member Documents Now Available – On Wednesday July 1, Christine Geith, Ph.D. will officially assume her role as the Chief Executive Officer for the eXtension Foundation, a function of Cooperative Extension nationwide. Chris comes to eXtension from Michigan State University where she has been Assistant Provost and Executive Director of MSU Global since 2001. Prior to that, she served as the Director, Distance Learning and Co-Director, Educational Technology Center, Rochester Institute of Technology from 1991 to 2001. More about Chris can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinegeith. 

Also available now are documents of importance to eXtension Foundation members: The eXtension Foundation Membership Handbook and the eXtension Foundation Bylaws. The Membership Handbook and the eXtension Foundation Bylaws were part of the eXtension Strategic Planning work. They have been approved by the outgoing eXtension Governing Committee and the new eXtension Foundation Board of Directors, which reports through ECOP. Members are Dennis Calvin, Northeast Region, chair; Fred Schlutt, Western Region, Vernon Jones, 1890 Region, Doug Steele, Southern Region, and Jason Henderson, North Central Region; Jane Schuchardt, ECOP and Jane Clary Loveless, USDA/NIFA, ex-officio. Benefits of eXtension Foundation membership can be found in the Membership Handbook.  

Extension Highlighted in Memorial Lecture – Iowa State University President Steven Leath delivered the 2015 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Lecture last week in Washington, DC. His comments on the economic importance of pursuing a unifying message to make agriculture a national priority embraced Cooperative Extension’s work of translating science for practical application. Further, he offered full support for the both/and of federal competitive and capacity funds, which is an advocacy priority for ECOP. The lecture proceedings and video will be posted later this summer on the AAAS website at http://www.aaas.org/page/riley-lecture. 

NACAA to Mark 100 Years – The National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) will celebrate a century of Cooperative Extension educational excellence at its annual meeting July 12-16, 2015 in Sioux Falls, SD. Barry Dunn, Director, South Dakota State University Extension, and Karla Trautman, Associate Director, will welcome members. More information is available at www.nacaa.com. 

Journal Features Program Development Model – A special issue of the Journal of Human Sciences and Extension (Vol. 3, No. 2) http://www.jhseonline.com focuses on the Cooperative Extension Program Development Model. This peer-reviewed, open-access, online journal is designed for academicians, educators, and practitioners and bridges research and practice. Topics addressed include human development (e.g., early care and education, youth development); family studies; agricultural education; leadership development; Cooperative Extension; health and wellness; apparel, textiles, and merchandising; agricultural economics; nutrition and dietetics; family resource management; and program planning and evaluation. 

Acknowledge USDA-NIFA Funding – USDA’s Office of the General Council (OGC) approved an acknowledgement statement for USDA-NIFA awards. NIFA’s Office of Grants and Financial Management will add this same statement to the award terms as appropriate. OGC also recommends that the use of NIFA’s identifier is in accordance with standards and guidelines established by USDA’s Office of Communications in Departmental Regulation 1430-002. Contact CommunicationsStaff@nifa.usda.gov with any questions.

AGree Releases Research Report – See www.foodandagpolicy.org for the new report on Research & Innovation: Strengthening Agricultural Research. Included are nine recommendations on how to maximize and increase the public research dollar to effectively meet grand challenges related to water, food and economic security. The press release is here.

Metropolitan Extension Focus of Webinar

The Western Center for Metropolitan Extension & Research invites you to a webinar 3:00 p.m. ET, 6.25.15 featuring Colorado State University in the city. The theme is Evolving from Program-Based to Project-Based Extension in Denver, Colorado – Hot Shots, Dream Teams and Setting a National Model by Reinventing Extension in an Urban Area. Pre-registration is required at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/355808926939403521. Participants will learn about the deliberate shift from program-based Extension to project-based activities that will generate revenue to preserve core and traditional programming in Denver. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. 

Register by June 30 for 1890 125th Celebration – The hotel block at the Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel closes today, June 22, 2015. You can a book your room today under the name of 125th Anniversary of the 1890 Morrill Act by calling the Liaison at 1-866-233-4642. The rate is $209.00 per night plus tax. Registration, which is required for all of the 125th events July 14-16, 2015 in Washington, DC, is at http://www.1890universities.org/node/298. The welcome reception Tuesday evening and the dinner on Wednesday evening will be at the Hyatt Hotel. The Exhibition at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday and the Convocation from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. on Thursday are at the Library of Congress. Direct questions to L. Washington Lyons, Executive Administrator, Association of Executive Administrators, lwlyons@ncat.edu or 336-340-6465. 

Efforts Continue with Health Implementation Team – With leadership by co-chairs Celvia Stovall, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, and Rick Klemme, University of Wisconsin Extension, the ECOP-ESCOP Health Implementation Team continues work on 7.7.15 with progress reports from action teams chairs David Buys, Mississippi State University (Chronic Disease); Virginia Brown, University of Maryland (Health Insurance Literacy); Sonja Koukel, New Mexico State University (Health Literacy); Roberta Riportella, Kansas State University (Health Policy Issues Education), and Sekai Turner, North Carolina A&T University (Positive Youth Development for Health). Over a three-year period the effort will implement Cooperative Extension’s National Framework for Health and Wellness. The overall expected outcome is to increase the number of Americans who are healthy at every stage of life. As indicated in the national framework (pg. 2), “This same system of Extension can do for the nation’s health what it did for American agriculture.” 

High Touch: Strategies for Dealing with Extension's Obscurity Challenge -- The Association of Communication Excellence (ACE) had its international conference last week in Charleston, SC. This is an opportunity for land-grant communicators and IT professionals to share professional development, network and present top awards. ACE’s Professional Award is the highest recognition given and this year Kevin Gamble, Director of Knowledge Systems, Michigan State Global, was given this honor. His comments focused on how Extension needs to be reaching new audiences. Frankie Gould, Louisiana State University AgCenter Communications Director and lead for the ECOP Social Media Project shares the following link https://aceweb.org/index.php/en/33-awards/454-kevin-gamble-2015-professional-award-honoree-2 and encourages viewers to learn more about new strategies for delivering Extension programs.

NACo Webinar Features EDEN

NACo Webinar Features EDEN – The Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) is the focus of a National Association of Counties (NACo) webinar 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET, Thursday, June 25, 2015. Registration is required at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8952778193842903297. The webinar resulted from work of the NACo-Cooperative
Extension National Leadership Team created during Daryl Buchholz’s term as ECOP chair in 2013. In addition to Buchholz, Kansas State University, Rick Klemme, University of Wisconsin, and Cooperative Extension Executive Directors Robin Shepard, Lyla Houglum, and Jane Schuchardt participate in the quarterly meetings with NACo legislative and program directors. 

USDA-NIFA Convenes Plan of Work Expert Panel  – The five Cooperative Extension regions have named representatives for the USDA-NIFA 2015 Panel of Experts meeting this week in Washington, DC. They are Lisa Townson, University of New Hampshire; Deborah Lewis, Ohio State University; Scott Cummings, Texas A&M University; Debbie Carter, University of Alaska, and Benjamin Forbes, North Carolina A&T University. These panelists join regional representatives from the Experiment Stations and USDA-NIFA to review and make recommendations for implementing the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (AREERA) Plan of Work requirements. This review occurs every five years. Townson, together with Cameron Faustman, University of Connecticut, representing the northeast region Experiment Stations, will work with other Extension and Experiment Station panel members to provide a report to ECOP and the Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy (ESCOP). 

1890 Universities 125th Celebration Hotel Block Update –

The block of rooms for the 1890s 125th celebration at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Capitol Hill closes today, and has been extended until 6.22.15 at the Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel. Book a room under the name of 125th Anniversary of the 1890 Morrill Act by calling the Hyatt at 1-888-421-1442 or the Liaison at 1-866-233-4642. The rate is $209.00 per night plus tax. Registration, which is required for all of the 125th events July 14-16, 2015 in Washington, DC, is at http://www.1890universities.org/node/298. The welcome reception Tuesday evening and the dinner on Wednesday evening will be at the Hyatt Hotel. The Exhibition at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday and the Convocation from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on Thursday are at the Library of Congress. Direct questions to L. Washington Lyons, Executive Administrator, Association of Executive Administrators, lwlyons@ncat.edu or 336-340-6465.

Ed Jones, Virginia Tech; Renee McKee, Purdue Univ.

ECOP 4-H National Leadership Committee Meets in St. Louis – Engaging more youth to ensure 4-H grows into the future was among items for discussion at a recent meeting of the 4-H National Leadership Committee, chaired by Ed Jones, Virginia Tech, and Renee McKee, Purdue University. Other priorities of the committee made up of Cooperative Extension, USDA-NIFA, and National 4-H Council representatives relate to marketing, resources, and governance. The two-day meeting at Monsanto Headquarters in St. Louis supported the continued goal of exemplary communications about 4-H, a youth development program of Cooperative Extension, as outline in the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2014. Chuck Hibberd, University of Nebraska, serves as ECOP liaison to the committee. 

FFAR Names First Executive Director – The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, a private foundation formed by the Agriculture Act of 2014 (farm bill) to catalyze innovation in agricultural research, has named its first executive director. Sally Rockey, the current deputy of extramural research at the National Institutes of Health, will lead the foundation starting in September. For more information, see this press release.

Geith to Lead eXtension Foundation

Christine Geith, eXtension Foundation CEO

Geith to Lead eXtension Foundation – The ‘New eXtension’ begins an exciting phase of its development and growth with the hiring of its new leader. The eXtension Foundation Board of Directors has named Christine Geith PhD as its Chief Executive Officer effective July 1, 2015. "We are very excited that Christine Geith will lead the eXtension Foundation and help us to develop both the future of eXtension and the future of Cooperative Extension," said Dennis Calvin, chair of the eXtension Foundation Board of Directors and Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension Director. For more information go to: http://about.extension.org/2015/06/03/extension-begins-new-chapter-christine-geith-chief-executive-officer/. 

Register for 1890 Universities 125th Celebration – Registration is now available at http://www.1890universities.org/node/298 for the 125th Anniversary events on July 14-16, 2015 in Washington, DC to mark the signing of the 2nd Morrill Act establishing 1890 land-grant institutions. Registration is required to attend all events even though there is no registration fee required for some events. The schedule is as follows:  

• Tuesday, July 14th – Welcome reception 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, July 15th – Exhibits and a reception 11:00 – 2:00 p.m. including comments from Congressional members; 6:00 p.m. 125th Anniversary Dinner
• Thursday, July 16th – Convocation from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

All events are at the Library of Congress except for the dinner which will be at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill. A block of rooms has been reserved at both the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Capitol Hill and the Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel under the name of 125th Anniversary of the 1890 Morrill Act at $209.00 per night plus tax. To make reservations, call the Hyatt at 1-888-421-1442 or the Liaison at 1-866-233-4642. The hotels are located directly across the street from each other. The cut-off date for making hotel reservations is June 15th. If you have questions, please feel free to contact L. Washington Lyons, Executive Administrator, Association of Executive Administrators, lwlyons@ncat.edu or 336-340-6465. 

Engage in Cooperative Extension Social Media – The effort to raise awareness of Cooperative Extension continues on Social Media. After last year's work to create a unified and regular social media presence, ECOP supports the continued operation of these platforms under the leadership of Frankie Gould, Louisiana State University, chair of the Social Media Team. Bill Woodrum, Social Media Associate for ECOP, coordinates the work across all platforms. If you have information on programs to share, please send them to Woodrum at extensioncentennial@gmail.com. Engage on the following platforms and encourage your staff to like, follow, and share on Facebook: facebook.com/Extension100Years, Twitter.com/ext100years, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9GyqMs0FKlUKBTxtcyg04w/videos and Pinterest.com/ext100years/pins/. 

Update on SNAP-ED Program Development Team – Paula Peters, Kansas State University, who provides key leadership for the SNAP-Ed Program Development Team, met in Washington, DC recently. Discussion centered on expanding Land Grant University SNAP-Ed programs to include required policy, system, and environmental (PSE) impacts. The PDT will be involved in technical assistance to states that request help with PSE work as well as providing a variety of professional development opportunities over the next several months. Michelle Rodgers, ECOP Chair-elect, University of Delaware, joined the meeting. Data will be collected early in 2016 and used to develop a national report on SNAP-ED outcomes through the Land-Grant University System. For more information on the work of the PDT, funded by assessments to universities participating in SNAP-ED, see the summary at http://www.extension.org/pages/72998/snap-ed-program-development-team-annual-meeting#.VW8Z49F0w5t.

SAVE THE DATE – 1890 Universities Celebrate 125 Years

SAVE THE DATE – 1890 Universities Celebrate 125 Years – Plan to join 1890 university colleagues July 15-16, 2015 in Washington, DC to mark the signing of the 2nd Morrill Act establishing 1890 land-grant institutions. Among activities on Wednesday, July 15th are exhibits and a reception 11:00 – 2:00 p.m. including comments from Congressional members, and a 6:00 p.m. 125th Anniversary Dinner recognizing 1890s celebration sponsors and champions. On Thursday, July 16th, there will be a convocation from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. All events are at the Library of Congress except for the dinner which will be at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill. A block of rooms has been reserved at both the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Capitol Hill and the Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel under the name of 125th Anniversary of the 1890 Morrill Act at $209.00 per night plus tax. To make reservations, call the Hyatt at 1-888-421-1442 or the Liaison at 1-866-233-4642. The hotels are located directly across the street from each other. The cut-off date for making hotel reservations is June 15th. Watch the ECOP Monday Minute and visit www.1890universities.org for updates on registration. If you have questions, please feel free to contact L. Washington Lyons, Executive Administrator, Association of Executive Administrators, lwlyons@ncat.edu or 336-340-6465. 

Vote “Yes” for Change in PBD Rules of Operation – Tim Cross, Cooperative Extension representative to the Board on Agriculture Assembly Policy Board of Directors (PBD), University of Tennessee, encourages a vote of “approve” in order to change a section in the BAA Rules of Operation. A vote of “approve” supports a change from a two-thirds majority of the voting membership in agreement to proposed changes to a two-thirds majority of affirmative votes cast, provided that more than 50 percent of all eligible votes are cast. The existing rule sometimes impedes the PBD from conducting national business. Written ballots are due to APLU via regular mail no later than Friday, 6.26.15. If you are a voting member of the BAA, thanks for participating. If you are not a voting member, please encourage those on your campus to vote. 

eXtension Announces 2016 Conference – The 2016 National eXtension Conference (NeXC2016) will be March 22-25, 2016 in San Antonio, Texas. Conference Co-chairs Beth Raney and Terry Meisenbach are currently building the conference committee. Details on the conference will be announced as they happen via Twitter (@nexconf) and Facebook. eXtension, an initiative of Cooperative Extension, is guided by the eXtension Foundation Board of Directors chaired by Dennis Calvin, Pennsylvania State University, which reports to ECOP. 

ECOP Working for You – The Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP), chaired by Delbert Foster, South Carolina State University, continues a robust agenda of national leadership. Priorities for a meeting last week related to public-private fund development, progress of the ECOP-ESCOP Health Implementation Team, review of the Executive Director and Administrator Team structure, follow-up to the NIFA-CES Retreat held last year in Washington, DC, and approval of the National Extension Directors and Administrators Meeting agenda for October 12-14, 2015 in St. Louis.