4-H Congress Board of Advisors News

  

Last month, the ECOP Executive Committee affirmed the recommendation by the ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee to appoint Jeffrey Hyde, Associate Dean College of Agricultural Sciences and Director of Penn State Extension, (pictured above/right) as the Cooperative Extension Section/ECOP representative to the 4-H Congress Board of Advisors. ECOP Chair Damona Doye, Oklahoma State University, states, "ECOP is grateful to Jeff for accepting this role and to Gregg Hadley, Kansas State University, (pictured above left) for his dedication to same since his appointment in 2019. ECOP appreciates Gregg’s leadership and service in this role to help elevate the 4-H program and looks forward to Jeff’s contributions."

New EDA Team Member Announced - The Association of Southern Region Extension Directors have chosen Rich Bonanno (pictured left/above) as that organization’s newest Executive Director, effective September 1, 2024. Rich will succeed Ron Brown, who will continue on limited duty until Rich’s onboarding. Click Here to learn more about the national responsibilities of the Executive Directors and Administrator Team (EDA Team) in support of the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) and Cooperative Extension Section. 




Latest from the Journal of Extension - Cooperative Extension’s own scholarly Journal of Extension, has a new issue. Featured articles found in Volume 62, Issue 1 are:

What Do Extension and Public Health Educators Need to Address Substance Misuse?

How to Build Community Networks and Resources Necessary for a Successful 4-H Program

Exploring Land-grant Institution Partnerships to Better Serve Audiences

South Carolina Master Naturalist Program Evaluation: A Mixed Methods Approach

Check out the scholarly contributions from (State Abbreviation - Institution):

CA - University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources and Cooperative Extension,

CT - University of Connecticut,

FL - Florida A&M University, and University of Florida (2 & 3),

IA - Iowa State University,

LA - Louisiana State University,

MO - University of Missouri (2, 3 & 4),

MS - Auburn University,

NC - North Carolina State University,

SC - Clemson University,

TN - University of Tennessee (2),

VT - University of Vermont,

WA - Washington State University, and

WV - West Virginia University.

USDA Announces Opportunity for Three Additional Nutrition Hubs - On July 11, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of $4.5 million in funding to establish three additional USDA Nutrition Hubs in communities across the country. The new Nutrition Hubs will provide tailored and scalable approaches to equitably advance food and nutrition security and help prevent diet-related chronic diseases, especially in historically underserved communities. The additional Hubs will create a network that builds on the work of the pilot Nutrition Hub established last year in partnership with Southern University and A&M College under USDA’s Agricultural Science Center of Excellence for Nutrition and Diet for Better Health (ASCEND for Better Health) initiative. Applications for this new competitive award program are being accepted through October 3, 2024. The complete Request for Applications, including eligibility information, is available online.

National Office Staffing Update - Sandy Ruble is retiring in early August after serving the Cooperative Extension System and the ECOP for the past 10 years. Sandy started at APLU in 2014 by providing administrative support to the National Office Executive Director. She quickly progressed to Program Assistant and then to Assistant Director by taking more initiative for key roles and strategic communications. Sandy enjoyed devoting herself to the technical integrity of Cooperative Extension Section/ECOP’s member-driven communications and activities. Her efforts helped new and emerging leaders with seamless transitions into national roles in a complex system. As Sandy winds down her 42-year career, she will spend more time volunteering, visiting with family and friends, and traveling.