NEDA Early Registration Ends Tomorrow

For the 104 Cooperative Extension professionals and partners who have already registered for NEDA, thank you. You will join colleagues from 59 institutions and 47 states, DC and 2 US Territories on a fast-paced, highly interactive agenda focused on the theme Innovation: Driving Extension’s Next Century. In addition to a keynote speech funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, a Twitter Town Hall, an innovation showcase, an innovation video developed at the meeting, and a Cooperative Extension Section business meeting, concurrent work sessions will focus on creating a culture of innovation, new ideas for innovative programming and resource development, and attracting and retaining innovative staff. NEDA registration is available at a reduced fee until tomorrow, 9.22.15 at www.cvent.com/d/wrq424. The NEDA room block at the Embassy Suites Downtown St. Louis expires today. 

Debbie Allen, new editor of JOE

JOE Board Names New Editor – Debbie Allen, Waynesville, OH, has been named the new Journal of Extension (JOE) editor. Keith Mickler, president of the JOE Board of Directors made the announcement and introduced Allen to the Board at its fall meeting in Minneapolis last week. Allen has nearly 30 years of editorial experience in public, private, profit and not for profit, and military organizations. She has worked on national and international editorial projects including other journals, magazines, technical documentation, newspapers, and electronic media. Allen begins January 1, 2016 succeeding the current JOE editor Laura Hoelscher, Purdue University, who is retiring.

Understanding the Federal Budget Process – Use the flier at www.bit.ly/ECOPFedWays

to encourage participation in an ECOP webinar at noon ET, Monday, October 5, 2015 on Understanding the Federal Budget Process. ECOP Budget and Legislative Committee (BLC) Vice-Chair Doug Steele, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, will moderate the session with speakers BLC Chair Rick Klemme, University of Wisconsin; Hunt Shipman, Cornerstone Government Affairs, and Rick Mertens, Texas A&M AgriLife Federal Relations. Learn how federal budget priorities are established by the APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly, including strategies for interaction with USDA and the White House Office of Management and Budget. 

Delbert Foster, ECOP Chair

Extension Dinner at APLU Annual Meeting – ECOP Chair Delbert Foster invites you to the Cooperative Extension Section dinner Monday evening of the APLU Annual Meeting, November 15-17, 2015 in Indianapolis. In addition to passing the gavel to the new ECOP chair, Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware, be on hand to hear a summary of ECOP’s accomplishments with national leadership on behalf of Cooperative Extension state and local programming and hear priories for 2016. The regular registration deadline is October 16. Register today before attendance fees increase! 

Focus on Urban Programming – Registration is available at https://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=15937 for the National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL) Meeting and the Extension as Urban Policy Advisors Workshop December 1-4, 2015 in Sacramento, CA. The policy workshop which runs through Wednesday noon is geared for Cooperative Extension professionals working in metropolitan communities. The NUEL meeting which runs noon to noon Thursday and Friday is designed for Extension professionals working at the policy level for programming to urban and metropolitan communities.

ECOP Monday Minute 9.9.13

ACTION TODAY: eXtension External Evaluation Webinar – ECOP will host a webinar on The eXtension External Evaluation: Charting Next Steps 1-2 p.m. ET, Monday, 9.9.13. Connect at https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/ecop. This is another opportunity for Cooperative Extension Directors and Administrators to engage in a discussion about the future direction of eXtension. The report can be found here.

REMINDER: SNAP-Ed Survey Due – The current SNAP-Ed assessment expires in 2013. While ECOP recognizes only participating institutions are assessed for the SNAP-Ed Program Development Team, the recent changes in SNAP-Ed to a competitive grant program have led to the recommendation that all institutions complete a brief survey indicating your interest in continued or new participation, and whether or not you are in favor of the continued assessment. If you are an authorized voting member of the Cooperative Extension Section or their designee, please go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SNAPEd and respond by 9.11.13. Additional information from the SNAP-Ed Program Development includes: Proposed 2014 Budget, Accomplishment Report, and Contact List.

Health Team to Meet in DC – The ECOP National Task Force on Health, co-chaired by Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware, and Cindy Reeves, USDA-NIFA, continues its work to identify key health priorities for Cooperative Extension educational programming. The team meets in Washington, DC, later this week and will get an ECOP welcome by Jane Schuchardt, Executive Director.

Extension Celebration to Launch at Galaxy – Join the ECOP Extension Centennial Celebration Task Force at the Joint Council on Extension Professionals Galaxy IV Conference www.jcep.org Wednesday evening, 9.18.13, in Pittsburgh for the launch of festivities honoring Cooperative Extension’s 100 years and ushering in a new century of educational excellence. For details, see www.extension100years.net.

LEAD-21 Welcomes Applications – November 15, 2013 is the deadline for applications for the LEAD-21 Class X (2014-2015). See www.lead-21.org/program-application-schedule/.

ECOP Monday Minute 6.3.13

ECOP Webinar 6.20.13 – ECOP member Chuck Hibberd, University of Nebraska, encourages a broad audience of Extension professionals and partners to the 2-3 pm ET, Thursday, June 20, 2013 webinar on the 21st Century Extension Professionals Project. The flier found here can be used for publicity. To participate, go to https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/ecop.

Expanded Salary Data – The Excellence in Extension Implementation Team, chaired by Joe Zublena, North Carolina State University, announces expanded salary data now at www.excellenceinextension.org under the “personnel tab”. The goal is to replicate the salary survey previously conducted by USDA-NIFA. This data includes low, average, and high salary data points, and other important aspects for various Cooperative Extension positions. The data can be used to benchmark your institution against others similar in size and structure.

eXtension Impacts (by Sarah Baughman, eXtension Evaluation and Research Leader) –  To remain relevant, Cooperative Extension needs to reach and engage with the generation born in the digital age.  Ninety-one percent of those born between 1982 and 2004 are internet users who access information, entertainment and learning resources in vastly different formats than previous generations. eXtension leverages the resources of the CES to reach an online audience and engage with them through social media, Ask an Expert and various mobile applications. In 2012, eXtension and its Communities of Practice reached 25,493 people via online professional development, 378,202 people via Facebook, and 6,938,325 page views. eXtension engaged with users by answering 37,138 questions submitted via Ask an Expert, interacting on social media with 3,574,454 contacts, providing online course completion certificates to 10,958 people, providing 214 webinars for 14,539 participants and hosting 7,000 visitors in Second Life.

ESCOP Responds to PCAST Report – ESCOP Chair Mike Hoffmann, Cornell University, brings to your attention the ESCOP response to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) Report on Agricultural Preparedness and the Agriculture Research Enterprise. The response can be found here.

On Agriculture Research – The US Government Accountability Office GAO Report prepared a report, released April 3013, for the US Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry on Agricultural Research – Two USDA Agencies Can Enhance Safeguards against Project Duplication and Strengthen Collaborative Planning. See http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/653752.pdf.

ECOP Monday Minute 4.29.13

ACTION: Nominate Extension Professionals for Awards – The ECOP Program Subcommittee chair, Mary Jane Willis, Rutgers University, and Personnel Subcommittee co-chair, James Trapp, Oklahoma State University, together with USDA-NIFA, encourage you to submit applications for the 2013 Excellence in Extension and Extension Diversity awards. Awardees will be honored at the November 10-12, 2013 APLU Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. This is an opportunity to celebrate exemplary work of individuals and teams, gain notoriety for your university, and showcase how Cooperative Extension extends knowledge and changes lives. Application deadline is June 1, 2013. Details will be sent to all directors and administrators and associate directors and administrators in a separate email in order to provide unique access links to the online nomination forms.

SAVE THE DATE: 21st Century Extension Professional Webinar – ECOP member Chuck Hibberd, University of Nebraska, invites you to an update on the 21st Century Extension Professionals Project during a webinar 2-3 pm ET, Thursday, June 20, 2013. In addition to learning more about the critical skills and attributes of today’s Extension professional, participants will have opportunity to contribute additional insight to the findings and focus on applications. To participate, go to https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/ecop.

EDEN Update on Avian Flu – ECOP liaison to the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN), Nick Place, University of Florida, alerts you to the new EDEN H7N9 Topic Page on H7N9. H7N9 is an avian influenza which until now has not been known to infect humans. The EDEN Avian Influenza Response Team is hosting a webinar 11 a.m.- Noon, Thursday, May 2, 2013. The link is https://gomeet.itap.purdue.edu/h7n9/. Information also will be available from the EDEN Community of Practice at www.extension.org. At this time, H7N9 is a human health concern, especially for those traveling to China, and is not an issue for the poultry industry.

NEDA 2013 Evaluation – Thanks to the 104 Cooperative Extension Directors and Administrators and other invited guests who attending NEDA 2013 March 18-20, 2013 in San Antonio. The meeting evaluation is at https://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=4458.

4-H Legacy Awards Recap – National 4-H Council held its annual 4-H Legacy Awards Gala in New York City on April 18th. A special THANK YOU to the 40+ current and previous Extension Directors and Administrators from all five regions who sponsored a table at the Gala for the 4-H Youth in Action award winner! Now in its fourth year, this special evening of celebration honors the remarkable achievements of individuals and corporations that have made lasting contributions to 4-H. Since its inception, the 4-H Legacy Awards have raised more than $2 million in support of 4-H programs.  This year, the 4-H Legacy Awards honored Tractor Supply Company (TSC) with the Corporate Leadership Award, Oklahoma 4-H’er Elisabeth Willis with the 4-H Youth in Action Award, and Temple Grandin, Ph.D. with the Distinguished Alumni Medallion. Dr. Grandin is a world famous animal scientist, researcher and professor at Colorado State University, known for her revolutionary work in the livestock industry, and as an animal welfare and autism activist. Her life story sparked a self-titled, award-winning HBO film starring Claire Danes, who joined the celebration by video to present the award. For more information on the 4-H Legacy Awards Gala and its honorees, visit www.4-H.org/gala.

ECOP Monday Minute 2.11.2013

ACTION: Register for NEDA -- Investigate national partnerships that can benefit state and local programming. Engage with colleagues to set national direction and share best management practices. Learn about innovative and sustainable resource models. These are the goals of the 2013 National Extension Directors and Administrators (NEDA) meeting in San Antonio, March 18-20, 2013. The ECOP Executive Subcommittee responsible for the NEDA program invites you to register at: http://www.cvent.com/d/kcq42d.

ECOP on Capacity Funding -- In action during its January 2013, ECOP voted to advocate for the “both-and” of capacity and competitive funding. This action is supported in the ECOP response to the Report to the President on Agricultural Preparedness and the Agriculture Research Enterprise (December 2012) found at https://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=4342 and the Case for Federal Capacity Funds found at https://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=4279.  In addition, this approach will be recommended for the FY 2015 advocacy agenda grounded in the 2014 Smith-Lever centennial celebration. ECOP Budget and Legislative Committee Chair Rick Klemme, University of Wisconsin, provides leadership for this effort.

Land-Grant University SNAP-Ed Program Development Team Positions Open (by Sandra Jensen, National SNAP-Ed Office) -- As an Extension Director or Administrator, please consider nominating an FCS Leader and/or SNAP-Ed Program Coordinator to serve on the Land-Grant University SNAP-Ed Program Development Team.  Representatives from each of the Extension Regions are sought to replace those who are rotating off this year.  The deadline for application submission is 18 February 2013.  This is a critical time for SNAP-Ed – one in which federal, state, and local partners are working toward a shared vision and solutions to the challenges at hand.  Please contact Sandra Jensen for an application and more information: sandra.jensen@sdstate.edu; 605-688-4944.

EDEN Agrosecurity -- ECOP Liaison to the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) Nick Place, University of Florida, encourages you to attend the Agrosecurity Symposium in Washington, DC on April 22-23, 2013.  This is hosted by the EDEN Strengthening Community Agrosecurity Preparedness (S-CAP) program. For more information, see http://eden.lsu.edu/s-cap/symposium.

Measuring Excellence Video -- The Measuring Excellence in Extension Implementation Team, chaired by Joe Zublena, North Carolina State University, offers a short training video on the use of the new visualization tools for the Excellence in Extension effort.  Using the new visualization software, you now have more flexibility to view the data in new ways.  Go to this link http://excellencedata.tamu.edu/Demo/reporting.html to see how to use this option.  All visualizations are built upon data entered into the database and your full participation is encouraged.

PILD Conference -- Registration is now open for the Public Issues Leadership Development (PILD) conference April 21-24, 2013 in Alexandria, VA.  You can access the registration from the JCEP website at www.jcep.org and then click on PILD, or to go directly to the PILD registration at http://jcep.org/pild-conference/21-pild/pild-registration-2012/41-pild-registration-2013.

Due to the federal holiday next Monday, the next issue of the ECOP Monday Minute will be 2.25.13.