Buchholz Represents Extension at Board Meeting

Daryl Buchholz, Kansas State University

The APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly Policy Board of Directors (PBD) met last week in San Antonio. Daryl Buchholz, Kansas State University, represents Cooperative Extension. Actions related to FY 2017 budget and advocacy, preparation for the next farm bill slated for 2018, the Healthy Food Systems, Healthy People budget request, and the 2016 Joint COPs meeting. All PBD agendas and meeting minutes, including the Cooperative Extension Section report can be found at http://www.aplu.org/members/commissions/food-environment-and-renewable-resources/board-on-agriculture-assembly/policy-board-of-directors/baapbd-minutes/index.html. 

Doug Steele, Texas A&M University

eXtension Draws 320 Participants to Conference – Doug Steele, Director, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, and member of the eXtension Foundation Board of Directors, welcomed Extension professionals from across the nation to San Antonio last week for the National eXtension Conference. Learning tracks for professional development and the new I-Three Corps (Issues, Innovation, Impact) were wrapped around keynote speakers on “working out loud” and “designing for conversation”. Capstone speakers Michelle Rodgers, ECOP Chair, University of Delaware, and Keith Smith, Chair of the ECOP Innovation Task Force, Ohio State University (retired), showed how innovation will be a theme of Cooperative Extension over the next several years. See http://nexc2016.sched.org/ info for the complete program. 

Mike O’Neill, University of Connecticut, Ami Smith, West Virginia State University,
and Tony Windham, University of Arkansas

ECOP Names Representatives – One function of ECOP is to assure Cooperative Extension is appropriately represented with critical partners. In recent action, Mike O’Neill, University of Connecticut, was named to the LEAD21 Board of Directors, replacing Nick Place, University of Florida; Ami Smith, West Virginia State University, to the Journal of Extension Board of Directors replacing Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware, and Tony Windham, University of Arkansas, as the ECOP liaison to ESCOP, replacing Beverly Durgan, University of Minnesota. These commitments to national leadership are appreciated.

The Grow True Leaders Campaign – A Special 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 5, 2016 from 2:00-3:00 pm 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. 

Webinar: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps 101 – Want to learn more about the county health rankings that are an important part of the Culture of Health initiative led by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation? You are invited to attend or encourage others to participate in a RWJF supported webinar on April 5, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. ET. The webinar will highlight reasons and ways to use the rankings, understanding the rankings model and measures, and how to use the Roadmaps to Health Action Center tools and resources. Register at: http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/webinars/county-health-rankings-roadmaps-101-9. 

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.