ECOP Monday Minute 3.3.14

ACTION: Register Now - National Cooperative Extension Centennial Events May 7-8 -- Registration and lodging information for the May 7-8 National Cooperative Extension Centennial Events are now open. An early-bird registration fee will be available until April 18. Hotel reservations need to be made by April 15. Transportation to and from the Ronald Reagan Building and the Marriott Wardman Park will be provided for registrants. Individuals from sponsoring institutions will be contacted directly regarding registration. Register now at: http://www.cvent.com/d/g4qqj5.

Congressional Resolutions Mark Extension’s 100 Years – Both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have introduced resolutions commemorating the 100^th anniversary of Cooperative Extension. Track action on S.CON.RES.33 and H.CON.RES.86 at http://thomas.loc.gov. A hearing before the House of Representatives will 10:00 a.m. ET, Tuesday, 3.4.14. http://agriculture.house.gov/hearing/review-smith-lever-act-its-100th-anniversary. Scott Reed, Oregon State University, and Delbert Foster, South Carolina State University, are among those who provided written testimony and will speak at the hearing.

ACTION: NEDA Conference Registration Deadline & Hotel Block Release is Ahead! -- March 7 is the early registration deadline for the NeXC/NEDA meeting in Sacramento, March 24-27.  Be sure to get your registration done if you haven't at this point.  Also, http://muconf.missouri.edu/NeXC-NEDA2014/Hotel.html hotel rooms are going quickly!  The room block for the hotel will expire on March 5.  An overflow hotel, the Residence Inn Sacramento Downtown at Capitol Park, has been secured. 

ACTION: Register for PILD by 3.7.14 -- The JCEP sponsored Public Issues Leadership Development Conference (PILD) will soon be here!  If you have not registered yet, please do so now as March 7^th is the deadline for the early bird registration rate. The room block at the Westin Alexandria conference hotel will be released after March 7^th. A schedule of events, registration, and link to the conference hotel can be found on the JCEP website www.jcep.org/pild-conference.

Welcome -- Sandra (Sandy) Ruble joins the ECOP National Office today replacing Chrystal Checketts, who transitioned to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension on January 1st. Sandy joins the Executive Director and Administrator Team (ED&A) providing administrative support and project oversight for ECOP and its subcommittees, task forces, and working groups. Sandy, a graduate of Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, is relocating from North Carolina State University where she served as the Cooperative Extension Administrative Assistant in Granville County.  A Pennsylvania native, Sandy has extensive administrative experience and additional training in non-profit management and multicultural organizational development. Sandy can be reached at sruble@aplu.org or 202.478.6088.

ECOP Monday Minute 2.24.14

ACTION: Register for NEDA 2014 – Early registration deadline for NEDA, offered this year in conjunction with the National eXtension Conference March 24-27 in Sacramento, runs through March 3. See http://muconf.missouri.edu/NeXC-NEDA2014/ for details. This is the one opportunity each year for Cooperative Extension Directors and Administrators to engage in a dialogue about national opportunities affecting state and local programming. In addition to joint sessions with eXtension featuring keynote speakers, the NEDA and Cooperative Extension Business Meeting will consider such topics as improving health in America, building Extension’s human capacity, the new 4-H National Leadership Team, resource opportunities, and telling the impact story. The ECOP Executive Committee which plans NEDA under the direction of immediate past ECOP Chair, Daryl Buchholz, encourages representation from all institutions in the Cooperative Extension Section. Join us in Sacramento for Launching Cooperative Extension’s Next 100 Years: Celebrate, Innovate, Engage.

FCS Master Volunteer Program – Learn about the Master Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS) Volunteer Program during a webinar  2:00-3:00 p.m. ET, Wednesday, 2.26.14 targeted for FCS program leaders and county educators. See the newly developed website to help plan, implement and evaluate a successful volunteer program, plus preview a 13-lesson series on volunteer development. This program will help build FCS capacity, critical to Cooperative Extension programming nationwide, by using trained volunteers at the local level. The program was developed through a partnership of USDA-NIFA and  Montana State University Extension. Space is limited for the webinar. Pre-registration is required at

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/master-family-consumer-sciences-volunteer-program-webinar-tickets-3703112108.

“New” eXtension Planning Underway – Dennis Calvin, Pennsylvania State University, Chair of the eXtension Governing Committee, and Keith Smith, Ohio State University, Chair of the eXtension Strategic Planning Committee, announce work to set out a plan for the “new” eXtension. Thanks to all Cooperative Extension Directors and Administrators for expressing your views over the last year. The next step is to take action for change. Cascade Center for Community Governance has been contracted to lead the effort. The first meeting, which includes representation from all five Extension regions, is scheduled for March 4-5, 2014 in Washington, DC. An update will be provided at the 2014 NEDA meeting in Sacramento in late March.

ACTION: Impacts Database – Forty-four of 75 Land-grant institutions in the Cooperative Extension Section are represented in the Impacts Database. If your institution is not represented, the ECOP Program Subcommittee requests that you please consider doing so. The impacts are already being used to support funding requests and for various presentations to key influential groups. Go to https://excellence.tamu.edu/database to enter impacts so that your institution and your region can be appropriately recognized.

Celebrating 100 Years – Cooperative Extension was well represented at the USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum February 20-21 in Arlington, VA. The forum kicked off with video http://www.usda.gov/oce/forum/friday.htm#celebrating, included an ongoing centennial exhibit, and featured a concurrent session moderated by Krysta Harden, USDA deputy secretary,  called Launching Cooperative Extension’s Next Century. ECOP Chair Jimmy Henning, University of Kentucky, and ECOP Centennial Task Force co-chairs, Doug Steele, Texas A&M University, and Frankie Gould, Louisiana State University, were speakers.

ECOP Monday Minute 1.27.14

REGISTER FOR NEDA: Social Media Session – Thanks to a request from Tom Coon, Michigan State University, an optional pre-National Extension Directors and Administrators (NEDA) Meeting workshop is offered 3:00 – 5:00 p.m., Monday, March 24^th on Building Connections - Social Media in Extension.  The session, designed with directors/administrators as the target audience, will focus on 1) why Extension needs to have a large presence in social media, 2) how Extension directors/administrators can encourage and promote social media use in their organizations, and 3) how social media can be evaluated and used in promotion and tenure practices. To register for NEDA, go to http://muconf.missouri.edu/NeXC-NEDA2014/ at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento in Sacramento, CA. NEDA will meet jointly with the National eXtension Conference (NeXC). NEDA programming continues through midday Wednesday and participants are welcome to attend additional NeXC programming through Thursday.

SAVE THE DATES – Centennial Celebration Update – Excitement continues to grow for activities across the country related to the Cooperative Extension Centennial. Invitations have been extended for the Capitol Hill Reception Wednesday evening, 3.5.14. Plans are being finalized for the Convocation on May 7-8, 2014 in Washington, DC and registration will soon be announced.  Please keep up on all the latest activities by tracking Centennial progress on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Extension100Years You can also follow updates on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ext100Years   Pictures and videos are also being archived on Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/ext100years/ and a YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9GyqMs0FKlUKBTxtcyg04w/videos  If you have media to add or suggestions, please contact Bill Woodrum for more information, extensioncentennial@gmail.com.

ECOP January Update – ECOP Chair Jimmy Henning, University of Kentucky, facilitated a meeting of ECOP on 1.22.14 where members approved the formation of the 4-H National Leadership Committee with initial leadership by Charlotte Eberlein, University of Idaho; tasked Mike O’Neill, University of Connecticut, and Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware, to consider ways of collaborating with USDA-NIFA program leaders; and charged the ECOP Personnel Subcommittee co-chaired by James Trapp, Oklahoma State University, and Chuck Hibberd, University of Nebraska, to review the Executive Director and Administrator Team model. ECOP welcomed Bob Holland assisted by Bill Hoffman, who replaces Ralph Otto, as the USDA-NIFA liaison to ECOP. In addition, reports were accepted by the SNAP-ED Program Development Team; the “new” eXtension strategic planning effort led by Keith Smith, Ohio State University; and funding priorities by ECOP Budget and Legislative Committee Chair, Rick Klemme, University of Wisconsin.

Super Panel Featured at NeXConf/NEDA – Four dynamic online “masters” will be gathered for a panel discussion on learning, working differently, and technology integration at the NeXConf/NEDA meeting in March.  Two of the speakers, Dave Gray and Jane Hart are keynote speakers for the conference:  Gray specializes in innovation and networked organizations, Hart works to help organizations understand and implement new workplace learning trends and networking.  Joining them on the panel will be Beth Kanter, an expert in technology, training, capacity building, evaluation, and marketing for non-profit organizations, and Harold Jarche, an expert in connected leadership, social learning, personal knowledge management, and workplace collaboration. These four individuals will bring new insight and ideas to conference attendees with a special emphasis on transforming organizations through learning networks and connectedness.

Positive Results for Youth from 4-H Involvement – Compared to their peers, 4-H'ers are nearly four times more likely to contribute to their communities. This is one of several powerful statistics included in a new report -- The Positive Development of Youth: Comprehensive Findings from the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development. For more than a decade, preeminent youth development scholars, Drs. Richard M. Lerner and Jacqueline V. Lerner and the team at the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development at Tufts University, partnered with faculty at more than 20 land-grant universities and colleges to conduct this ground-breaking research. This scientific research shows that the 4-H approach to high-quality positive youth development works. See http://www.4-h.org/about/youth-development-research/positive-youth-development-study/.

ECOP Monday Minute 1.13.2014

 In observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday on 1.20.14,

the ECOP Monday Minute will return 1.27.14.

ECOP Staff Associate Search – Your help is requested to recruit qualified candidates for the position of Cooperative Extension/ECOP Staff Associate working in the National ECOP Office at APLU in Washington, DC. Details are available at http://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=4979. Review of applications will begin 1.16.13.

eXtension Names Interim Director – The ECOP eXtension Governing Committee chaired by Dennis Calvin, Pennsylvania State University, has named Elbert Dickey as Interim Executive Director, replacing Dan Cotton. Dickey is former dean and director of Nebraska Extension http://about.extension.org/2014/01/07/dickey-named-interim-extension-director/. Dickey welcomes comments from Extension directors and administrators about how eXtension can better meet educational needs in your state and why you choose to invest time and resources in eXtension. Send comments to Michelle Giddens, assistant to the director, at michellegiddens@extension.org.

Northeast Names Executive Director -- The Northeast Extension Directors (NEED), Rick Rhodes, chair, University of Rhode Island, has appointed Nancy Bull as Executive Director for a three-year, part-time term. Bull, who replaces Linda Kay Benning, will lead the region in the creation of partnerships among the northeast land-grant institutions, focusing on collaboration and funding opportunities for Cooperative Extension and represent the northeast region on the ECOP Executive Director and Administrator Team. Bull previously served as the Associate Director of Connecticut Cooperative Extension and as the Chief Information Officer at the University of Connecticut. She continues as University of Connecticut interim chair and professor in the Department of Allied Health Sciences.   

NeXC/NEDA Pre-session 1.21.14 -- Jane Hart, a keynote speaker for the NeXConf/NEDA joint meeting March 24-28, 2014 in Sacramento, California, will present a virtual conference on Tuesday, January 21 at 2 p.m. ET. The session is Workplace Learning Revolution: How the Internet is Changing the Way We Learn at Work. Go to the event page in Learn to follow this event. Jane Hart is an independent Workplace Learning & Collaboration advisor, writer and international speaker. The title of Hart’s NeXConf/NEDA keynote address is Next Generation Learning Practices in the Age of Knowledge Sharing and Collaboration. For more information on the NeXConf/NEDA joint meeting go to http://muconf.missouri.edu/nexc-neda2014/.

Outreach and Engagement Meets in June – Make plans to join your colleagues and meet new ones at the APLU Council on Engagement and Outreach (CEO) Summer Meeting, June 8-11, 2014, in San Diego.  This year, CEO will be meeting jointly with the APLU Commission on Innovation, Competitiveness, and Economic Prosperity (CICEP) and the University of California, San Diego. More information is available at http://www.aplu.org/page.aspx?pid=255 (click on 2014 summer meeting).

World Food Day Keynote Address – Iowa Extension Director Cathann Kress shares the following link to keynote address delivered by Ken Quinn, President of the World Food Prize Foundation -- http://bit.ly/1iFbke8. He spoke at the World Food Day Observance at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on November 23. 

Keeping our lists up to date – Please inform Joy Jones ecop@aplu.org of changes in Directors or Administrators and Associate Directors or Administrators at your University.

Job opportunities – To post or search for job opportunities:
-- on the APLU website, visit https://www.aplu.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=813
-- on the Extension Journal, Inc. website, visit http://jobs.joe.org/
-- on the Board on Human Sciences, Inc. website, visit http://thebohs.org/job_postings0.aspx

Calendar – For dates of upcoming meetings, visit: https://www.aplu.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=426   

ECOP General Update Webinars for all Directors and Administrators:
     5.17.12 - Budget and Legislative Update https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p34d81l2zw8/
     1.19.12 - Review of 4-H Summit Work https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p2v5fs58yr8/
     10.18.12 - Brand Value Toolkit and Measuring Excellence in Extension
https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p4oq7nsvini/
     9.9.13 - eXtension External Evaluation https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p56t0sqnne7/

ECOP Professional Development Webinars:
     7.2012 - eXtension Basics https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p4kh2wq6k84/
     3.2.12 - Measuring Excellence in Extension https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p6eem4gtn0w/
     9.15.11 - Understanding the Role of ECOP https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p5z5w5my0r8/ 
     11.19.12 - Celebrating Excellence: A Conversation with 2012 Extension Award Winners  https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p6obx6qq3ss/
     6.20.13 - Skills and Attributes of 21st Century Extension Professionals https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p9qxc1vehka/

ECOP Monday Minute 12.9.13

Centennial Resolution Language – Cornerstone Government Affairs has approved resolution language commemorating the 100th anniversary of Cooperative Extension which can be found at the bottom of the Toolkit page at www.extension100years.net. Cornerstone will work to identify sponsors to introduce the resolution in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives in 2014. The language can be used as presented or adapted for use with state legislatures. If you have questions, contact Vernie Hubert at Cornerstone, vhubert@cgagroup.com.

USDA Releases SNAP-Ed Study – See http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/SNAPEdWaveII_Summary.pdf for the study released December 2013.

Internet Learning Virtual Conference – Jane Hart, a keynote speaker for the NeXConf/NEDA joint meeting March 24-28, 2014 in Sacramento, CA, will present a virtual conference on Tuesday, January 21 at 2 p.m. ET on the Workplace Learning Revolution: How the Internet is Changing the Way We Learn at Work. Hart is an independent workplace learning and collaboration advisor, writer and international speaker. She is the founder of the Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies. She will present the results of her Top 100 Tools for Learning 2013 compiled from the votes of more than 500 learning professionals (from education and workplace learning) worldwide. Go to the event page in Learn to follow this event.

USDA-REE White Papers – USDA Chief Scientist and USDA Research, Education and Economics (REE) Under Secretary Cathie Woteki recommends white papers at http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=OCS that provide details of REE focus areas of global food security, bioenergy, nutrition and childhood obesity, climate change, food safety and sustainable agricultural systems.

APLU A Public Voice – APLU's Newsletter to university presidents and others featured the Extension Centennial in the December 6, 2013 issue. See https://www.aplu.org/page.aspx?pid=2844&srctid=1&erid=1771144.

ECOP Monday Minute 6.10.13

NEDA 2014 in Sacramento – The ECOP Executive Committee, Daryl Buchholz, Chair, announces a new location for the next National Extension Directors and Administrators (NEDA) Meeting March 24-27 at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento in Sacramento, CA. NEDA will meet jointly with the National eXtension Conference (NeXC). These two events will highlight shared programming and independent business meetings and networking. NEDA will begin Monday evening with a reception and continue through midday Wednesday. ECOP will meet Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning. Other NEDA participants are welcome to attend additional NeXC programming through Thursday. To accommodate both groups, the venue, previously announced for Albuquerque, NM had to be changed. Watch the ECOP Monday Minute for further details.

Update on Expanded Salary Data – As mentioned in last week's ECOP Monday Minute, the Excellence in Extension Implementation Team, chaired by Joe Zublena, North Carolina State University, announced expanded salary data available at www.excellenceinextension.org. To view this data, go to the database tab and login into the database.  The data can be viewed in the 'All Data' tab and entered under the 'My Data' tab.  Visualizations will be available soon under the 'Report' tab.  Users must have a login to access this data.  Logins must be sent to Scott Cummings at s-cummings@tamu.edu and approved by the institution's Director/Administrator.

Galaxy Registration Open  – Reduced registration runs through July 15, 2013 for the September 16-20, 2013 Galaxy IV conference at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, PA. The theme is Bridging the Centuries: A New Era for Extension. Registration details can be found at www.galaxy-2013.org. 

Public Value Webinar 7.17.13 – The National Association of Extension Program and Staff Development Professionals (NAEPSDP) will host an Introduction to Extension’s Public Value webinar 2 p.m. ET, Wednesday, July 17, 2013 by Nancy Franz, Iowa State University. Connect at http://connect.cals.uidaho.edu/fourh. All Extension professionals are invited to participate. For more information, contact NAEPSDP Chair-elect, Carrie Stark, 208-885-2156.

Join USAID e-Consultation – Extension professionals are invited to join the USAID Bureau of Food Security e-Consultation June 18-19, 2013 on Examining Sustainable Intensification Research Priorities. This is part of the Feed the Future initiative. Go to http://bit.ly/14gQ33v to register.