Celebrating Black History Month

To celebrate Black History Month, the National Office is pleased to spotlight the many accomplishments and tremendous inspiration of the following ECOP Chairs.

2000 - The late Dr. Daniel D. Godfrey, North Carolina A&T State University, pictured left: Charges were given to 4 taskforces, 1) Health and Well-Being, 2) Employability, 3) Ag/Natural Resources/Environment Interface, 4) Resilient Children, Youth and Families. The NEDA Meeting was held February 22-24, in New Orleans and included a workshop, Knowing Impact When You See It. 

2005 - The late Dr. Clyde E. Chesney, Tennessee State University, photo unavailable: The Cooperative Extension Section approved a 2005 budget of $25,000 to support the advocacy needs of the ECOP Forestry Task Force. The eXtension (Extension Foundation) Implementation plan was completed.

2010 - Dr. M. Ray McKinnie, Virginia State University, pictured left: While leading from North Carolina A&T State University, the current regional/national staffing pattern was implemented, a search for a new ECOP Executive Director was held; the Managing in Tough Times National Initiative was moved forward, the Marketing and Communications Task Force completed the implementation phase of their work. Dr. McKinnie is still very active in national leadership, serving on the ECOP Budget & Legislative Committee and is involved in numerous national dialogues.

2015 - Mr. Delbert T. Foster, South Carolina State University: Go here for photo and list of accomplishments. 

2020 - Dr. Mark Latimore, Jr., Fort Valley State University, pictured left:  Go here for the list of accomplishments. Dr. Latimore continues to faithfully serve in a national role on the ECOP Executive Committee and represents the Cooperative Extension Section on the Communications and Marketing Committee.

Through the pioneering leadership and dedication of these individuals, the Cooperative Extension System is positioned for the future to empower the people and changes lives more than ever before. -- We thank you!

Landmark Gift to 4-H Recognizes Extension Impact - National 4-H Council has received a transformational, unrestricted, $50 million gift from writer and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott in support of Cooperative Extension’s 4-H program. This landmark gift recognizes your outstanding 4-H programs and their unparalleled outcomes for youth, families, and communities. It affirms the dedicated efforts of thousands of local Cooperative Extension 4-H educators, hundreds of thousands of volunteers, and millions of 4-H youth, alumni, and donors. And it leverages decades of public investment in Cooperative Extension from counties, states, and USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.



March 4 Learning for Leaders Focuses on Extension’s Role in Climate Resiliency - On 2/7/2022 USDA announced $1 billion of new funding for climate smart commodities. The ECOP Climate Priority Action Team (PAT) has been meeting for nearly two years. Given the new USDA program, now is the best time to identify national opportunities for Cooperative Extension to play a leadership role in Climate Resiliency. These 76 Extension Directors and Administrators are reminded to connect on 3/4/2022, 3:00 p.m. ET, to learn about the emerging details of the USDA Climate Smart Agriculture program and the opportunity for national collaboration along the lines of a significant multi-state grant. Contact Sandy Ruble, Assistant Director, at sandyruble@extension.org for more information.

Navigating National Identity for Local Impact - The Public Issues Leadership Development Conference (PILD) Conference sponsored by the Joint Council of Extension Professionals (JCEP), April 3-6 in Arlington, VA has the theme, All Systems Go - Navigating National Identity for Local Impact. Participants will focus on building Extension’s national culture of creativity and collaboration for local solutions to national issues and learn how to communicate and engage with stakeholders and elected officials in advocating for Extension at the local, state, and national level. Information and registration are available at www.jcep.org/pild. National leaders contributing to General Sessions are ECOP Chair Wendy Powers, University of California, ECOP Budget & Legislative Committee Chair Jon Boren, New Mexico State University, and Caroline Henney, Cooperative Extension System ECOP Executive Director. A special breakout session for Extension Directors and Administrators will take place on Tuesday, April 6, immediately following breakfast. 

Extension Foundation Offers National Registry of Cooperative Extension Programs - The National Registry of Cooperative Extension Programs & Assets (NRCEPA) provides ready-access to a living database of efforts across the system to rapidly respond to system-wide funding opportunities. Over 200 Cooperative Extension programs & projects have been registered. Several improvements were made to the NRCEPA through feedback received from the system including improved design to show multiple questions per screen, reduced redundancy on question condition logic, and improved form accessibility for ADA compliance. The Extension Foundation would like to thank numerous individuals and organizations that have provided feedback for the past year to help us improve this technology. This includes NET, NECI, SRDC, NEAFCS, NUEL, EXCITE, and individual users across Cooperative Extension. To register a program, project, curriculum, or resource, please visit extension.org/registry.