Geith to Lead eXtension Foundation

Christine Geith, eXtension Foundation CEO

Geith to Lead eXtension Foundation – The ‘New eXtension’ begins an exciting phase of its development and growth with the hiring of its new leader. The eXtension Foundation Board of Directors has named Christine Geith PhD as its Chief Executive Officer effective July 1, 2015. "We are very excited that Christine Geith will lead the eXtension Foundation and help us to develop both the future of eXtension and the future of Cooperative Extension," said Dennis Calvin, chair of the eXtension Foundation Board of Directors and Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension Director. For more information go to: http://about.extension.org/2015/06/03/extension-begins-new-chapter-christine-geith-chief-executive-officer/. 

Register for 1890 Universities 125th Celebration – Registration is now available at http://www.1890universities.org/node/298 for the 125th Anniversary events on July 14-16, 2015 in Washington, DC to mark the signing of the 2nd Morrill Act establishing 1890 land-grant institutions. Registration is required to attend all events even though there is no registration fee required for some events. The schedule is as follows:  

• Tuesday, July 14th – Welcome reception 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, July 15th – Exhibits and a reception 11:00 – 2:00 p.m. including comments from Congressional members; 6:00 p.m. 125th Anniversary Dinner
• Thursday, July 16th – Convocation from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

All events are at the Library of Congress except for the dinner which will be at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill. A block of rooms has been reserved at both the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Capitol Hill and the Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel under the name of 125th Anniversary of the 1890 Morrill Act at $209.00 per night plus tax. To make reservations, call the Hyatt at 1-888-421-1442 or the Liaison at 1-866-233-4642. The hotels are located directly across the street from each other. The cut-off date for making hotel reservations is June 15th. If you have questions, please feel free to contact L. Washington Lyons, Executive Administrator, Association of Executive Administrators, lwlyons@ncat.edu or 336-340-6465. 

Engage in Cooperative Extension Social Media – The effort to raise awareness of Cooperative Extension continues on Social Media. After last year's work to create a unified and regular social media presence, ECOP supports the continued operation of these platforms under the leadership of Frankie Gould, Louisiana State University, chair of the Social Media Team. Bill Woodrum, Social Media Associate for ECOP, coordinates the work across all platforms. If you have information on programs to share, please send them to Woodrum at extensioncentennial@gmail.com. Engage on the following platforms and encourage your staff to like, follow, and share on Facebook: facebook.com/Extension100Years, Twitter.com/ext100years, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9GyqMs0FKlUKBTxtcyg04w/videos and Pinterest.com/ext100years/pins/. 

Update on SNAP-ED Program Development Team – Paula Peters, Kansas State University, who provides key leadership for the SNAP-Ed Program Development Team, met in Washington, DC recently. Discussion centered on expanding Land Grant University SNAP-Ed programs to include required policy, system, and environmental (PSE) impacts. The PDT will be involved in technical assistance to states that request help with PSE work as well as providing a variety of professional development opportunities over the next several months. Michelle Rodgers, ECOP Chair-elect, University of Delaware, joined the meeting. Data will be collected early in 2016 and used to develop a national report on SNAP-ED outcomes through the Land-Grant University System. For more information on the work of the PDT, funded by assessments to universities participating in SNAP-ED, see the summary at http://www.extension.org/pages/72998/snap-ed-program-development-team-annual-meeting#.VW8Z49F0w5t.

National 4-H Council Congressional Breakfast

National 4-H Council Congressional Breakfast – This year's Congressional Breakfast will be April 15 from 8:30-9:30 am at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in room G-50. The purpose is to bring together Members of Congress, land-grant university and Cooperative Extension leaders and 4-H youth from across the country to highlight the proven impact of 4-H and Cooperative Extension on America's young people. The re-launch of the Congressional 4-H Caucus will be announced. This highlights Members of Congress who are 4-H alumni and friends of 4-H. For more information on the event, resources for reaching out to your Member of Congress and where to RSVP, please see the Materials for the 2015 Congressional Breakfast or contact Kelly Baird at kbaird@4-H.org. 

Robert Kallenbach, Plant Sciences Extension Program Leader,
and Forage Specialist, University of Missouri Extension;
1310 Longworth House Office Building,
Washington, D.C. 3.3.15

Extension Award Winner on Capitol Hill – Cooperative Extension’s 2014 Excellence in Extension national award winner was featured at an NC-FAR Capitol Hill Lunch/Learn event last week designed for Congressional staffers. Robert Kallenbach, University of Missouri, spoke about The Wisdom of Crowds: Can the Public Guide Research and Extension Programs? See http://www.ncfar.org/Hill_Seminar_Series_2015.asp for the PowerPoint presentation and be sure to watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iEEU9c4H1Q for a quick glimpse into the impacts of Dr. Kallenbach’s research and Extension work. Michael Ouart, Director, University of Missouri Extension, moderated the Hill session and especially emphasized the value of federal capacity funding. 

Robert Kallenbach and Michael Ouart at
NC-FAR Capitol Hill Lunch/Learn

ECOP Continues Focus on Social Media – The national ECOP social media platforms established last year for the Cooperative Extension Centennial are continuing to be used to promote the good work being done by our system. Your help is needed to identify pictures, videos, and stories from your states to share through our platforms. We are particularly looking for state specialists to come forward with topical information about Cooperative Extension priority areas. If you have information ready to be shared across social media, please have your faculty contact Bill Woodrum, Social Media Associate for ECOP, at extensioncentennial@gmail.com. Find the national Cooperative Extension Social media pages at: 
Twitter: twitter.com/ext100years 
Pinterest: pinterest.com/ext100years/pins/ 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9GyqMs0FKlUKBTxtcyg04w/videos 
Facebook: facebook.com/Extension100Years 

SNAP-ED Program Development Team Names New Members – Kathleen Manenica (WSU), Megan Ness (NDSU), and Karla Shelnutt (UFL) are the newest members of the LGU SNAP-Ed Program Development Team. PDT members serve on one of three committees: Communication, Reporting and Evaluation, or Legislative and Reporting. The work of the PDT is supported by assessments from institutions where Cooperative Extension receives funding for SNAP-ED. 

USDA-NIFA Webinar on FY 2015 Centers of Excellence Implementation – The 2014 Farm Bill requires that NIFA give priority in competitive research and Extension funding to Centers of Excellence in the food and agricultural sciences. In NIFA’s outreach efforts, the Office of Grants and Financial Management will hold an educational webinar to present information on the FY15 implementation of the Centers of Excellence provision. The webinar will be 1:30-3:30 p.m. ET, Thursday, March 12, 2015. Connect at http://nifa-connect.nifa.usda.gov/frnce.

NEW eXtension Elects Governing Board Members

NEW eXtension Elects Governing Board Members – Members of the NEW eXtension have elected the following regional representatives for the Board of Governors: 1890s, VERNON JONES – Associate Administrator, Langston University; North Central, JASON HENDERSON, Extension Director, Purdue University; Northeast, DENNIS CALVIN, Extension Director, Pennsylvania State University; Southern, DOUG STEELE – Director, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service; Western, FRED SCHLUTT – Extension Director, University of Alaska-Fairbanks. Additional members will be added as specified in the final report about the NEW eXtension. Among the initial tasks of the NEW eXtension Board of Governors will be to launch a search process of a chief executive officer. Elbert Dickey continues as interim director through April. 

FY 2016 USDA-NIFA Budget Review – NIFA Director, Sonny Ramaswamy will conduct a webinar on the Agency’s Fiscal Year 2016 President’s Budget Proposal on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 5 p.m. EST. Up to 250 users may connect to the webinar at http://nifa-connect.nifa.usda.gov/sonny. The webinar will be recorded. Participants have the option to use a teleconference line in lieu of their computer sound system or dial into the teleconference line for audio only. The presentation is not expected to be graphic intensive. You may join the teleconference up to 5 minutes prior to the scheduled start. The dial in numbers are as follows: Dial-in: 1-888-621-9649 or 1-617-231-2734. 

ECOP Names Social Media Associate – Extension: The Next Century – Extending Knowledge, Changing Lives is the central message of ECOP’s social media endeavors in 2015. Bill Woodrum, former Extension Administrator, West Virginia State University, has been named the ECOP Social Media Associate through December. The goal is to expand the strong social media presence on social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) established during the centennial last year. Please encourage Extension professionals at all levels and partners to connect at facebook.com/Extension100years and twitter.com/#ext100years. Ideas for social media content may be sent to Bill at extensioncentennial@gmail.com. 

Grant Workshops Focus on Local Foods – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) are partnering on the Agricultural Marketing Service Technical Assistance (AMSTA) Project to conduct workshops that will help potential grant applicants understand, develop, and submit their Federal grant applications for the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program. The effort is directed by Stephan J. Goetz of the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development based at Penn State University. A list of upcoming grant workshop dates and locations can be found at http://www.amsta.net. 

2015 Assessments – APLU has distributed electronic assessment statements to the 75 universities in the Board on Agriculture Assembly Cooperative Extension Section. ECOP’s national leadership is solely funded through assessments for two accounts, the Office of the Executive Director, which covers salary, benefits, indirect costs paid to APLU, and travel and office expenses for the Executive Director and Staff Associate; and Strategic Priorities and Operations, which supports ECOP committees, teams and projects. An additional assessment covers work of the SNAP-ED National Program Development Team and goes to those Extension Services providing education for SNAP recipients. Based on a vote of the Cooperative Extension Section as of 11.17.14, the eXtension assessment is replaced by a membership funding model. 

Volunteerism Conference – The 2015 National Extension Conference on Volunteerism is May 4-7, 2015, Portland, ME. It is designed for Cooperative Extension professionals who manage volunteers. Details are at http://extension.umaine.edu/programs/necv/. Registration is due April 15, 2015. 

On Climate Change – Mike Hoffmann, Cornell University and past chair of the Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy (ESCOP) has released a TEDx talk on YouTube “Climate change: It’s time to raise our voices". He leads a Northeastern U.S. and Eastern Canada climate change initiative, and established an Institute for Climate Change and Agriculture that helps food growers adapt to changing conditions. ECOP, ESCOP and USDA signed a Memorandum of Understanding in November 2014 pledging to work together to mitigate the effects of climate change. 

Enhancing Energy Literacy – The Department of Energy (DOE), along with the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) and the National Center for Science Education (NCSE), released the first four videos in a series highlighting each of the seven essential principles presented in the DOE Energy Literacy Framework. The Framework seeks to help educators of all disciplines and age groups incorporate a multidisciplinary approach to energy into their lessons and programs. The final three videos are expected by September 2015. In addition, DOE is also announcing the Spanish-language version of its Get Current coloring book, which is part of an ongoing effort to expand educational resources for the growing Spanish-speaking population in the United States. ECOP continues involvement with the State Energy Extension Partnership, chaired by Beverly Samuels, USDA-NIFA.

ECOP to Name Social Media Associate

ECOP to Name Social Media Associate – Extension Directors and Administrators are asked to encourage applications for an ECOP Social Media Associate. This one-year assignment is designed to augment the national social media presence established during the Cooperative Extension centennial in 2014. Details are at http://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=5665. The application deadline is 1.16.15.

Centennial Celebration Social Media Milestone – In 2014, the ECOP Extension Centennial Committee promoted events related to the anniversary through social media. The Facebook page www.facebook.com/Extension100Years recently passed 5,000 Likes. There were an average of 12 posts per week and a weekly average reach of close to 20,000 with several spikes of more than 100,000. The posts included vintage and contemporary imagery as well as impact stories. The most popular posts were related to farming, local foods, and 4-H. Bill Woodrum, former Extension associate administrator, led the social media effort as well as assisted with other efforts of the Centennial Committee. His report is at http://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=5664. ECOP thanks everyone who participated in a terrific celebration and helped to position Cooperative Extension for a new century of innovative excellence.

ECOP Releases 2015 Infographic – See http://bit.ly/2015ECOP for ECOP’s new handout Extending Knowledge, Changing Lives: A New Century of Engagement. It features impact statements, a summary of what Extension does and how to learn more, and a special focus on the 125th anniversary of 1890 land-grant universities. Editing and production was provided by Louisiana State University AgCenter.

ECOP/ESCOP Chairs Visit DC Colleagues – ECOP Chair Delbert Foster, South Carolina State University, and ESCOP Chair Bob Shulstad, University of Georgia, continued joint efforts to build strategic partnerships and advance understanding about Experiment Station research and Cooperative Extension education. In mid-December 2014, Foster and Shulstad visited USDA colleagues Cathy Woteki, REE Undersecretary, and Sonny Ramaswamy, NIFA Director. Additional discussions occurred with Randy Johnson, USDA Climate Hubs Leader, and Cornerstone Government Affairs and kglobal colleagues. A separate Extension meeting occurred with USDA-FSA colleagues including the new administrator, Val Dolcini.

APLU Annual Meeting Early Bird Registration – You have until 1.19.15 to get the early bird discount for the 2015 APLU Annual Meeting November 15-17 in Indianapolis. To register, go to www.cvent.com/d/hrq7hn.

AFRI Report Released – The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) is NIFA’s premier agricultural competitive grants program. It is a tool for funding research, education, and Extension projects that bring practical solutions to societal challenges. NIFA recently released the 2012 AFRI Annual Synopsis Overview that includes the number of applications, awards, and total dollars awarded for each AFRI program by area. The synopsis also includes characteristics of AFRI peer review panelists and number of undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral jobs that were provided by AFRI awards. Several research impacts show how these grant programs continue to solve societal challenges.