NEDA Speaker Named: Mary Snapp

Taking advantage of NEDA 2026’s Seattle location, the National 4-H Council dinner on Monday evening will feature a longtime technology executive. Mary Sapp brings her experience and perspective from over 35 years at Microsoft to lead strategic initiatives. She formerly led the team responsible for Microsoft’s philanthropic efforts, which seeks to invest the company’s strongest assets – technology, money, employee talent, and its voice – to partner with nonprofits and communities to create lasting positive impact. Prior to Microsoft Philanthropies, Mary was Deputy General Counsel leading legal support for engineering and services. She led legal support for Bing as a start-up and Microsoft Windows as an established operating system. Mary is an active board leader and community volunteer for nonprofit organizations in Seattle and around the country. She currently serves on the board of directors of the YWCA of Seattle, King, and Snohomish Counties, the Seattle Art Museum, the National 4-H Council, the Farm Foundation, and Emerging Prairie. She also serves on National FFA's Corporate Sponsors' Board and in the President’s Advisory Group for her alma mater, the University of Michigan. Mary joined Microsoft in 1988 as the company's fourth attorney, and its first female attorney.
Register for the NEDA Conference today!

4-H Helping to Boost Trust in Public Universities

As trust and public confidence in higher education recently hit a record low of 36%, university presidents and chancellors are focusing on how to ensure their value to students and communities remains strong. The low confidence is attributed to rising tuition costs and perceptions that colleges fail to teach relevant work skills.

Not long ago, Jill Bramble, President and CEO of the National 4-H Council, joined university presidents at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) Council of Presidents Summer meeting to discuss how 4-H is driving college and career readiness. Jill is appreciative to APLU President Waded Cruzado for her vision in advancing this conversation forward.

She is grateful for the opportunity to speak with three 4-H alumni: Dr. Tracy M. Cook President of Alcorn State University; Dr. Gordon Gee President Emeritus of West Virginia University and Chair of National 4-H Council's Emeritus Council; and Richard Maltsbarger, National 4-H Council Trustee, and Executive in Residence at the University of Central Florida. Their stories reflect the long-term impact of investing in young people.

Read more about the event here.

Five for Five Reminder

At last year’s joint agInnovation and Extension conference in St. Louis, the Five for Five program was featured.

As a reminder, Five for Five is a physical activity ad-on curriculum designed to easily integrate movement into existing educational programming. The curriculum provides engaging, evidence-informed activities that help youth and adults increase physical activity while enhancing the learning process. Five for Five has been successfully implemented across a variety of settings and has been well received by educators and participants alike.

To help your Extension team get started, the Five for Five team has developed an interactive one-hour virtual training that introduces educators to the curriculum, demonstrates how it can be integrated into current programs, and provides practical implementation strategies. We would be excited to offer this training to Extension faculty and staff within your state.

Another benefit of Five for Five is its accessibility. Nearly the entire curriculum is available free of charge, at the following QR Code:

The only materials available at cost are the player cards, which have consistently been one of the most popular and highly rated components of the curriculum. Participants and educators alike enjoy the interactive nature of the cards, and we currently have a healthy inventory of player card decks available for purchase.

APLU Webinar Seeking Feedback on OMB Uniform Guidance

Please join APLU for a webinar on July 6, 3:30-4:30pm ET to discuss a response to the White House Office for Management and Budget’s (OMB) proposed rule on “Uniform Guidance.”

APLU has been working throughout the organization to develop its comment letter and retained Ropes & Gray to support us in this work. APLU wants to ensure that our response represents the views and concerns of member institutions to the maximum extent practicable. Please join us for a presentation on our analysis of the proposal and the association’s preliminary plans for a response. The association will welcome feedback from participants.

 

Understandably, since the release of the proposal on May 29, many questions and concerns have emerged on implications to public and land-grant universities. The proposed rule would establish baseline requirements for federal programs governing how grant awards are issued, approved, managed, monitored, or canceled. Comments are due by Monday, July 13 at 11:59 pm EDT. OMB indicated it would like to issue a final rule that would put the proposal into effect at the beginning of the next fiscal year on October 1, 2026. 

Introduction by: Waded Cruzado, President, APLU

Debbie Altenburg, Vice President, Research Policy and Advocacy

Presentation by: Leslie A. Thornton, Counsel, Ropes & Gray

Stephen D. Sencer, Counsel, Ropes & Gray

Additional background information:

APLU Key Issues Document

APLU, AAU, and COGR Summary

To facilitate an open dialogue the webinar will only be open to the councils on Academic Affairs, Governmental Affairs, Legal Affairs, Presidents, and Research. No substitution will be permitted, nor will the webinar be recorded.

Register Here

Nutrition and Health Tiger Team Informational Webinar Recording Available

On June 26, ECOP held an informative webinar on the Nutrition and Health Tiger Team recommendations, ongoing actions, and next steps. Attendees were encouraged to ask questions and invited to provide feedback and ideas on the Tiger Team report. 

Registration for the 2026 National Extension Directors and Administrators Meeting is Now Open

Join us in Seattle, WA, from September 15–17 for the 2026 National Extension Directors and Administrators Meeting. This year's theme is Lessons from the Field: Learning from Each Other. The program will feature engaging sessions centered around meaningful discussion and provide opportunities for professional growth designed to support leaders across the Cooperative Extension System.

In keeping with this year's theme, participants will explore effective approaches to current issues, consider challenges facing the field, and exchange ideas drawn from practice and experience. The meeting will also provide space to strengthen relationships, broaden professional networks, and learn about emerging work across Extension.

Click here to register and learn more!

Washington Update - Prepared for the Board on Agriculture Assembly by Lewis-Burke Associates

 In this edition:

• FY 2027 Agriculture Appropriations: House Advances, Senate Delays
• Senate Farm Bill Outlook
• House and Senate Agriculture Committees Hold Oversight Hearings with Secretary Rollins
• Senate Agriculture Committee Holds Hearing with Forest Service Leadership

 Read the full report.

Scoops of Science: APLU Hosts Capitol Hill Reception Showcasing the Impact of Public Universities’ Agriculture Programs

APLU hosted a Capitol Hill reception on June 2 showcasing the joys and real-world impact of public and land-grant university creameries. The reception featured ice cream and cheese products from public and land-grant university colleges of agriculture, highlighting the societal benefit of university-based research, teaching, and Extension in food and agricultural sciences. Nearly 1,000 congressional staff, members of Congress, and other stakeholders attended the event. View a roundup of photos from the event.

Lawmakers and congressional staff had the opportunity to sample ice cream and cheese from 20 university creameries. The showcase included classics like cookies and cream and flavors highlighting state agricultural products. such as muscadine from Mississippi, pecans from New Mexico, and even sweet corn from Iowa and Nebraska all spun into bite-sized scoops.

Read the full press release.

Research Facilities Act Program (RFAP)

The RFAP is listed in the Assistance Listings under number 10.246. RFAP is designed to provide financial assistance to qualifying institutions for the construction, alteration, acquisition, modernization, renovation, or remodeling of agricultural research facilities to conduct research in the fields of food and agricultural sciences (as defined in 7 U.S.C. 3103, see Appendix III for definition). Download the NOFO.