Special Invitation: National 4-H Council Winter Town Hall (Virtual) – January 30th (3-4 pm ET)

Extension Directors and Administrators are invited to join National 4-H Council CEO, Jill Bramble, to learn more about how 4-H will rally supporters and tell our Beyond Ready story this spring and summer. The Virtual Town Hall will take place January 30, at 3:00 PM Eastern. Jill will be joined by three special guests:

• Dr. Lisa Diaz, National 4-H Beyond Ready Initiative Director (Illinois 4-H),
  
  
• Madison Powell, Young Alumni Advisor Committee Member (Indiana 4-H) and member of the National 4-H Beyond Ready Leadership Team, and
  
  
• Mark Berven, Chair, National 4-H Council Board of Trustees and President and COO, Nationwide Property and Casualty

You are welcome and encouraged to invite your institution’s Extension and 4-H communications professionals to attend along with you. Advanced registration is required. Register HERE.

 

Introducing NIFA’s New Acting Associate Director for Programs and Acting Chief of Staff

NIFA announces two important changes in agency leadership. Dr. Kevin Kephart will assume the role of Acting Associate Director for Programs and Brent Elrod is the agency’s new Acting Chief of Staff.

Dr. Kevin Kephart

Kevin Kephart, who currently serves as NIFA’s Deputy Director of the Institute of Bioenergy, Climate, and Environment, joined the agency in 2020. Prior to his role as deputy director, he was the division director for NIFA's Agricultural Systems Division. He succeeds Dr. Dionne Toombs, who accepted a position with USDA Agricultural Research Service.

Brent Elrod

In the vital role of Acting Chief of Staff, Brent Elrod will work closely with NIFA Director Dr. Manjit Misra to synchronize and facilitate a wide range of activities that ensure the smooth operation of the agency. As the central point of coordination for both internal and external requests for information, Brent will play a pivotal role in aligning efforts and supporting the agency's mission.

Joint Council of Extension Professionals (JCEP) 2025 Conferences

The Joint Council of Extension Professionals (JCEP) provides learning opportunities for Extension professionals. Details will be posted at www.jcep.org.

• Extension Leadership Conference (ELC) will be held February 19-20, 2025 in Savannah, GA.
• Public Issues Leadership Development (PILD) will be held April 7-9, 2025 in Arlington, VA, with April 9 reserved for Hill visits.

Latest from the Journal of Extension

Cooperative Extension’s own scholarly Journal of Extension, has a new issue. See articles authored by Extension Professionals from:

• University of Georgia,
• University of Wisconsin,
• North Dakota State University,
• University of Minnesota,
• Kansas State University,
• University of Illinois,
• Auburn University,
• The Ohio State University,
• University of Maryland,
• University of Florida,
• University of Maine,
• West Virginia State University,
• Iowa State University,
• Michigan State University,
• University of Nevada - Reno,
• University of Vermont,
• Oklahoma State University,
• University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff,
• University of Arizona,
• University of the Virgin Islands,
• North Carolina State University, and
• Other organizations.