Leadership Transition and New MOU

On September 27, 2022, during the Cooperative Extension Section Business Meeting portion of Joint ESS/CES-NEDA Meeting in Baltimore, Members who were present witnessed the official passing of the Section/ECOP Chair's gavel from Wendy Powers, Dean, Washington State University, (right) to Beverly R. Durgan, University of Minnesota Extension (left). Bev's goal as Chair is to advance the ECOP Strategic Directions, by focusing on priorities identified by member institutions, and building on successes and recent lessons learned. The intended outcome is a cohesive Cooperative Extension System and stronger member programs, inclusive of all. Bev's Action Plan for the coming year can be found at www.aplu.org/cesgoals. Future editions of the ECOP Monday Minute will share more details regarding the year ahead. Members of the Section and 1994 Extension Directors are encouraged to save 3-4:00 p.m. ET every first Friday of the month for conversations with the ECOP Chair and occasional Learning for Leaders Sessions. Stay tuned to email for connection details. 

System MOU Aimed to Resource Development - On September 26, 2022, a new Memorandum of Understanding was established by ECOP, National 4-H Council, and the Extension Foundation. Please review the document here. Three members of the Section representing each partner in the agreement were the signers. Pictured L-R, Wendy Powers, Washington State University, ECOP Chair, Courtney Owens, Kentucky State University, Vice-chair of the Extension Foundation Board of Directors, and Jon Boren, New Mexico State University, Trustee of National 4-H Council.

2021-2022 Report and Celebration - Don't miss the Cooperative Extension Section's return on investment spelled out the interactive document version of the Annual Report available here and in this interactive slide presentation which includes Finance Update and notable expressions of appreciation to:

• Char Wenham (Michigan), CARET Liaison to ECOP;
• Edmund Buckner, Alcorn State University, and Arch Smith, University of Georgia for service on the ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee;
• Chris Watkins, Cornell University, for service on ECOP;
• Karla Trautman, South Dakota State University, for leadership of National Impact Database Committee and Communications and Marketing Committee, and 
• Jon Boren, New Mexico State University, for chairing the ECOP Budget & Legislative Committee. 

Join ECOP and the EDA Team to celebrate the outstanding leadership and commitment to the mission of Extension over the past year by Wendy Powers, Washington State University, and for the dedication by Caroline Henney (Crocoll) as Executive Director of the National Office who retired on September 30, 2022. 

National Leadership 101 Recording and Slides Available - On September 9, 2022 26 Extension Directors, joined ECOP's latest monthly Friday Zoom event. All 5 regions and the 1994 Tribal Universities participated in the Learning for Leaders Program developed by the ECOP Professional Development Committee. To share and experience the 45-minute session, which included presentation by Brent Elrod, USDA-NIFA and Doug Steele, APLU, use https://youtu.be/MuwwSxu_kMc.Slides from the presentation are available here.

Extension Foundation Selected by USDA-NIFA as Technical Provider for NEXTGEN Funding Opportunity - The primary goal of the From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals Program (NEXTGEN) is to enable 1890 LGUs, 1994 LGUs, Alaska Native-serving and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, and insular area institutions of higher education located in the U.S. territories to engage, recruit, retain, train, and support students to help build and sustain the next generation of the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences (FANH) workforce including the future USDA workforce. The Foundation will raise awareness of the NEXTGEN program and provide technical assistance for eligible institutions to develop teams, partners, program strategies and to connect with USDA and other career opportunities. The APLU will support the Foundation in their role to help connect potential institutional partners to one another. Read more here.

2022 Joint ESS/CES-NEDA Meeting Begins

Today at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront, at least 67 Extension Directors and Administrators plus some member of leadership teams from a total of 56 Land-grant Institutions located in 43 states, plus Territories and Tribes, begin participating in the Joint ESS/CES-NEDA Meeting, Building Trust. Through dialogue and discovery, the delegation of 170+ people will cover 4 topic areas including the future of land-grant universities. The Cooperative Extension Section and the Experiment Station Sections of the Board on Agriculture Assembly will conduct respective business, too. Next week's release will include highlights and resources for the good of all. Check out what is happening here.

Executive Director Search Reminder - The ECOP Executive Director Search Advisory Committee would like to remind members of the Section that the Executive Director position headquartered at APLU in Washington, DC described here will remain open until filled. The Committee recently enhanced their process by asking the EDA Team to solicit topics for System seminars and questions to interview finalist candidates. Members of AEA, ASRED, NEED, NCCEA, and WEDA should send their ideas directly to their Executive Director or Administrator by the end of the week. 

Annual ECOP Meeting Calendar Released - ECOP is pleased to release their 2022-2023 Meeting Calendar. Members of the Cooperative Extension Section are most welcome to ECOP Meetings and should inquire with their EDA Team and/or the National Office to obtain details. Agenda items are typically established in two ways. 1) Contact with ECOP Standing Committees (Executive, Professional Development, Program, 4-H Leadership, Budget & Legislative), and 2) by the 20+Appointees and Liaisons, for example, Extension Foundation, LEAD21, Board on Human Sciences (BoHS), Journal of Extension, Joint Council of Extension Professionals (JCEP), and Council on Agricultural Research, Extension and Teaching (CARET), working through their EDA Team point of contact listed here. ECOP solicits agenda items and written reports 3 times annually by Appointees and Liaisons. All Members of the Section and 1994 Extension Directors - save the dates for the First Friday events, monthly national conversations, and the week of 2023 NEDA, October 9-12, and watch for more details.

National Leadership 101 and EXCITE Update Recording Available - On September 9, 26 Extension Directors, joined ECOP's latest monthly Friday Zoom event. All 5 regions and the 1994 Tribal Universities were present. To experience the entire 1-hour session, use https://youtu.be/qQT3UaQqNIE. The 15-minute update on EXCITE starts here, and Orientation to the National Extension Leadership and Where Do We Fit in the Scheme of Things? featuring 3 panelists starts here. Check out the Orientation slides here.

Connecting With Amish and Other Plain Communities Conference - Purdue Extension, Penn State Extension, and Elizabethtown College are presenting Working with Amish and Other Plain Communities for Extension and related agency professionals November 1-3, 2022. Participants will learn directly from a panel of Amish leaders about the industry, family life and agriculture in a Q&A session. Attendees will have the opportunity to view Amish life firsthand on tours including furniture manufacturing, agriculture, and family life. To conclude the conference, three local Amish leaders will share their valuable perspectives and summarize the conference’s key messages. Topics covered in the conference include:
· Overview of Amish, Mennonite, and other plain groups across the country
· Relations with the state and the wider English world
· Amish community organization, work, and social change
Registration is found at https://puext.in/AmishConference. 

Search Begins for National Office Executive

The ECOP Monday Minute is on hiatus until September 12, 2022. Have a safe Labor Day!

Search Begins for National Office Executive - Under the leadership of its Chair and Chair-elect, ECOP, the 15-member Governing Board of the Cooperative Extension System, is seeking to hire a highly skilled Executive Director to serve and guide its mission "to strengthen Cooperative Extension at national, state and local levels." Successful candidates will have extensive experience with the System, be an exceptional leader and communicator, and possess the ability to develop partnerships and relationships across a variety of constituencies, including the federal enterprise. A select 7-member search team consists of 5 Extension Section members from each of its Regions, 1 person representing the EDA Team, and 1 person to liaise with the hiring authority that is the APLU. ECOP's commission of the team includes recruiting candidates, screening applications, conducting interviews, gathering input from across the System and Extension's Strategic Partners, advising the Board, and influencing the process to hire. Please share this announcement widely. Priority will be given to applications received by September 15, 2022. Thank you.

Joint ESS/CES-NEDA Meeting Only 4 Weeks Away - The annual National Extension Directors and Administrators gathering will occur jointly with the Experimental Station Directors in Baltimore September 25-28. So far, 55 members of the Cooperative Extension Section (76) have responded to their invitation. The extended deadline to reserve a room at the Marriott Waterfront is September 4. The absolute deadline to register is September 18. Links to vital meeting information is found at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/392702001257. 

Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan - On September 7, 2022, at 11 a.m. ET USDA NIFA will hold an informational webinar about the recently published NIFA Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan, which represents the agency’s coordinated, collaborative response to the vulnerabilities and impacts caused by our changing climate. This one-hour webinar will provide an overview of the plan’s contents, and time will be reserved for audience questions. Registration for the webinar if found here.




ECOP/ACOP at 2022 JointCOPs - At the 2022 JointCOPs meeting in July in Washington, DC, ECOP met with leaders from the APLU's Board on Agriculture Assembly Academic Programs Committee on Organization and Policy (ACOP), the executive committee of the Academic Programs Section. The lively discussion addressed the questions: How can Extension and youth programs help with student recruitment, and how can ACOP help with Extension workforce development? Many resources and efforts were shared during the session, including partnerships between the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska and Nebraska Extension. Check out the following resources:
· Rural Prosperity Nebraska Fellowship Program
· Early College and Career Pathways (Examples)
· Digital Badges
· Master of Applied Science (online)



Next NCFAR's Lunch-N-Learn Series Features Advances in Food Science and Technology- For more than 40 years, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans have provided science-based guidance for healthy eating, yet the quality of American diets has shown limited improvement. Please make congressional contacts aware of the National Coalition on Food and Agricultural Research (NCFAR) webinar on Tuesday, September 13, 2022, 11:00 AM ET, Helping Americans Meet the Dietary Guidelines - Advances and Opportunities in Food Science and Technology, featuring Dr. Noel Anderson, Mosaic Food Advisors LLC. NCFAR’s "Lunch-N-Learn" series features experts from across the country sharing expertise on a wide range of topics. These events educate and empower staff on Capitol Hill and policy stakeholders about the value of public investment in food and agricultural research and Extension. Pre-registration here is required.

EXCITE Newsletter - The EXCITE Newsletter is a weekly communication to provide an inclusive and concise update on important happenings related to Immunization Education. Included in the newsletter is information on workshops, resources, requests, and updates. Check out the newsletter and the means to subscribe here.

Registration for Joint ESS/CES-NEDA 2022

Last Friday Cooperative Extension and the Agriculture Research Directors and Administrators received much-anticipated invitation to register for the Joint ESS/CES-NEDA Meeting, September 25-28, 2022. Building Trust is the theme for the event to be held at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront. This list of members of the Cooperative Extension Section and those with whom they delegate are urged to review the agenda and to register here for the first in person NEDA meeting since 2019. 

• The Cost to register for all Sessions, Sunday-Tuesday, September 25-27, is $600.
• The Cost to register for the bullet above and post-meeting sessions, Regional Association business, on Wednesday, September 28, is $750.

Either option includes the annual business meeting Tuesday, September 27, 1:30 – 5:00 p.m.

• 1-hour Extension Foundation Meeting
• Networking Break
• 2-hour Cooperative Extension Section Business Meeting, presided by ECOP Chair Wendy Powers, University of California
  

Revisit the registration link after August 10 to book lodging. Listen to 90-second video promotion by keynote speaker, David Horsager, the Trust Edge - https://youtu.be/FjQC8pKXJkM. To register a travel companion for joint meeting meals served at the Marriott, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/392746684907. Direct questions to Ms. Jenn Tippetts at jennifer.tippetts@waaesd.org.

NRCS Releases Climate Change Adaptation Plan - USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service has released a new Climate Change Adaptation Plan that works to ensure its programs and services meet the demands of the changing agricultural landscape for farmers, ranchers, forest landowners, and land managers, and rural communities. The plan found here evaluates seven current vulnerabilities to NRCS’s mission, operation and infrastructure that may be affected by climate change and prioritizes key actions to address these vulnerabilities. 

Nominations for CARET Awards - The Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching (CARET), a voluntary organization of citizens cooperating with the Board on Agriculture Assembly, is seeking nominations for 2 types awards by September 15, 2022. At the March 2023 CARET/AHS Joint Meeting, the Lifetime of Service and the Meritorious Service Award will be presented to individuals who have been extraordinary in their service to CARET. The Lifetime Service Award is given to a longstanding CARET delegate who made significant contributions over many years and concluded their service to CARET. The Meritorious Service Award is given to an individual who has supported CARET and the overall Land-grant University community. Learn more about both awards here. Please submit nominations to fbethel@aplu.org by the deadline. 

FFAR Board Holds Public Conversation Next Month - The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) leverages public and private resources to increase the scientific and technological research, innovation, and partnerships critical to boosting America's agricultural economy. The FFAR Board of Directors will host the Foundation’s annual Public Conversation on September 8, 2022, from 10:00-11:30 AM ET. This year’s event will be held in-person and virtual. The Public Conversation is an opportunity for the public and members of the food and agriculture community to hear from FFAR’s leadership and interact with them during the public comments and Q&A session. At this year’s event, meet FFAR’s incoming Executive Director, Dr. Saharah Moon Chapotin, learn about FFAR, and engage with the Board of Directors. Go here to register to attend the event and/or submit comments to FFAR in advance. 

Joint ESS/CES-NEDA Meeting Reminder

The Cooperative Extension Section members and partners are once again encouraged to Save the Date for our upcoming Joint Experiment Station Section/Cooperative Extension Section-National Extension Directors' and Administrators' (Joint ESS/CES-NEDA) Meeting. The meeting will be held from September 25-28, 2022 at the Marriott Baltimore Waterfront. With the theme Building Trust, the Joint Meeting Planning Committee has engaged Trust Edge Leadership Institute to keynote, provide a working session, and detail a summary of meeting conversations and resources for action. The full meeting agenda, details to register, and hotel reservation information will be forthcoming here.

New National Agricultural Statistical Service Highlights Available - The Cooperative Extension Section of the Board on Ag Assembly has an MOU in place with USDA NASS that recognizes the value of partnership and collaboration to share resources and opportunities. Among the many NASS resources are four new survey Highlights available for corn, cotton, and rice chemical use surveys, and the floriculture survey. NASS Highlights provide easy-to-read summaries of key surveys for you to use and share with partners. Other NASS partner tools are located here.

Reaching Women in Agriculture: A Guide to Virtual Engagement - This guide, developed through a partnership between American Farmland Trust and University of Vermont Extension, brings together information, tips and tools to deliver effective and engaging online (and hybrid) education for farm and ranch women on topics related to farm viability, resilience and conservation.



Seeking Nominations for the Board on Human Sciences Awards - BoHS member institutions listed here are eligible to nominate leaders in the human sciences for these awards. Each award has specific criteria for eligibility. Awards will be presented at APLU’s Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, November 6-8, 2022. BoHS will provide travel expenses and appropriate recognition. The APLU Annual Meeting is a gathering of higher education leaders from across North America, with the goal to share best practices and strategies; strengthen community amongst public and land-grant universities; and make lasting connections with colleagues. Learn more about the different awards using the links below. All award materials should be submitted to Kim Scotto, BoHS Associate (bohs@aplu.org), by July 29, 2022.
--> Ellen Swallow Richards Public Service Award

--> Lifetime Achievement Award
--> Outstanding Engagement Award
--> Undergraduate Research Mentor Award

1890 Institution Teaching, Research and Extension Capacity Building Grants (CBG) Program Opportunity - The 1890 CBG is intended to strengthen teaching, research and Extension programs in the food and agricultural sciences by building the institutional capacities of the 1890 Land-grant Institutions, including Tuskegee University, West Virginia State University, and Central State University. CBG supports teaching projects in the food and agricultural sciences in the areas of curriculum design, materials development, faculty development, and others. CBG strengthens research and Extension programs in need areas of studies and experimentation, program development support systems, and more. CBG applications must address at least one of the following NIFA strategic goals: sustainable bioenergy; food security; childhood obesity prevention; or food safety. Applications deadline is August 31. For more information, read the CBG funding announcement. NIFA is hosting a webinar about this program on July 14 at noon EDT.

Save the Date for Joint ESS/CES-NEDA Meeting

The Cooperative Extension Section (CES) Annual meeting, also known as the National Extension Directors and Administrators (NEDA) meeting, will be held jointly this year with the Experiment Station Section (ESS). The meeting theme is Building Trust and in draft will take place September 25-28, 2022, at the Marriott Baltimore Waterfront. The Meeting Planning Committee is co-chaired by Chris Watkins, Cornell University, and Matt Wilson, West Virginia University, and consists of equal representation by each Section and Region. Members of both Sections of the Board on Agriculture Assembly, a unit of APLU's Commission on Food, Environment, & Renewable Resources, are encouraged to save the date for this important meeting. Stay tuned to email and during future ECOP and ESCOP organized meetings for more information as it becomes available. Links to registration will eventually be shared here on the APLU website.



Survey Contributes to System-wide Analysis of Vaccine Hesitancy - Thousands of Extension professionals connected with the Extension Foundation wrap-around services to the System and the EXCITE Project were invited last Tuesday to participate in a voluntary, anonymous survey that is officially endorsed and supported by ECOP. For the 20 minutes or so that it takes to complete the survey, responses will inform the aim of EXCITE’s Getting to the Heart of the Matter project to reduce vaccine hesitancy, and increase employees’ willingness to conduct adult learning about vaccinations. This week Extension Leaders from 1862, 1980, and 1994 land-grant institutions are encouraged to share the direct link to the survey https://wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3jU0g7onaHBbd5k with all of their personnel. More reminders from Extension Foundation are anticipated. Questions/comments about the survey may be directed to Principal Investigator, Dr. Erica Weintraub Austin, eaustin@wsu.edu, or 509-335-8840.

USDA NIFA Live FAQ Session: Rapid Response to Extreme Weather Events Across Food and Agriculture Systems - The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Rapid Response to Extreme Weather Events Across Food and Agricultural Systems (A1712) program area priority is designed to rapidly identify and implement strategies to protect the nation’s food and agricultural supply chains and the people who support them during and after extreme weather events. NIFA invites interested applicants to join on April 25, 2022, at 3:30 p.m. ET to learn more about this program area priority and to meet the team during a live FAQ event. Contact afri-rapidresponse@usda.gov for details.

NUEL 2021 Accomplishment Report Available - The National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL) recently presented a detailed 2021 Accomplishment Report to the ECOP Program Committee, chaired by Brent Hales, Penn State. NUEL focused its work in 2021 around expanding and enhancing communication with Extension professionals working in urban environments, working with Extension professionals nationally to identify a set of priority issues for Extension’s urban work, providing leadership for the development of the new ECOP Urban Agriculture and Food Systems Program Action Team, and continuing to build national partnerships in support of Extension urban focused work. The complete report, along with NUEL accomplishment reports from previous years, can be accessed at NUEL Accomplishments website.



USDA NIFA AFRI Education and Workforce Development Grant Opportunity - Education and Workforce Development focuses on developing the next generation of research, education, and Extension professionals in the food and agricultural sciences. The aim of these grants is to cultivate future industry, government, or academic leaders who can solve emerging agricultural challenges of the 21st Century. In 2022, NIFA requests applications for AFRI’s Education and Workforce Development program areas to support: professional development opportunities for K-14 educational professionals; non-formal education that cultivates food and agricultural interest in youth; workforce training at community, junior, and technical colleges; training of undergraduate students in research and extension; fellowships for predoctoral candidates and postdoctoral scholars; and special workforce development topics. Application deadlines varies by program area. For more information, read the AFRI - EWD funding announcement.