ECOP 4-H Executive Director Announced

The ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee Co-chairs Laura Stephenson, University of Kentucky, and Lisa Bouillion Diaz, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, have announced that after a nationwide search, their committee has selected Edwin Jones, Ph.D. (pictured left) as its Executive Director. A former ECOP Chair, ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee Co-Chair, and Trustee of National 4-H Council, Ed is well suited to help support and advance the work of the Committee in this inaugural position. For 18 months he will support the Co-chairs and ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee initiatives. Through its shared leadership model, the Committee is working to develop new partnership and funding opportunities for 1862, 1890, and 1994 4-H programs alike—as well as new revenue-generating opportunities that will support Committee initiatives beyond the initial 18-month phase. Read full announcement here.



ECOP at PILD - ECOP had a high-profile role in this year’s Public Issues Leadership Development Conference. Held from April 3-6, 2022, in Arlington, VA, the theme of the conference was All Systems Go-Navigating National Identity for Local Impact. ECOP-related sessions included ECOP’s New Advocacy & Education Vision for the Cooperative Extension System; ECOP Program Committee's Program Action Team (PAT) breakout sessions; The FY 2022 Extension System Budget Request – What it Is, How to Talk About It, and Why It Matters; and a Capnote Presentation: A System Without Borders. Also at the conference, Extension Directors/Administrators participated in an ECOP Budget and Legislative (BLC) Special Breakout Session that included an introduction to the new APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly advocacy group-Lewis-Burke Associates, establishing a well-timed feedback loop to build year-round advocacy strategies ECOP Strategic Crosswalk and BLC Workplan, and an advocacy update.

Call for Nominations for APLU Food Systems Leadership Award Deadline April 29 - The APLU Food Systems Leadership Award annually recognizes a leader who has made an extraordinary impact on the food system through leadership and service and who exemplifies the core principles established by the Food Systems Leadership Institute (FSLI), including personal leadership, organizational leadership, and food systems leadership. The award also recognizes the leadership, innovation, engagement, and service that APLU promotes through its programs. The APLU Food Systems Leadership Award will be presented at “A Community of Scholars Honoring Excellence" award program at the APLU Annual Meeting in Denver in November. The recipient will be invited to address the current cohort of FSLI Fellows at one of their residential sessions. For criteria, form and the directions, click here. 

Coming June 2022 Family Well-Being - Navigating the Social Justice Landscape is an online, multidisciplinary approach, learning experience to a complex issue facing service providers working with military families. The 2022 Military Families Readiness Academy asynchronous courses focus on individuals’ understanding of social justice and equity (including their own understanding of privilege and oppression). The courses and discussions equip family service providers with the skills to identify barriers that impact a family’s health and well-being and identify opportunities for social justice advocacy in their work. Beginning June 1, the Academy addresses the intersections between engaging a social justice mindset as a family service professional and the ability to support the well-being of diverse military families. The courses offer engaging modules and interaction, with prompts for reflection on this critically important topic. The asynchronous delivery allows working professionals to benefit from the content in the courses at times convenient to their schedules. Continuing education credits available. Extension professionals are invited to learn more sign up for a mailing list at www.oneop.org/mfra for the Academy mailing list to receive additional information and announcements in the coming months.

Summer Pathways Institute for Extension, 4-H, and University Leadership Application Now Open -  The ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee is invites Extension Directors and Administrators to apply to the Summer 2022 4-H Pathways Leadership Institutes. The Institute is an intensive, two-day, virtual leadership program that will take place June 20-21 and August 3-4, 2022, with the goal of driving innovation and developing creative partnerships. Three-person teams that represent State 4-H leadership, Extension Leadership and Land-grant University leadership should apply via this link by Friday, May 6, 2022. For participating, each team will acquire tools needed to achieve the strategic change and growth for 4-H and Extension programs in alignment with the broader goals of Universities. Please review Frequently Asked Questions or contact Andy Turner at ast4@cornell.edu..

2022 National Award Nominations Requested

Nominations for the National Cooperative Extension Awards program, co-sponsored by ECOP and USDA-NIFA were announced to members of the Cooperative Extension Section on February 1. Nominations requiring a letter of recommendation from an Extension Director or Administrator are --

    *  National Individual Award for Excellence in Extension, plus 5 regional prizes

    *  NEW! National Team Award for Excellence in Extension  

The National Diversity in Extension Award is open to any Extension Professional to nominate an individual or a team. Prizes for all 3 types of awards include cash and a trip to the 2022 APLU Annual Meeting in November for presentation during the Board on Agriculture Assembly's Awards session. To learn more go to www. aplu.org/CESAwards and nominate before 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time on May 1, 2022. Handy prep forms and answers to the most FAQs are provided online. 

ECOP's Appointee to NCFAR - Rich Bonanno becomes Cooperative Extension's representative to the National Coalition of Food and Agriculture (NCFAR). Rich is the Associate Dean for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Director of Extension at North Carolina State University. He has served the Cooperative Extension System as an ECOP Member since the fall of 2020, and the Cooperative Extension Section/ECOP representative to the BAA Committee on Legislation and Policy since 2019. With Caroline Henney, Executive Director for the Cooperative Extension System/ECOP National Office, Rich will inform the planning of NCFAR education activities explained here to include the value of Extension programming and participate in matters of the NCFAR Board. 

New Website for EXCITE Project - The Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching and Engagement, (EXCITE) has an updated information page www.extension.org/excite hosted by Extension Foundation. The site is more focused on the EXCITE impact as a system-wide local response. It includes program success stories videos, news releases, and a map of project information and reach. The Extension Foundation will continually update the site with stories of the EXCITE program.

Food Systems Leadership Institute Accepting 2022 Applications - FSLI is accepting applications for Cohort #18 for the fall of 2022. The Food Systems Leadership Institute (FSLI) offers leadership development to upper-level leaders in higher education, government, and industry. The Fellows will learn strategies to handle the leadership challenges and opportunities for the future. The review for all completed application packets will be on March 28, 2022. Full details and the link to the nomination form are found at https://fsli.org/apply. 

Call for 2021 Cooperative Extension Award Nominations

Nominations are being accepted for the 2021 Extension Awards program through May 1, 2021. The Excellence in Extension Awards, recognize Cooperative Extension professionals - 1 National Award, and 5 Regional Awards - who excel at Extension programming, make a positive impact on constituents served, and provide visionary leadership for the System. The Award for Diversity is designed to focus national attention on innovative models and techniques that ensure that Extension programs equitably and effectively engage all audiences. A new Team Award for Excellence is under development for later release. The Awards include a cash prize and travel stipends to attend a reception and the Board of Agriculture Assembly Awards Session at the 2021 APLU Annual Meeting. With only 3 months before the deadline, visit www.aplu.org/CESAwards and start completing nominations today.



Application Process Open for FSLI's Seventeenth Cohort - Applications are now being accepted for the seventeenth cohort in the Food Systems Leadership Institute starting in the fall of 2021. The Food Systems Leadership Institute (FSLI) offers executive leadership development to upper-level leaders in higher education, government, and industry to prepare them to meet the leadership challenges and opportunities of the future. More information on the FSLI program can be found in the short video on their website. Go to https://fsli.org/apply to apply. For optimal consideration interested parties should apply before March 1! 

Updated Guide to Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches, and Communities - It can be difficult for farmers and ranchers to navigate the wide range of USDA resources and stay up to date with program changes after each Farm Bill. Thanks to the newly updated Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches, and Communities, producers, researchers, nonprofits, and landowners can easily find USDA programs that can help them achieve their goals. For more information, download your free copy of Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches, and Communities.

eXtension Responds to Evolving System Needs for Operational Excellence Online - eXtension Foundation would like to remind Directors & Administrators that all Extension professionals can join Connect Extension regardless of membership in the eXtension Foundation. Extension staff are invited to join the Technology in Extension Education Subgroup to access and contribute resources for delivering Extension programming in a virtual world. Also, for 2021, the Impact Collaborative program is hosting a Leadership series available to members leading teams of five or more. The topics in this series are a result of work with individuals & teams from across Extension wondering: What does effective leadership look like when we no longer have the ability to put a hand on a shoulder? How do we reduce friction, confusion & underperformance for individuals, teams, and organizations? Learn More & Register here.

Upcoming Webinar on Federal Resources for Creative Community Development - On Tuesday, February 9 at 4 p.m. ET, the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, the National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations, and Metris Arts Consulting are offering a free web seminar on Federal Resources for Creative Community Development. This seminar is designed to help gain access to federal funds and harness the power of arts and culture for community development. The seminar will feature the new Creative Placemaking Public Resources Guide and will discuss a curated selection of federal funding sources that can be used to advance equitable community development, examples of initiatives that have transformed community development through create partnerships, and practical tips on accessing federal grant programs. To view the complete session details and register, click here.

4-H Grows in the Spotlight

On Friday, January 4, ECOP Chair Ed Jones, Virginia Tech, was joined by Jen McIver, National 4-H Council, Vice President of Field Marketing and Partnerships, to kick off the 2019 Next Generation Extension - Learning for Leaders series. The purpose of the hour was to renew the Cooperative Extension Section's appreciation for the 4-H Grows campaign (increase 4-H membership to 10 million youth by 2025) and collect the input of Directors and Administrators and answer their questions on the value of a unified 4-H brand and national marketing program. The video recording Growing Extension’s Reach and Relevance Through the 4-H Brand and PowerPoint from the session are now available for sharing and review across the nation and Section. Send questions and comments to ecopblog@gmail.com as the exciting dialogue continues.


Increasing Knowledge and Support for EFNEP - Nominations Requested by January 15 - In a detailed 3-page letter from NIFA Director Scott Angle released on December 10, nominations were requested to recognize the "remarkable contribution of selected EFNEP staff and champions who have been instrumental in the success of EFNEP, and participants who have significantly enriched their lives through EFNEP opportunities." Extension Directors and Administrators and their associates are encouraged to act before close of business January 15, 2019. The link to submit nominations is found on page 2, paragraph 1 of the letter.

Cohort 12 FSLI was recognized on November 11, 2018 at the APLU Annual Meeting.
Congratulations to Rosalind Dale, NCA&T State University, Roger Rennekamp, Ohio State University,
Jeff Hyde, Penn State University, Gary Jackson, Mississippi State University, and Dawn Mellion-Patin,
Southern University.

Application Process Now Open for The Food Systems Leadership Institute’s Program - The Food Systems Leadership Institute (FSLI) offers executive leadership development to upper-level leaders in higher education, government, and industry to prepare them to meet the leadership challenges and opportunities of the future. The two-year FSLI experience includes three week-long residential sessions, personal leadership coaching, mentoring, distance learning activities, and an individual leadership project. The FSLI is designed for experienced leaders; participant titles include program directors, vice presidents, experienced department heads/chairs, deans and associate deans, and others working in leadership of administrative capacities. More information on the FSLI program can be found at www.fsli.org.

eXtension’s Impact Collaborative 2019 Member Benefits - The Impact Collaborative works directly with eXtension members to help make more impactful programs. Benefits to members institutions include:
  • Send one individual to be trained at no cost as an Innovation Facilitator to provide support for your programs, & help lead local innovation skill-building events.
  • Staffing and support for a statewide or institution-wide Impact Collaborative event contextualized to your needs that engages your leadership team and helps make more impactful programs.
  • Send teams to our national Impact Collaborative Summits to bring new capacity to your program teams, provide strategic support to members, and help teams bridge gaps in their project or program planning.
  • Unlimited access to Engage & Empower Online, a new resource designed to collectively drive innovation and action forward toward real impacts.
  • Access to our eFieldbooks: a go-to resource for Extension professionals to begin discussion, help establish processes, and assist with the delivery of new programs.
Questions? Please contact Beverly Coberly.

Military Families Learning Network Offers Sesame Street Webinar - Military families can face unique circumstances and challenges around violent and traumatic events. On January 17, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. ET, Sesame Street for Military Families and the Sesame Street Workshop will facilitate a 90-minute webinar on the impacts of childhood trauma and community violence. The webinar, offered through the Military Families Learning Network, is available at no charge to Cooperative Extension. This unique learning opportunity will highlight resources and activities to help children cope, and offer strategies to assist with self-care following a traumatic event. To learn more about this webinar and others in the “Kids Serve Too” series, click here.

FY 2016 Budget Priorities for Advocacy

In honor of Washington’s Birthday (Presidents’ Day), ECOP Monday Minute will return on 2.23.15. 

FY 2016 Budget Priorities for Advocacy – Rick Klemme, ECOP Budget and Legislative Committee Chair and ECOP representative to the APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly Budget and Advocacy Committee, University of Wisconsin, will meet with colleagues 2.10.15 to finalize FY 2016 budget priorities. Decisions and supporting documents will be posted at www.land-grant.org. Additional details about the USDA portion of the President’s FY 2016 proposed budget can be found at http://www.obpa.usda.gov. Check http://www.csrees.usda.gov/about/offices/budget.html for the expected posting of the USDA-NIFA brochure related to the FY 2016 Budget. 

ECOP Launches Innovation Inventory Project – Keith Smith, Extension Director, Ohio State University, has been retained by ECOP to develop a Cooperative Extension Innovation Inventory. The purpose of the qualitative study is to determine what innovation in programming, resource development, and administrative processes are underway as Cooperative Extension launches its second 100 years. The report will frame an October 2015 Cooperative Extension meeting where Directors/Administrators will have opportunity to learn characteristics of an innovative organization and what it takes to lead one. Cooperative Extension directors and administrators responsible for day-to-day operations will be contacted by phone. 

Measuring Excellence in Extension (MEiE) Team Meets in DC – Joe Zublena, MEiE Implementation Team Chair, North Carolina State University, meets February 18-19, 2015 in Washington, DC to continue work on the password protected portion of the web site at www.landgrantimpacts.org designed specifically for Cooperative Extension Directors and Administrators. The purpose is to report management data (e.g. personnel, funding) that can be shared amongst institutions. For questions on how to submit data, contact Scott Cummings, s-cummings@tamu.edu, 979.847.9388. 

Food Systems Leadership Institute (FSLI) Invites Applications – Applications for a new FSLI cohort, designed to launch new leaders for food and agriculture research, Extension and academic programs, are being accepted. See www.fsli.org for details. 

World Conference Paper Deadline Extended – February 15, 2015 is the new deadline to submit papers for the June 24-26, 2015 GCHERA conference in Kaslik, Lebanon. GCHERA is the Global Confederation on Higher Education Association for Agricultural and Life Sciences. The 2015 conference theme is “Nutritional Security and Environmental Sustainability for Human Health.” See www.gchera.org for details. Ian Maw, APLU Vice President for Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources, is GCHERA vice president.

ECOP Monday Minute 2.25.2013

Reminder:  NEDA Hotel Room Block Closes Today --  More than half of the 75 institutions in the Cooperative Extension Section have registered to be represented at the National Extension Directors and Administrators Meeting March 18-20, 2013 in San Antonio. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with colleagues on issues of national importance with local applications.  There are a limited number of rooms left at the Hyatt Regency San Antonio in the NEDA room block March 18 and 19, and the hotel is sold out on the evening of Wednesday, March 20. Arrangements for an overflow hotel are being made. If you require a room through March 20, please email Chrystal Checketts at chrystal.checketts@extension.org, as soon as possible, indicating arrival and departure dates. This information will be used to secure rooms at a nearby hotel. Registration and hotel information can be found online at: http://www.cvent.com/d/kcq42d.

Joint ECOP-ESCOP Meetings -- ECOP Chair Daryl Buchholz, Kansas State University, and ESCOP Chair Mike Hoffmann, Cornell University, meet in Washington, DC in late February with various partners including USDA Research, Education and Economics (REE), USDA-NIFA administrators and national program leaders, and Cornerstone Government Affairs. Among several key messages is the case for federal capacity funds. The new ECOP handout found at https://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=4363 will be the core of the Cooperative Extension talking points.

eXtension Evaluation in Progress (by Jimmy Henning, chair, eXtension Governing Committee) -- The comprehensive external eXtension evaluation, as requested by Cooperative Extension Directors and Administrators is well underway, with an update provided at NEDA in San Antonio and a final report coming mid-summer. You will be contacted by Sohel Karim from Socient Associates sometime between March 1, 2013 and April 1, 2013, for a short interview about eXtension.  Please take a few minutes to provide your thoughtful response.

2013 Assessments -- The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), on behalf of the Board on Agriculture Assembly (BAA), recently sent electronic statements for all BAA accounts. Statements will no longer be sent in regular mail. Three accounts support the work of Cooperative Extension -- #5710 Office of Executive Director, #5730 Strategic Priorities and Operations, and #5780 eXtension. An additional statement will be forthcoming for #5721 SNAP-Ed.

National Extension Conference on Volunteers -- Please inform all Extension educators engaging volunteers about the National Extension Conference on Volunteerism, May 20-23, 2013 in Frankenmuth, MI. To learn more about the conference and to register, go to http://necv.msue.msu.edu/registration. Early bird registration continues to April 19, 2013.

Urban Conference -- The National Urban Extension Conference in Overland Park, Kansas, May 6-9, 2013 is hosted by Kansas State Research and Extension. NACo President Chris Rodgers, Commissioner from Douglas County, Nebraska, will be among keynote speakers. USDA-NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy will give a pre-conference session on building organizational strength. Register now at http://www.dce.k-state.edu/conf/urban-extension/.

FSLI Applications -- The Food Systems Leadership Institute’s (FSLI) program applications are now being accepted for the ninth cohort. FSLI offers executive leadership development to upper-level leaders in higher education, government, and industry to prepare them to meet the leadership challenges and opportunities of the future. The two-year FSLI experience includes three week-long residential sessions, personal leadership coaching, mentoring, a personal development plan, distance learning activities, and an individual leadership project. More information on the FSLI program can be found at http://www.fsli.org.