News September 2015
NACDEP Newsletter September Edition

In This Issue...

  1. President's Letter

  2. JCEP Leadership Conference

  3. State and Multi-State NACDEP Chapters

  4. Missouri/South Africa

  5. News from the West

  6. New Program at Penn State

  7. International Program Opportunity: India

  8. News from NIFA

  9. JCEP - Moving Forward

What's up with Vermont in 2016

No, it’s not just Bernie Sanders. It’s Extension!

Conference planning for the NACDEP ANREP Joint Annual Conference continues to chug along. Keep your eyes peeled for news and updates. Those dates again are June 26-29, 2016 at the Sheraton in Burlington. Your NACDEP Board will be meeting in Burlington on September 16-18 to tour our facilities, identify mobile workshop candidates, gather with some of our ANREP colleagues, and keep working on improving association operation and governance.

The call for session proposals is under development, so expect to see that in the coming weeks. Put your thinking caps on and consider what great Extension research and programming you are engaged in that would make an engaging session or poster. Recommend your colleagues submit their work as well. This year we’re making a concerted push to significantly expand the poster session, as well as feature cross- and trans-disciplinary presentations that include community economic development as well as natural resources.

If you are interested in volunteering on a conference planning committee, we can always use a few more engaged people to share their time and talents. Send me a quick note at [email protected].

I am super excited for this opportunity to gather with our ANREP colleagues in picturesque Burlington, Vermont. My family is almost as excited for the opportunity to join me up there next June. Write “NACDEP BURLINGTON VT” in big happy block letters on those dates, start thinking about your session proposals and award nominations, and of course travel plans to the Green Mountain State.

All the best-

Josh Clements
NACDEP President-Elect
Iowa State University Extension & Outreach



 

Colleagues: Greetings and welcome to the September 2015 issue of the NACDEP newsletter.  You will be able to see from all the activities, events and opportunities presented in this newsletter that our organization is flourishing like never before. 

Note all the international activities, including a program between Missouri and South Africa as well as an upcoming study tour in India.  There’s a lot going on right here in the USA, including a program to involve farmers in local government, and of course plans for the JCEP conference in Las Vegas and the NACDEP conference in Burlington.  We also have an update from USDA.  Happy reading!

Thomas W. Blaine, PhD.
NACDEP Newsletter Editor


President's Letter


Changes in seasons are often accompanied by shifts in weather and our daily routines. The same holds true for NACDEP. If we think of summer as our traditional conference season, fall is the time to start thinking about recruitment of new leadership and annual strategic planning for the future. 

Even though the 2015-2016 Board of Directors was installed just a few months ago at our annual conference, now is the time to begin thinking about nominations for the next slate of officers. According to our bylaws, elections will be held annually before the end of the calendar year. Our Nominations Committee will solicit, review and confirm nominations for each office received from NACDEP members. As Past President, Alison Davis serves as chair of the committee. Offices to be elected this year include a new President Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, 1994 Institution Representative, Northeast Region Representative and Southern Region Representative.

I encourage anyone interested in running for office to review our bylaws and policies and procedures related to the office of interest and to visit with current or former Board members to learn more about what it entails. As someone who has served as a regional rep and is now serving the second of my three-year commitment in the presidential rotation, I can tell you that while it does take time and effort to fulfill your responsibilities, it is also extremely rewarding. It has enabled me to improve my leadership skills and build what I hope are long-lasting relationships with wonderful colleagues from across the country. If are interested in running for office or know someone who would do an excellent job, I encourage you to submit a nomination. NACDEP needs strong leaders for a successful future. 

The current Board of Directors will be convening in Burlington, Vermont later this month for our annual retreat. While the location was chosen to allow us to become familiar with next year’s conference venue and engage with conference host state committee members, the bulk of our time will be spent assessing where we are as an organization, identifying future priorities, and developing action plans for moving forward. Much of this discussion will be based on conversations held at the 2015 Conference “Morning Buzz” session and input from NACDEP committees and our partners, including NIFA, Regional Rural Development Centers, and state program leaders. If you have ideas about something NACDEP can do to better support members, contact your regional representative today. Contact information for all Board members can be found on our website at http://www.nacdep.net/leadership

In closing, I’ll reiterate my question and call for action to you from June. “Are you maximizing your investment in NACDEP. Are you “giving” and “taking” everything you can?” There are many ways to engage with NACDEP throughout the year, and each of us has unique needs and goals. I encourage you to consider your current circumstance and connect to NACDEP in a meaningful way. If there’s anything I can do to support you in this process, please don’t hesitate to give me a call or email. Have a fantastic fall!

Stacey McCullough

NACDEP President



 JCEP Leadership Conference

 
Plan now to attend the 2016 JCEP Leadership Conference

One of the best professional development conferences I've ever attended.  Loved the Keynote Speaker!!! Learned a lot about leadership!!

These are just a few of the positive comments about the 2015 Joint Council of Extension Professionals (JCEP) Leadership Conference. Mark your calendar for the 2016 conference, February 10-11 at the Tropicana Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada. This professional development opportunity is a great way to build your leadership skills, hear top quality keynote speakers, network and learn from Extension colleagues from across the nation.

Attend the 2016 conference if you are:

  • Seeking a high quality professional development opportunity and leadership development training.  
  • A state or national leader in any of the seven JCEP member associations.
  • Active at the state level and are ready for national committee or board leadership.
  • An Extension professional with a leadership role such as a county director, district or regional director or other administrative position.


The planning committee has great ideas to keep enhancing this conference with an outstanding keynote speaker, and new concurrent session options and tracks. Stay tuned for the request for presentations later this fall. Don’t miss out!



 State & Multi-state NACDEP Chapters

Based on recommendations from a Special NACDEP State Chapters Committee led by co-chairs Trudy Rice and Diane Vigna, the NACDEP Board of Directors has adopted a new application form and policies and procedures for the establishment of local chapters. In doing so, it is our goal to develop strong working relationships with state and regional associations of Extension professionals who share similar organizational goals. We hope to ensure that these relationships are mutually beneficial and flexible enough to allow for growth over time. For more details, see Section L of NACDEP’s Policies & Procedures Handbook which can be found online at http://www.nacdep.net/document-library.

NACDEP extends its sincere appreciation to Trudy Rice, Diane Vigna, Michael Darger, Michael Dougherty, Brad Neumann, Jaime Menon, Richard Proffer, Josh Clements, Susan Kelly, Brian Raison and Paul LaChapelle for their service on the State Chapters Committee over the past year.


Joint Community Development Program South Africa/Missouri

University of Missouri Extension’s community development program is currently in the midst of piloting an International Community Leadership Development Program in collaboration with the University of the Western Cape, South Africa.  The South African community members recently visited Missouri for their practicum experience, visiting local governments, nonprofit and faith-based organizations.  The Missouri program participants will complete their classwork in September, and will be visiting South Africa in October.

Questions?  Contact Connie Mefford, University of Missouri Extension


News from the Western Region

Call for Presentation Proposals: Extension Sustainability Summit

The Western Rural Development Center and Utah State University Extension Sustainability are pleased to announce proposals for presentations are now being accepted for the second Extension Sustainability Summit, which will be held in Portland, Oregon, April 5-7, 2016.  Click here for details: https://wrdc.usu.edu/htm/programs/ess2016/ess2016call/

The Summit will bring together Extension personnel and others to present and discuss outreach and education activities in five areas: Land, Climate/Air, Food, Water, and Energy.

The Summit will be organized around the five themes. Presenters will be allotted 15 minutes to present their materials plus five minutes for questions and answers, and will also participate in 30-minute "lightning sessions" following each themed session. The "lightning sessions" will be interactive sessions wherein groups will discuss the materials presented, how they may be applied in their respective work, and envision future directions in Extension regarding sustainability programmatic outreach.

The planning committee is interested in receiving proposals concerning Extension sustainability programming including: program examples, case studies, curricula, and future plans.

Proposals can be in any of the five topic areas and examples include:

  • LAND - stewardship, planning, landfill-related education (i.e. reduce, reuse, recycle)
  • CLIMATE/AIR - quality, extreme weather, drought preparedness, climate change
  • FOOD - local food programs, sustainable food systems
  • WATER - quality, conservation, habitat
  • ENERGY - renewable, efficiency


Mark Your Calendars!

October 27-29, 2015: Extension Tourism Conference

The call for proposals is open for this conference, held at the Moody Gardens Resort in Galveston, Texas. Visit http://extensiontourism.net/ for more information.

 

December 8-10, 2015: Extension Climate Science Conference

Head to Bozeman, MT and discover climate science basics, Montana and regional climate trends, stakeholder perspectives, tools and resources for Extension programming, effective communication techniques, program-focused discussions, and opportunities to collaborate. The Conference is sponsored by Montana State University Extension and USDA Northern Plains Regional Climate Hub and Co-Sponsored by the Western Rural Development Center. Many of the speakers and sessions will also be aired via live video. For more information or join the email list for updates: [email protected]


February 11-13, 2016: New Partners for Smart Growth Conference. 

This conference will take place at the Hilton Portland Hotel, Portland OR. Visit this website for more information:
https://newpartners.org


Community Development Extension Institute

#CDEI2016

May 22-24, 2016

Snow King Resort

Jackson, Wyoming

The Western Rural Development Center is excited to present the second Community Development Extension Institute (CDEI). 

Designed for Extension educators, specialists, and community partners with a Community Development component to their work, the Institute will provide attendees with lively skill-building and in-depth application sessions introducing them to the foundations of community development and how to apply these foundations in their ongoing work with communities.

The planning committee is designing the training sessions now, and welcomes your input! Take the short survey and tell us what you want to learn about at the Institute. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WRDC_CDEI2016

Then stay up-to-date on all the CDEI news by joining the mailing list! Just send an email to [email protected] with ‘CDEI’ in the subject line.

June 26-29, 2016: NACDEP/ANREP Conference

The 2016 joint conference will take place in Burlington, Vermont. The theme of next years’ conference is “Building a Path to Resiliency: United Natural Resources & Community Development.” For more information, visit http://www.nacdep.net/conferences-events

Submitted by Roslynn G.H. Brain

Utah State University Moab


New Program at Penn State on Farmer Participation in Local Government

Increasing Farmer Participation in Local Government is a project of Penn State Extension funded by NE SARE.  This 2-year project is designed to address the problem that although much of the policy and legislation that affects Pennsylvania’s agricultural community is enacted at the local level, many local governments don’t know how to be farm-friendly in their regulations. This problem is aggravated by the apathy towards local public service in many rural areas of the state, where elected seats on borough councils and township boards often go unfilled.  The result is a ‘perfect storm’ of local government officials with limited ability to help farmers prosper and significant ability to promulgate regulations that, though unintended, get in the farmer’s way.

A proposed solution is to increase farmer involvement by service on elected or appointed boards, to increase local advocacy on agricultural issues.  The project has two parts: First, focus group research with major agricultural groups in PA will help identify some of the barriers to farmer participation in local government.  Then Extension will customize its Toss Your Hat in the Ring workshop on running for local office to address the barriers identified.  The workshop will be offered directly to farmers at their ag organization venues, such annual conferences and twilight tours.   Collaborating organizations include PA Association for Sustainable Agriculture, PA Farm Bureau and PA Women’s Agricultural Network.

Questions?  Contact Judy Chambers, Penn State Extension


International Program Opportunity: India

The International Association for Community Development (IACD) is pleased to announce our upcoming Community Development “Practice Exchange” in India March 10-21, 2016; this 12-day study tour will provide an in-depth and intimate look at community development work in India.  The theme of this Practice Exchange is “Sustainable communities: Integrating social, economic, environmental and cultural aspects of community-led development.”
The focus of this program will be on learning about sustainable community-led development, with particular emphasis on micro-enterprise promotion, and on holistic, ecologically sustainable development in the rural context; exchanging best practice in community development with stakeholders representing a diversity of interests and backgrounds; reflecting on the critical local to global connections in the field of community development and ways of incorporating those into practice; and, engaging community development practitioners in a dialogue about the UN Sustainable Development Goals.  Locations include New Delhi, Uttarakhand (northern India-Himalayas), and Rajasthan.  This program is intended as a professional development opportunity for community development practitioners who wish to learn from examples of innovative good practice, and from the context of a developing nation, and to share their experience and knowledge with others.
 
The program will be limited to a maximum of 35 participants, divided into smaller groups during field visits.  This is a tremendous opportunity to learn about new cultures, global perspectives, and innovative teaching and research techniques.

For more information, go to: http://www.iacdglobal.org/events/sustainable-communities-practice-exchange-india-march-2016 or contact IACD Board Member and North America Rep Paul Lachapelle, at [email protected].



News from NIFA

Autumn’s Approach

When the calendar turns to September at NIFA, the final push toward fiscal year’s end is in full (and frantic) swing.  That affords us the opportunity to reflect on the year (almost) gone while planning for what the new fiscal year has to offer.
 
By all markers, FY15 has been a banner year.  The four Regional Rural Development Centers (RRDCs http://rrdc.info/) have a well-established and respected program that provides federal entities with access to the capacity of the land grant university system.  By aligning regional approaches that advance shared mission interests, national impact and public value are more readily and efficiently achieved.  Throughout the past year, the RRDCs continued linkages with NIFA and USDA-Rural Development, NIFA and HHS-Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration – for innovative change in such priority need areas as new economic development strategies (Stronger Economies Together – http://srdc.msstate.edu/set/) and solutions to community behavioral health concerns (Community Assessment and Education to Promote Behavioral Health Planning and Evaluation – http://www.healthbench.info/).  The RRDCs also launched the Asian American Pacific Islander Resource Center with the Hmong Language Media Resource (http://www.hmongusda.info/home.html).  Further, the RRDCs worked with scientists and Extension faculty to develop frontline thinking and planning around emergent priorities like climate variability, disaster preparedness, persistent poverty, and local and regional food systems.  Due to the success in providing training to potential applicants to the USDA Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS) Farmers Market and Local Foods Promotion Program (http://www.amsta.net/), AMS has again engaged NIFA and the RRDCs, to help coordinate the mapping of local food resources in selected pilot states across the southern and western regions this next year.

As the local foods movement continues to garner attention and resources, what other pressing concerns or trending issues are on the immediate horizon?  Creative placemaking, rural-urban interdependence, and entrepreneurship are just a few of the many areas of interest that warrant additional attention.  To help chart a path forward, NIFA will coordinate a planning process that brings together experts in Community Resource & Economic Development, Family & Consumer Sciences, and the Regional Rural Development Centers to develop a strategic future direction for regional Extension efforts that combine the expertise and resources of CRD and FCS, as well as Ag & Natural Resources and 4-H Youth Development where appropriate.  The intent of this interdisciplinary approach is to build strategic actions and bring CRD/FCS/RRDC expertise to bear on critical regional issues in a highly integrative, efficient and cost effective way, while reducing duplication of effort across disciplines and fields. The focus in FY16 and beyond is to grow and enhance Extension efforts that advance NIFA and USDA science priorities from an applied perspective.  We’ve begun laying the groundwork in discussions with the RRDC directors and at the Southern Regional Program Leaders Network.  Additional sessions scheduled with the National Extension Association of Family & Consumer Sciences in November and with North Central Region CRD Program Leaders in December will further inform the framework and the timeline that we expect to release in January.  We’ll use the 2016 ANREP/NACDEP Conference in June to preview the work to date and solicit members’ input that further informs and enlivens the discussion.  (Make sure you’re in Burlington to contribute!)  The shared pursuit of common measures and indicators that demonstrate collective impact and public value will undergird the entire effort.

In providing the coordinating infrastructure for regionally focused community and economic development efforts that have local, regional, and national impacts, NIFA and our partners bring science-based knowledge to the challenge of solving the nation’s most pressing regional rural development needs in order to enhance community vitality.  As the professional association dedicated to improving the visibility, coordination, professional status and resource base of community and economic development Extension programs and professionals, NACDEP is integral to improving the quality of community life across this amazing country we are so fortunate to call home.


Submitted by Brent Elrod, USDA


JCEP – Moving Forward from Jeff Myers, Outgoing JCEP President

Your national Joint Council of Extension Professional’s (JCEP) Board has approved a new mission statement and strategic plan.  As a member of your individual professional associations, you are members of JCEP.  Your JCEP mission statement reads as follows:

‘To elevate the awareness of Extension’s national reputation as an organization of excellence, synergistically leverage the efforts of the member associations, foster leadership and collaboration, provide professional development and scholarship opportunities, and advocate for the Extension profession.’

The newly approved three year strategic plan which will guide us forward can be found at the website JCEP http://www.jcep.org/.  The Strategic Plan and Mission Statement were executed by a committee chaired by Ann Berry, ESP.

As my year as President comes to a close, I want to be able to share a few other highlights of your JCEP organization.  The work which has been accomplished has been due to the selfless work of your individual association officers (Past President, President and President-Elect of each of your respective associations).

Significant news from our Winter Board meeting was the inclusion of the National Association of Extension Program and Staff Development Professionals (NAEPSDP) to the JCEP family.  We are excited to broaden the talent and skills around the ‘JCEP table’ with the addition of their outstanding professional development and evaluation skills!

The 2015 JCEP Leadership Conference was led by Kathy Olson, NEAFCS.  The conference was 250 attendees strong and continues our evolution from the conference’s creation as an association leadership training, moving towards a broader leadership training conference.  We even became an international conference in 2015 with an attendee from Saudi Arabia! The 2016 JCEP Leadership Conference will return to Las Vegas on February 10- 11.  Dean Solomon, ANREP, will be providing the leadership for the upcoming conference with the theme, “Leadership Across Generations.”  And if you’re a planner and looking to 2017, we will be returning east to Orlando, FL.

In 2014 a JCEP Blue Ribbon Committee was created to identify a mechanism to provide a new professional development opportunity for Cooperative Extension personnel. 2015 included approval of the Blue Ribbon Committee’s white paper that directed an exploration of a focus- based, emerging national issues conference.  Leadership for the white paper was chaired by Peg Ehlers, NEAFCS; the baton to develop the underpinnings of a conference was passed to chair, Alison Davis, NACDEP.  The Blue Ribbon Committee created a survey to determine perception of emerging issues and future conference structure that 1400 of you responded providing powerful data for decision making.  The committee has currently drafted a two page summary of the survey results; stay tuned for its release.  Also, ECOP has agreed to lend their expertise as partners to support the execution of the first conference moving forward!

Kathy Riggs, NEA4-HA, chaired our 2015 Public Issues and Leadership Development Conference (PILD) which featured an exceptional advocacy leadership training, as well as celebration of the 125th Anniversary of the Second Morrill Act establishing the 1890’s.  Jeff Holland, NEA4-HA, is chairing the 2016 PILD Conference to be held April 10 – 13 in Crystal City Virginia.  Please plan to join us for this incomparable advocacy conference being built around the theme “Innovation: The Story of Extension.”

A newly developed award, ‘The JCEP Award for Creative Excellence,’ has been approved by the JCEP Board and is ready for release.   The new award goal is to provide recognition for creativity and innovation, especially around emerging issues. It is designed to be attractive to all Extension folks (especially Millennials), encouraging creative and innovative ideas, as well as to fill a niche, recognizing accomplishments not explicitly identified in other association awards.  Dean Solomon, ANREP, has chaired the inventive work done by this committee.

 Lastly, it is my privilege to turn the leadership over to your new JCEP President, Kim Gressley, NEA4-HA.  Kim will provide JCEP her original leadership through 2015 – 2016 along with her officer team, Cynthia Gregg, NACAA, President-Elect; Peg Ehlers, NAEFCS, Treasurer; and Ann Berry, ESP, Secretary.  I encourage each of you to ‘own’ your JCEP membership and that when you have ideas that will benefit overarching goals of our Extension professional associations, please share them with your respective association representatives.  Only then will Extension be the best it can be!

 

I am both grateful and humbled by the opportunity to have served each one of you as JCEP President.

 


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561-477-8100  [email protected]