2023 NEDA Registration

The ECOP Monday Minute will be on hiatus until July 17, 2023 after Bill Hoffman joins us as the new Executive Director.

2023 NEDA Registration - Registration opened last week for 2023 National Extension Directors and Administrators (NEDA) Meeting, October 10-12 in Tucson, AZ. The theme is Transforming Extension: People, Partners, and the Profession. Early-bird registration fee is $525 and lodging is $209++/night at the Tucson Marriott University Park until September 18. Visit https://cvent.me/PndGZm for registration and details including Agenda, Hotel & Transportation, Fees & Policies, and FAQs. Business agendas, speaker resources, and much more will be featured in the ECOP Monday Minute  and at neda.extension.org throughout the summer. 

EXCITE Launches Implementation Phase for 33 Immunization Education Projects/37 Land-Grant Universities - The Cooperative Extension System (CES) has been given the opportunity to continue immunization education work through the Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching and Engagement (EXCITE). The Extension Foundation, in cooperation with ECOP, through an Interagency Agreement with the USDA-NIFA and the CDC are funding the CES to increase vaccine confidence among rural and other underserved communities. This new effort builds on the success of two prior projects including the EXCITE Vaccinate with Confidence Communication Campaign, and EXCITE Pilot Projects. For the new Implementation Phase, 33 projects from 37 institutions have been selected. These projects represent all six land-grant universities regions identified by USDA-NIFA - 1890, 1994, North Central, Northeast, Southern, Western. Read the full release here.

Land-Grant Universities' SNAP-ED Program Develop Team Meeting Summary - The annual meeting of the land-grant universities' (LGU) SNAP-Ed Program Development Team (PDT) was held in April. The seventeen-member PDT for 2023-2024 includes representation from all regions including the 1890's, and a representative from NIFA. The goal of the PDT is to improve the consistency and effectiveness of Extension SNAP-Ed programming  in the context of Extension’s broader nutrition education portfolio. Work is conducted through monthly conference calls, subcommittees, and an annual face-to-face meeting. A focus this year was strengthening the LGU system through sharing resources and building and maintaining relationships within the LGU system and with federal partners. Highlights of the meeting and the past year are available here. ECOP and the PDT, headquartered at South Dakota State University, have a supportive agreement dating back to 2002.

Nominations for the 2023 Seaman A. Knapp Lecture - NIFA and APLU are seeking nominations of dynamic speakers with insightful topics to honor Seaman A. Knapp, described here. Recommendations should be submitted electronically using the guidance found on the NIFA website by July 31. Take a moment to consider who can prepare a formal lecture, nominate, and share the opportunity with others. The lecture will be presented in conjunction with the APLU annual meeting in November 12-14 in Seattle, Washington. 

Celebrating Freedom in the US

The ECOP Monday Minute is on hiatus today, Juneteenth 2023. Our office at APLU is closed so that employees and their families may celebrate the newest US Federal Holiday is explained at www.juneteenth.com/history. 

May all celebrate freedom through knowledge. 

Examples of what's happening around the system to celebrate may be found here.

Bill Hoffman Announced as ECOP Executive Director

ECOP Chair Bev Durgan, University of Minnesota, and ECOP Executive Director Search Committee Chair and Karl Martin, University of Wisconsin, are pleased to announce, Bill Hoffman as the new Cooperative Extension System/ECOP Executive Director commenting, "We are excited about the hiring of Dr. Bill Hoffman as ECOP’s next Executive Director. Bill brings a collaborative approach, wealth of knowledge, and extensive experience with NIFA and the Cooperative Extension System. His can-do attitude makes him an ideal fit." Bill's role will be effective Wednesday, July 5, 2023.

Hoffman is the ninth Executive Director for the Cooperative Extension System/ECOP in 40 years to headquarter operations at APLU in Washington, D.C. 

As Chief of Staff at University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA), Hoffman served on the leadership team to assist the Senior Vice President and Senior Vice Chancellor in leading a 2,700-employee enterprise that includes a college of agriculture, a college of veterinary medicine, a State Agriculture Experiment Station, and a Cooperative Extension Service.   

Hoffman championed Cooperative Extension nationally in various roles at USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) for over 20 years. As NIFA’s Chief of Staff, Hoffman served on the leadership team to assist the NIFA Director in leading a $2 billion extramural science funding agency. He supported the Director in key legislative initiatives including the formulation of the President’s budget request and annual appropriations process. He also developed and strengthened relationships with internal and external agencies, partners, stakeholders, and the public.

As a second-generation Cooperative Extension professional, Bill has been committed to Extension and the land-grant university mission throughout his life. He grew up on the Agronomy Research farm that his father managed as an Extension tillage specialist at Penn State University. He further developed his passion for Extension by visiting and seeing first-hand the impactful outcomes of Extension's work across the U.S. and its territories at all types of institutions.

Earlier in his career, Hoffman served as Program and Analysis Officer at USDA/NIFA; a National Program Leader for Ag Homeland Security at USDA; and Senior Extension Associate at Penn State University in addition to other roles.

Hoffman earned a Doctor of Education: Higher Education Administration from George Washington University as well as a Master of Education: Instructional Systems, Master of Business Administration, and Bachelor of Science: Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology from Penn State University.

Recap of National Health Outreach and Engagement Conference - Nearly 300 Extension professionals and their community partners from across the country gathered in Ithaca, NY to participate in Cooperative Extension’s National Health Outreach and Engagement Conference hosted by Cornell University. Keynote speakers included Jamila Michener who spoke on the role of power in achieving health equity, Faith Rogow on using documentaries as a teaching tool, and Darren Ranco on the impacts of climate change on indigenous populations. Attendees engaged in their choice of 60 concurrent sessions and 28 poster presentations on such topics as coalition building, systems change, workforce development, immunization education, diabetes prevention, and food insecurity. The 2024 conference will be hosted by Clemson University in Greenville, SC and in 2025, the University of Nebraska will host in Omaha, NE. For more information, contact Roger Rennekamp, Extension Health Director at rogerrennekamp@extension.org.

 

4-H Program Leaders Set Pace for System Change - Last month the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals (NAE4-HYDP) Board of Trustees voted to add Regional Director positions for the 1890 and 1994 land-grant institutions (LGU) to the Board beginning in October 2023. This recommendation was in response to actions items developed by a DEI ad hoc committee composed of 1890, 1994, and 1862 NAE4-HYDP members and non-members. The Board also voted to provide a full registration plus $1,000 for one person from each 1890 and 1994 LGU to attend the 2023 NAE4-HYDP Conference in Pittsburgh. 

Extension System Workforce Survey Coming Soon

ECOP is undertaking a new survey to identify trends in the Extension System's workforce. The information gathered will be used to update data found in this article from almost a decade ago, and to fortify opportunities for funding. Last week during ECOP's First Friday event, Chair Bev Durgan, University of Minnesota, announced the survey to the Cooperative Extension Section and 1994 Extension Directors. On June 15, each land-grant university will be invited to contribute. A survey link will be sent directly to each CES voting member. This week would be a good time to alert HR departments or similar to prepare. The last day to complete the is July 14. Contact Sandy Ruble sandyruble@extension.org for a link to a limited-time recording of the presentation that also includes exciting details about the 2023 NEDA Meeting in Tucson, Arizona, October 10-12, and the status of filling the vacancy of Executive Director of the System/ECOP.  

Extension Foundation Position Announcement: Chief Executive Officer - The Extension Foundation Board of Directors, chaired by Gregg Hadley, Kansas State University, seeks an exceptional entrepreneurial leader from educational institutions, government agencies, businesses and non-profits, and industry to serve as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The CEO will set the pace and structure for a thriving 21st-century organization invested in ensuring CES has a broad range of engaged learners. The CEO is a Liaison to ECOP with the Board Chair and works closely with the Board of Directors, to create a vision and align systems to accomplish its goals. Please click here to read the full position description. The closing date for the position is 5 p.m. Pacific Time, July 28, 2023, or until a suitable candidate is found.

New Grant Report by 4-H Program Leaders - In 2021 the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals (NAE4-HYDP) allocated $100,000 to be awarded as competitive grants to state 4-H program leaders in furtherance of their programs access, equity, and belonging or diversity, equity, and inclusion programming. Grants were awarded to 14 states. The approaches were varied and covered a variety of topics. The grant summary that shares approaches by individual states and their work is found on the NAE4-HYDP website. 

Leadership in the City Online Professional Development Program Registration Announced - Leadership in the City, is a 6-month online professional development program that prepares Extension professionals working in urban areas to be locally relevant, responsive statewide, and recognized nationally. To date 127 Extension professionals from 31 states have participated. This online professional development program offers learning about leadership, networks, innovation, marketing, management, and more. The program is based on a foundation of entrepreneurial theory and urban Extension practice and will build upon existing leadership experiences. This year the course instructor is Ramona Madhosingh-Hector University of Florida/IFAS Extension and course advisor is Julie Fox, Ohio State University Extension. The investment in the program is $500. Multiple participants from the same institute are entitled to a $100 discount (Discount code: LITC24-MULT). Complete details and registration can be found at go.osu.edu/urbanleadership.