RESERVE NOW: ESS-CES/NEDA 2016 Joint Meeting

“Partnership: Power and Possibilities” is the theme of the 2016 National Extension Directors and Administrators (NEDA) and Cooperative Extension Section (CES) meeting, this year held jointly with the Experiment Station Section (ESS). All details about registration and lodging are available at https://conferencereg.colostate.edu/Jackson2016. Since this is the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service with high demand on the conference venue, you are encouraged to make lodging reservations promptly. The meeting begins 3:30 p.m. on Monday, September 19, 2016 with an orientation for ESS/CES new directors and administrators. The opening dinner for all is at 6:00 p.m. on Monday with programming through the closing banquet Wednesday evening, September 21, 2016. ECOP continues with a meeting Thursday, September 22, 2016 which ends at noon. ECOP thanks ESCOP colleagues for securing this special venue for the meeting in Grand Teton National Park and working with Cooperative Extension on an engaging agenda celebrating our joint work. ECOP also thanks planning team members from Cooperative Extension – Delbert Foster, ECOP immediate past-chair, South Carolina State University; Bev Durgan, University of Minnesota; Tony Windham, University of Arkansas; Glen Whipple, University of Wyoming, and Steve Bonanno, West Virginia University. 

ECOP to Launch Innovation Task Force

Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware, &
Keith Smith, The Ohio State University (retired)

– During the National eXtension Conference next week in San Antonio, TX, ECOP Chair Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware, and Keith Smith, Ohio State University (retired), will launch ECOP’s new Innovation Task Force. The Task Force, chaired by Smith, will have its first meeting while in San Antonio. It is charged with using the Extension Innovation Inventory http://bit.ly/ExtInnovSummary and other related research and tools to provide guidelines for implementing innovative strategies in the Extension system. Focus areas will be learner engagement, innovation environment/criteria for innovation, and employment issues for existing and new hires related to innovation. 

4-H Grow True Leaders Campaign: Invitation for Extension Leaders – The nationwide launch of the Grow True Leaders brand campaign is less than a month away. Extension Directors/Administrators, 4-H Program Leaders and university communications professionals are invited to join Artis Stevens, Chief Marketing Officer, National 4-H Council, for a special pre-launch update on Tuesday, April 5th from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET. Hear late breaking news on national media outreach, the Shout Out for True Leaders and the steps you can take to make sure your state is ready for the campaign launch and beyond. Go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TrueLeaders to register for this webinar.  

County Health Rankings Available – The 2016 County Health Rankings, supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, were released last week. Every county in the nation is ranked within its state using a set of 10 health indicators such as adult smoking and obesity. Cooperative Extension professionals can use the rankings to guide health programming. Learn more at http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/reports/key-findings-2016. 

ECOP Chair Keynotes EFNEP Conference – Michelle Rodgers, ECOP Chair, University of Delaware, (pictured above) was a featured speaker at the EFNEP National Conference last week in Crystal City, VA. Her message of ECOP IS YOU focused on the ECOP 2016 goals related to private resource mobilization, urban programming, professional development, innovation and working as a national system. To view the presentation slides, see http://bit.ly/ECOP2016EFNEP. 

Extension Shout-out at Federal Hearing – USDA-NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy calls your attention to comments by U.S. Representative Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) at a hearing last week of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. Scroll to 1:15.40 at http://www.c-span.org/video/?406159-1/appropriations-state-foreign-operations-related-programs for positive comments about the Land-grant University System and Cooperative Extension.  

Respond to Chronic Disease Survey: DEADLINE- Friday, March 25 – The Chronic Disease Prevention and Management Action Team, one of six teams making up the ECOP-ESCOP Health Implementation Committee, needs your help to determine current Extension education related to chronic disease prevention and management. Responses will be used to identify gaps and make recommendations to equip Extension “to do for the nation’s health what it did for American agriculture,” according to action team chair, David Buys, Mississippi State University. The survey, available HERE, asks questions about program characteristics and process, partnerships, and barriers. Please encourage participation by colleagues at state, regional and local levels. Some participants may be asked for additional information based on their responses to the original survey. Direct questions to Buys at david.buys@msstate.edu or 662.325.3060.  

Awards Reminder - Nominate by 5.1.16 – ECOP in partnership with USDA-NIFA offers the 2016 nomination process for the national Excellence in Extension and Diversity awards. The due date for on-line nominations is May 1, 2016 at 5:00p.m. Pacific Time. For details and to access the online nomination forms go to: http://www.aplu.org/CESawards. Questions can be directed to Sandy Ruble sandy.ruble@extension.org, ECOP Staff Associate.