Representing Cooperative Extension Section on BAA Policy Board of Directors - Last April, ECOP appointed Dr. Quentin R. Tyler, Senior Associate Dean for Outreach and Engagement and Director for Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) to represent the Section with the BAA Policy Board of Directors, beginning July 2023. He also has held roles such as the Associate Dean and Director for Diversity Equity and Inclusion and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Administration at Michigan State University in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. He currently serves on the advisory board for LEAD21 representing Cooperative Extension. He has 3 degrees from the University of Kentucky and a graduate of Harvard’s Institute for Management and Leadership in Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Opportunities for Internationalizing of Extension - On Friday, August 4, 2023, the ECOP Chair Bev Durgan, University of Minnesota, moderated a conversation by the Cooperative Extension Section on Internationalizing Extension. The YouTube recording is available at https://youtu.be/UCyKoB2RPAg on the ECOP Learning for Leaders Playlist. Other relevant links:

• Presentation by the North American Agricultural Advisory Network (NAAAN) 

          Slides by NAAAN Representatives

          Feeding North America through Agricultural Extension 

          GFRAS Annual Meeting one-pager 

• Presentation by Board on Agriculture Assembly International Agriculture Section (IAS) 

           Slides on Globalizing Extension Innovation Network

NEDA Meeting Session on Transforming the Extension Profession - At the 2023 NEDA Meeting (October 10-12) in Tucson, Rob Russell, Senior Program Director of University of Missouri Extension's Business & Communities Program, will lead Tackling Extension's Workforce Challenges. Employers continue to feel the pinch of a historically tight labor market, and Extension programs are no exception. The interactive discussion will highlight some of the reasons why we’re facing such significant challenges in attracting and retaining workers and will discuss ways that Extension systems – and other employers – are working to overcome these challenges. This is just one of the great opportunities awaiting members of the Cooperative Extension Section. Browse the entire schedule and register at neda.extension.org for NEDA by September 18 and save $100 and secure lodging at the NEDA rate. Stay tuned for more details.

New CMC Representative

The Communications and Marketing Committee (CMC), a standing committee of the Board on Agriculture Assembly's Policy Board of Directors, oversees and guides the effort to increase awareness of the land-grant universities’ agricultural and related programs, Agricultural Experiment Stations, and Cooperative Extension Services. Shelly Nickols-Richardson (pictured left), Associate Dean, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences & Director, Extension and Outreach, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, was chosen by ECOP as the CMC Incoming Chair. Shelly will liaise between ECOP and CMC several times each year for her 3-year term. The appointment targets one of ECOP's four Strategic Directions, to "increase the visibility and recognition of the Cooperative Extension System as a provider of evidence-based education and services and as a valuable partner to federal and national non-federal entities through improved communications of program impacts and successes." Shelly has also served on the Executive Committee of the APLU's Commission on Economic and Community Engagement (CECE; Class of 2021). Please join ECOP to thank Shelly for representing the entire Cooperative Extension Section with the CMC.

Identifying Professional Development Needs for Extension - Cooperative Extension professionals from 1862, 1890, and 1994 Land-grant universities are invited to participate in a survey to identify professional development needs. The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Findings from this survey will be used to determine future direction for the Extension Foundation and be shared across Cooperative Extension organizations. Please widely share this link to the survey https://virginiatech.questionpro.com/t/AVkR8ZyDIj and encourage Extension personnel to participate by May 22, 2023. Karen Vines, Virginia Tech, is serving as the Foundation’s National Needs Assessment Fellow for this work.

Cooperative Extension Section Election Results Announced

The Policy Board of Directors of the Board on Agriculture Assembly (BAA) takes appropriate action on key matters affecting the interests of the member institutions of the BAA and is responsible to APLU for the management of BAA affairs. Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware, ECOP Chair of 2016, was recently elected to represent the Cooperative Extension Section on the Board. Please join ECOP in thanking Michelle and her alternate Wendy Powers, University of California, who recently began her term as a member of ECOP, for their leadership and commitment to enter the 2020 ballot. Thank you to all members of the Section who voted. Michelle and Wendy will serve a 2-year term.


Innovation Committee Correction - Last week’s item, ECOP Announces New Extension Health Director the report included the statement: “In addition, Rodgers will continue to support Well Connected Communities’ growth and impact as the new chair of an ECOP innovation committee.” Instead, Rodgers will lead the innovation work in WCC, an important component of the upcoming work of the ECOP innovation committee. The updated version of the report is available here.


Save the Date: Hemp Industry Happenings - ECOP Chair Mark Latimore invites members of the Cooperative Extension Section to a conversation on Friday, November 1, 2019, 3-4:00 PM ET, with land-grant professionals who are versed in the roles of leading Industrial Hemp Extension programs. With thanks to eXtension Foundation, Zoom connection details are:
     https://extension.zoom.us/j/129450710
     Dial by your location -
      +1 646-876-9923 (New York)
      +1 669-900-6833 US (San Jose)
          Meeting ID: 129 450 710


Cooperative Extension Celebrates Tribal Land-grant Universities - Cooperative Extension/ECOP joins the U.S. Department of Agriculture to honor the 25th anniversary of the legislation that recognized 29 tribal colleges and universities as land-grant institutions. Signed on October 20, 1994, the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act enabled tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), hence known as 1994s, to receive federal support. In this age of innovation, 1890s Extension and Smith-Lever funded leaders have much to learn from their 1994s colleagues who successfully engage Indigenous languages, cultures, communities, and tribal nations to develop youth development, agriculture, and public health programs. In 2017, ECOP established a formal relationship through negotiations with NIFA and American Indian Higher Education Consortium - AIHEC. Brian Kowalkowski, Dean of Continuing Education, College of the Menominee Nation, has since served as a 1994 Liaison. Take a moment to send congratulations and encouragement the 1994's at ecopblog@gmail.com, a collection point for feedback for the ECOP Monday Minute.


Spread the Word - Rural Prosperity Forum Tomorrow - Cooperative Extension is co-sponsoring an event in DC, on Tuesday, 10/29/19, entitled Approaches for Bolstering Rural America’s Future: A Spotlight on Infrastructure, Entrepreneurship, and Rural Health. Extension faculty from Purdue University and Fort Valley State University will serve as panelists. Lead organizer, the Council on Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (C-FARE) and ECOP are connected through NC-FAR Membership. Jason Henderson, Purdue University, a member of ECOP, represents Cooperative Extension on the NC-FAR Board of Directors. Please share the details and link to register with congressional staffers as appropriate.

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.

Buchholz Elected to BAA Policy Board

Daryl Buchholz, Kansas State University

Daryl Buchholz, Kansas State University, will represent Cooperative Extension on the APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly Policy Board of Directors, effective November 2015. Buchholz served as ECOP chair in 2013. The alternate member is Doug Steele, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Daryl and Doug replace Tim Cross, University of Tennessee, and Beverly Durgan, University of Minnesota, who have served as member and alternate, respectively, for the last two years. ECOP expresses appreciation to these colleagues for serving in this national leadership role. 

Delbert Foster, South Carolina
State University

Foster Receives USDA-NIFA Honor – Delbert Foster, South Carolina State University, was inducted into the USDA-NIFA Hall of Fame last week at award ceremonies in Washington, DC. This honor recognizes contributions helping NIFA fulfill its mission to invest in and advance agricultural research, education, and Extension to solve societal challenges. Foster is the current ECOP chair. 

REMINDER i-Three Corps Nomination Deadline 11.6.15 – The NEW eXtension is seeking 200 individuals to co-invent the future!!! These 200, called the i-Three Issue Corps, will join us to experiment with new tools, model new behaviors all with the goal of working effectively to make a measurable impact. eXtension is looking for individuals with plans of work including either Climate or Food Systems. Nominations can be for individuals or teams. The nomination deadline is November 6, 2015. For more information check out the blog post on the i-Three Corps OR contact Terry Meisenbach at tmeisenbach@extension.org. 

Roberta Riportella, Kansas State Univ., third from the left,
chairs the ECOP/ESCOP Health Policy Issues Ed. Action Team

Health Extension Webinar 10.27.15 – The Health Policy Issues Education Action Team, Roberta Riportella, Chair, Kansas State University, invites you to a webinar Building Cooperative Extension’s Capacity to Support Health in Policy Issues Education: A Case for Strategic Planning, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. ET, 10.27.15. Connect at https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/communities. The purpose of the webinar is to explore Extension capacity to inform policy, systems, and environmental approaches that impact human health. 

Urban Extension Webinar 10.29.15 – Register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/396906474592232962 for the 10:00 a.m. ET webinar on 10.29.15 on Metropolitan Engagement in Oregon: Community Engagement and Partnerships within a Successful Urban Extension Model. The presentation explores contemporary and emerging issues for urban Extension programming to consider in addition to discussing key strategies in developing strategic, collaborative and mutually beneficial partnerships in urban environments with best practice models and lessons learned as OSU’s urban extension work evolves in the Portland metro region. 

ECOP Budget Webinar Recording Available – The recording of the ECOP webinar on Understanding the Federal Budget Process is available at https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p2dfeb7b8sq/. Organized by the ECOP Budget and Legislative Committee (BLC), speakers were Rick Klemme, BLC chair, University of Wisconsin, and Doug Steele, BLC Vice-chair, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, together with Rick Mertens, Texas A&M, and Hunt Shipman, Cornerstone Government Affairs.

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.

ECOP Working for You - BAA Policy Board of Directors

Tim Cross, University of Tennessee,
represents Cooperative Extension on the
Policy Board of Directors.
His two-year term will be
completed in November 2015.

ECOP Working for You – Tim Cross, ECOP member and elected Cooperative Extension representative to the APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly Policy Board of Directors (PBD), is at a PBD meeting this week in Napa, CA. His responsibility is to represent the perspectives of Cooperative Extension, which have been vetted through ECOP. Discussions will focus on the AES-CES-AHS Communications and Marketing Project, the Antimicrobial Task Force, and committee actions related to budget and advocacy, legislation and policy, and setting direction for the future. Discussions will continue on the budget priority of water security and the initial efforts related to healthy food systems, healthy people. As PBD vice-chair, Cross is responsible for the BAA program at the APLU Annual Meeting, November 15-17, 2015 in Indianapolis. If you have ideas, he can be reached at tlcross@utk.edu.

ACTION: Award Nominations Due 6.1.15 – ECOP and USDA-NIFA announces the 2015 nomination process for the national Excellence in Extension and Diversity awards. The due date for nominations is June 1st at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Regions are subject to announcing earlier deadlines for their purposes. CLICK HERE for contact information by Region. 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. 

ACTION: Support 4-H Legacy Awards – Cathann Kress, Iowa State University, and Nick Place, University of Florida, both members of the National 4-H Council Board of Trustees, encourage your donations to the National 4-H Legacy Awards. Last year, Cooperative Extension raised $10,600 for this purpose and efforts are underway to meet or exceed this goal in 2015. Please consider donating to Legacy Awards today. (Just click on the link on the word “today” and it will take you to the online site to make your donation). For any questions, please contact Rachel Mentzer at rmentzer@4-h.org or 301-961-2940. 

Extension Names NEW eXtension Board – The eXtension Governing Committee, chaired by Dennis Calvin, Pennsylvania State University, has been disbanded and replaced by the new eXtension Foundation Board of Directors, reporting to ECOP. Officers and members for the new Board were elected and are as follows: CHAIR: Dennis Calvin (Northeast region/Penn State), VICE CHAIR/TREASURER: Vernon Jones (1890 region/Langston University), SECRETARY: Fred Schlutt (Western region/University of Alaska), Jason Henderson (North central region/Purdue), and Doug Steele (Southern region/Texas Agri-Life). Jane Schuchardt, ECOP Executive Director, and Jane Clary Loveless, USDA-NIFA National Program Leader, have been added as non-voting, ex officio members. Current action by the Board of Directors is to hire a new chief executive officer and refine a handbook for premium and basic members of eXtension. 

USDA-NIFA Seeks Peer Review Panelists – Cooperative Extension often asks how to be more competitive with grants available from USDA-NIFA. One answer is to assure more professionals who understand how Cooperative Extension “extends knowledge, changes lives” are on grants panels. To be placed in the pool of potential panelists for the Children, Youth and Families at Risk funding, please email cyfar@nifa.usda.gov with the subject line “CYFAR 2015 Peer Review Panel.” Volunteering for other panels is encouraged. 

Missouri University Extension Annual Report – Check out http://extension.missouri.edu/about/annual-reports.aspx for outcomes-based programming “extending knowledge, changing lives” under the leadership of ECOP member Michael Ouart, Vice Provost for Extension, University of Missouri. 

ECOP Monday Minute 10.21.13

Cross Elected to BAA Policy Board of Directors – Tim Cross, University of Tennessee, will represent Cooperative Extension/ECOP on the BAA Policy Board of Directors, effective November 2013. He replaces Scott Reed, Oregon State University, who served two consecutive two-year terms. According to BAA guidelines, Beverly Durgan, University of Minnesota, will serve as alternate.

ACTION: New Director and Administrator Orientation Registration Ends November 15 – New directors and administrators and anyone wanting to brush up on how national connectedness benefits your institution are encouraged to attend the December 3-5, 2013 New Dean, Director, Administrator, and NPL Orientation in Washington, DC. For details, click here.
 
ACTION: National 4-H Council Hosts Luncheon During APLU Annual Meeting – All Extension Directors and Administrators attending the APLU Annual Meeting are cordially invited to attend the luncheon meeting of the National Panel of Extension Directors and Administrators on Sunday, November 10, from 11:45 A.M. to 1:15 P.M. at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, DC. If you do not plan to attend, please send your regrets to Lyla Houglum by Wednesday, October 23rd, either by e-mail at lhouglum@fourhcouncil.edu or by phone at (301) 961-2883. National 4-H Council hosts this luncheon; there is no charge to you.

SAVE THE DATE: Urban Conference – The National Urban Extension Conference, scheduled on alternate years, will be May 4-7, 2015 in Atlanta, GA. For more information see www.urbanextension2015.com.

Plant Science Vision Report – The report, Unleashing a Decade of Innovation in Plant Science: A Vision for 2015-2025, is available at http://plantsummit.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/aspb-final-report-plant-summit-lo-res-web-july-15-2013.pdf.  The report outlines a ten-year research agenda for plant science and its impacts on many grand challenges that society faces of which plants play a critical role, such as food, fuel, feed, fiber, and medicines.