2024 Summer Newsletter

 

NACDEP Newsletter                                                                                    Summer Edition

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2024 NACDEP Summer Newsletter

From The Editor

Colleagues: Greetings and welcome to the summer edition of the 2024 NACDEP newsletter.  I am sorry I was unable to make it to Houston, but we have a lot of information about the conference in the newsletter.  I was very happy when somebody told me in effect that they heard someone say they wouldn’t know what to do without the newsletter.  I am glad that we are providing a resource that members find so useful.

While we are discussing this, I want to remind you that the newsletter comes out four times a year: July, October, January and April.  We do not have specific dates because holidays and other events sometimes mean we have to alter the timing.  However, we do have two calls for each newsletter.  Call one usually comes out about a week or a little more before call two, which in turn comes out about a week or more before the deadline.  The newsletter is usually published and sent out to all members about 5-7 days after the submission deadline.

Sometimes people like to utilize the newsletter to promote an upcoming event.  You should do that well before the event itself, because the newsletter is for long term planning.  We do not publish often enough to advertise short term notice on events.  We do not rush the publication of the newsletter in order to get it out before an event.  If it is going to be a close call, you need to find an alternative way to advertise the event. One option is to connect with NACDEP Communications Committee, or Comm Comm, as they have quick access to post to our social media accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn and X. On the other hand we strongly encourage you to announce calls for presentations/posters for events prior to their submission deadlines, and to announce the event itself even after the submission deadline has come and gone, for those who may just wish to register and attend.

An example is that we usually have the NACDEP conference in June.  The conference though, usually begins to be promoted in the October issue, and the April issue (two months before the conference) is the last issue that comes out before the conference.  That’s a good timeline for those of you who want to promote other events in the newsletter.  I plan to place the call, deadline, and publication dates for upcoming newsletters in the October issue. But for now, please be advised that the first call for that newsletter will be coming out around the third week of September.

Also, I had a person tell me that their group wanted to publish on a project they were doing, but that it would not be completed in time for the summer newsletter.  I encouraged this person, and I encourage all of you. It is not necessary for you to have a completed project in order to get published in the newsletter.  If you are currently working on a project, whether it is outreach, teaching, or research, you are welcome to submit what you have done so far, especially if it is innovative.  We are not a peer reviewed journal.  Works in progress often make for great newsletter reading. If you have doubts, you can always get in touch with me, and I will give you honest and helpful feedback.

I want to extend a big thank you to Gwynn Stewart and the Communications Committee (COMM COMM) and publisher Ricky Atkins for all the great work they do in helping us deliver the newsletter to you.

So here is our post-conference 2024 newsletter.  Happy Reading.

Thomas W. Blaine, PhD
Associate Professor
Ohio State University
NACDEP Newsletter Editor

 



Reflections on NACDEP 2024

Jaime Menon, NACDEP President Elect
Kansas State University

Post Conference Greetings to all of you wonderful members of NACDEP! Hoping this article finds you well and recovering from the avalanche of work (whether or not you attended the conference – I know we are all dealing with a LOT on our plates)!

I wanted to share a few reflections from my experience at NACDEP 2024, which was an AMAZING experience.

Prairie View. That’s all I can really say, because it says it all. You know the expression “knocked it out of the park”? Well…with Prairie View, they knocked it so far out that it’s out in orbit now. The bar is the highest it’s ever been for experiences, conference sponsorships, engaging atmosphere, PLUS it was the very first 1890 to host the conference, which makes it historic! I could go on, but all I can say is that it’ll be hard for upcoming conferences to match. Even so, a bar set high is a challenge and an opportunity, and I can’t wait to be traveling the country roads of West Virginia to Charleston, in 2025. As we all know in our work, each place has its own unique assets, and the 2025 Conference will have us basking in the awesome experience that Charleston has to offer.

 

The Sessions. I am always inspired by what our colleagues share and the depths of their generosity. I say that because Kansas State Research and Extension’s Community Vitality Unit has been a huge benefactor of that generosity. The impactful programming that was featured at NACDEP has over the last 11 years allowed us to grow from an office of 2 full time staff to 4 full time staff, and helped us to expand our scope and create partnerships across Extension to build a Team that is now affectionally known as KSRECV (K-State Research and Extension Community Vitality). Over the last 11 years conference going, I have watched programming evolve from folders to flash drives, PowerPoint to video, but what never changes is the empathy, innovation and ingenuity that our colleagues bring to address the ever evolving challenges that our communities face.                                                             



The Diversity. This makes me extremely emotional. When I attended my first NACDEP Conference I noticed that it was like many that I attended – there was nearly no diversity. After I joined Comm Comm I got to sit in on meetings with Member Services and I heard their heartfelt call for inclusivity. I had the honor to witness the birth of the DEI Committee. The heartbeat of every member, every Committee, the Board, all aligned to engage our 1862, 1890 and 1994 Land Grant Institutions, members of NACDEP, and nonmembers to strategize and embrace diversity and inclusion…and over time Belonging became a part of the definition of DEI…and I only mention this because it is only the authentic sense of belonging that NACDEP brings to the national space of Extension work that has us now at record breaking attendance, and the most diverse association that I have the honor of being a part of. That said, there is always room for improvement, and I know we’ll continue to provide a true sense of belonging as we expand our DEI effort



On that note, at the Conference I received quite a few congratulations for becoming Chair Elect of this awesome organization (thank you all infinitely for the honor, and for the authentic well wishes), and quite a few of those congratulations included observations and comments that noted that they knew that I would be a thoughtful, authentic, and inclusive President. To that, all that I can say is that the path was long forged before me (shout out to past leadership, notably Rebekka Dudensing and Crystal Tyler Mackey – all have been amazing mentors) by our immensely genuine, empathetic and thoughtful leadership over the years (as well as our Board Members and Committee Chairs, and our members), which now has our new President, Dr. Michelle Eley at the helm, whom I am absolutely ecstatic to have the opportunity to work more closely with to continue to provide a true sense of belonging to our members and those who will join us in the future.

In closing, if you were not able to attend, we truly TRULY missed you (if you have 10 minutes, here is an awesome video produced by Prairie View’s phenomenal Videography Team that you can view to get a sense of how incredible the conference was). If you were able to attend, I hope you had an excellent experience and safe and seamless travels home. 2025 will be a new opportunity to connect in Charleston, and I can’t wait to see you there!

Thank you for ALL that you do! – Jaime Menon, [email protected]

 


 

2024 Conference Evaluation

Submitted by Rebekka Dudensing
Texas A&M

It was great to see everyone at the 2024 NACDEP conference in Houston! If you attended the conference and have not yet done the conference evaluation, we want your feedback! Please take a few moments to complete the evaluation at https://agrilife.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b71xWTXOTAscI0m.

As we plan for next year’s conference in Charleston, WV, June 9-12, we want to know what you thought about this year’s conference and ideas you have for next year. You’re also welcome to email [email protected] with your suggestions or your interest in serving on the 2025 conference planning committee.

 




NACDEP 2024 Conference Recap: A Historic Success Hosted by Prairie View A&M University in Collaboration with Texas A&M University Agrilife Extension Service

Submitted by:
Natriez “Nate” Peterson
2024 NACDEP Conference Chair
Southern RegionalRepresentative

Prairie View A&M University Extension, the first 1890/HBCU Land-grant University to host The National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) Conference, recently celebrated the outstanding success of the NACDEP 2024 Conference, held from June 17–20, 2024, in Houston, TX. Under the theme “The Power of Together,” this annual conference emphasized the collective strength of the land-grant university system in addressing community challenges across the United States. This year’s conference bolstered a record number of attendees, raised over $100,000 in sponsorships and donations underscoring the growing interest in and commitment to community development through the support of various stakeholders and partners.

Dr. Carolyn Williams, Executive Associate Director of Prairie View A&M University Extension, delivered a thought-provoking address at the opening, titled “Without the Extension Service, What Would the World Look Like?” Dr. Williams highlighted how the Cooperative Extension Programs support agricultural innovation, community development, youth education, and public health. Without the extension service, many communities would lack the resources and expertise to address their unique challenges effectively. The Welcome Event also highlighted and supported local vendors and entrepreneurs, celebrating local entrepreneurship and contributing to the community’s economic growth. The evening closed with a legendary performance from the Prairie View A&M University Marching Storm Alumni Band, providing attendees with a snapshot of the HBCU experience by celebrating the vibrant culture of the host institution.

Natriez “Nate” Peterson, the 2024 Conference Chair and Southern Regional Representative for NACDEP, emphasized the importance of early exposure and mentorship. “This year’s conference provided numerous opportunities for students to learn about community development, setting the foundation for their future success,” Peterson stated “NACDEP’s commitment to fostering the next generation of community development professionals was evident throughout the event.”

Another notable conference activity was the silent auction, which aimed to raise funds for future scholarships. The auction’s success contributes to the broader goal of the community, public and private organizing supporting educational opportunities for member and first-time attendees. As a result, 14 deserving attendees were awarded scholarships enabling them to participate in the conference.

Dr. Chris Boleman, President and CEO of Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, served as the keynote speaker. Dr. Boleman highlighted the importance of collaboration in achieving sustainable community development and encouraged attendees to harness the power of their collective expertise to address pressing challenges. The conference concluded with a compelling call to action from Pastor Damon Lynch III, co-founder and board member of the Community Economic Advancement Initiative (CEAI). He advocated for removing the “&” in “community & economic development,” underscoring that progress comes from viewing community and economic development as inseparable and mutually reinforcing components.

The success of the NACDEP 2024 Conference is a testament to the power of collective effort and the enduring impact of the land-grant university mission. As we reflect on this historic event, it is clear that “The Power of Together” will continue to inspire and guide our efforts in addressing the pressing needs of our communities through collaboration, innovation, and dedication.

Special thanks to the conference planning team, NACDEP Board of Directors, NACDEP Executive Director, Texas Extension Administrators, Speakers, Session Presenters, Moderators, Volunteers, Attendees, and Sponsors. Your time, talents, and financial contributions have made this a conference to remember.

Check out the links below to various highlights and materials from the conference:

2024 Conference Booklet

2024 Summary/Highlights Video 

2024 Award Winners Video

2024 Promo Video 

2024 Presenters and Sessions (Session Titles and Abstracts Only)

 

 




New University of Minnesota Extension Podcast Exploring the Connections Between Rural and Urban Spaces

 

Submitted by Ellen Wolter
University Minnesota Extension

Side by Side podcast is a new offering from the University of Minnesota Extension's Department of Community Development. The trailer is available now and episodes will be released weekly starting August 28th.

What does it mean for rural and urban communities to live side by side? Rural sociologists have described urban and rural fates as being shared. Yet, we too often focus on rural and urban spaces as separate and divided entities.

The rural-urban conversation is much more complex than we are led to believe. To prosper together, we will need to better understand how rural and urban communities are connected, to be each other’s allies, to learn from each other, and to work together to meet today’s biggest challenges.

Join University of Minnesota Extension host Ellen Wolter as she explores the interdependent relationship between rural and urban spaces and talks with guests including Heidi Heitkamp, Tuleah Palmer, RT Rybak, Julie Tesch, Jake Loesch, Rhymefest, Tony Pipa, Brian Dabson, and Brigid Tuck about why this complex and necessary relationship matters.

Follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  For more information or to reach our team, connect with us at [email protected] or [email protected].

 




News From NCRCRD - 2 Items

Submitted by Mary Breidenbach.
Purdue Extension

NCR-Stat: Small Business – a new North Central Region open access dataset is now available!

The NCR-Stat: Small BusinessSurvey,conducted by the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD), was developed to explore the intersection of small businesses, benefits, and rural health.

This new, open access dataset includes 1,287 responses from small business owners in the North Central Region on a variety of topics about business, workforce development, community, and health. Renee Wiatt, NCRCRD Research and Extension Specialist, who led the survey’s development and implementation shared, “By specifically exploring the intersection of small businesses and rural health, we hope that researchers can better understand the decisions that small business owners make as employers, what benefits they are able to provide to their employees, rural health impacts, and other aspects of small business ownership in rural America.”

The Small Business survey is part of a larger effort by NCRCRD to build the open access, regional NCR-Stat database, to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers and Extension, and between high- and low-resourced institutions across the region. The other two datasets are NCR-Stat: Baseline and NCR-Stat: Caregiving.

 





Please join us for the NCRCRD August Webinar:

Introducing the New NCR-Stat: Small Business Dataset

Tuesday, August 27 | 1:00 – 2:00 pm ET

Rural businesses are essential to their communities, often employing rural residents and impacting the local economy. This webinar introduces the NCR-Stat: Small Business Survey which NCRCRD conducted to explore the intersection of small businesses, benefits, and rural health. Learn more about this new open access dataset which includes 1,287 responses from small business owners in the North Central Region on a variety of topics: business ownership type, small business benefits, substance misuse and mental health, workforce development, trust and community, adjustment strategies, socioemotional wealth, financials, and business owners’ households.

Presenters:

  • Maria I. Marshall, Director, North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD); Professor and James and Lois Ackerman Endowed Chair in Agricultural Economics, Purdue University; and Director, Purdue Institute for Family Business

  • Renee Wiatt, Research and Extension Specialist, NCRCRD and Purdue Institute for Family Business

Webinar Registration:  https://bit.ly/3WiYOv1



 


 


Registration Open For Community Coaching Learning Circle

Tanya Hall
Purdue Extension

Do you find yourself guiding or coaching community groups? If so, consider registering for the Community Coaching Learning Circle. Purdue Extension Community Development is offering a professional development opportunity for individuals interested in honing their community coaching skills.   

Through participating in this learning community, you will: 

  • Increase your knowledge of the principles and practices of community coaching 
  • Reflect on and increase your self-awareness of your role in different groups 
  • Identify your community coaching style and personal philosophy 
  • Deepen your capacity to coach community groups in a variety of situations 
  • Build a network of colleagues to support continued learning and practice 

Once registered, access to the learning community non-credit course will open on August 16 and have live Zoom meetings every other Monday, 2:00-3:30 pm ET, from August 26-November 6, 2024.  The meetings will include small group discussions. To be fair to fellow group members, participants must be available to attend all meetings. Participants will have approximately 1.5 hours of online coursework between meetings consisting of reading, videos, and self-reflection exercises. Space is limited. 

A prerequisite for the Community Coaching Learning Circle is your valuable experience working with community groups/teams, particularly in guiding these groups/teams towards achieving their goals. This requirement acknowledges and values your existing skills and expertise. 

The course costs $450. There is a discount for group registrations of four or more participants from the same organization. Registration is available at https://bit.ly/CCLC2024 and ends on August 14, 2024.

If you have questions, please reach out to Tanya Hall at [email protected].

 




Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E)


Submitted by Michael Darger
University of Minnesota Extension

Many NACDEPers have taken the University of Minnesota Extension Business Retention and Expansion Course through the years. Most recently, some of the CREATE BRIDGES participants took the course including people from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, NC State, Illinois, New Mexico, and Mississippi. The course was originally developed by an Extension economist, George Morse, and it has been developed over time as a community development approach to BRE. And as long as Michael Darger is working, we're going to keep offering the course. We have an online section September 4-October 29th. Wisconsin Extension is planning to send a team and we invite other states to send a person or a team. The course is targeted to frontline economic development officials and their colleagues. Here's what the Oregon contingent said from this winter's course:

“It was a pleasure to learn from your experience and research on the topic. I don't feel that we have this type of expertise in Oregon — we certainly don't have access to the UMN level of support. Thanks also for office hours availability and talking through our initiative alignment between the BRE and local entrepreneurship work, the insight provided was really helpful to my thinking. I appreciate your candor and humor throughout the course.”

“Really honored to have learned from you and your team — it really is a delightful antidote to the imposter syndrome I have brought into this work as a “new career newbie”!

Early bird deadline is July 31st. Course information here

 


 

Registration Open for the Rural Grocery Transition Specialist Program

Submitted by Erica Blair
Kansas State

Registration is open for the Rural Grocery Transition Specialist program! This self-paced, online course is designed to train resource providers to better support rural grocery business transitions.

  • Learn strategies for building relationships with grocery store owners and managers
  • Develop a deeper understanding of succession planning and business valuation concepts
  • Join a national network of professionals dedicated to supporting rural communities

Students who successfully complete the course will earn a microcredential through K-State Global Campus.

The course starts September 9 and ends December 8, 2024. Registration closes August 30. Register today!

                                                                                                                                                             



Remote Readiness Survey

Amanda Ali
Utah State Extension

The survey

The Remote Online Initiative’s 2024 Special Report assessed remote work readiness in the Mountain West States. We surveyed 418 managers from Mountain West states with 5+ years of experience, involved in decision-making processes. The survey targeted six (6) key areas of remote work proficiency - Hiring, Management, & Engagement; Remote Strategy & Leadership; Communication & Collaboration Tools; Technical Infrastructure; Policies & Compliance; and Security & Privacy. Individual proficiency scores were calculated for each of these areas, with an overall proficiency score.

Results and Links

Most businesses were in the private sector (52%), in the leisure and hospitality, and healthcare industries (12%). All businesses scored in the mid-range (41-79%) for each area of proficiency suggesting there are key areas for improvement. The overall proficiency score was 65% which is in the maturation level, indicating confidence to thrive remotely. For full survey results, click here Remote Work Readiness Results. For more information about this assessment, please visit Remote Work Proficiency Assessment.