2018 November PCEA-EC Minutes
Minutes: Piscataquis County Extension Association Executive Committee Meeting, 11/7/18
Present: Members: Beth McEvoy, Carole Boothroyd, Karen Murphy Gretchen Huettner
Staff: Donna Coffin, Trisha Smith, Sheila Norman, Lisa Phelps
8 guests
- President Beth McEvoy called the meeting to order at 5:30 pm.
- Members of the Executive Board introduced themselves to guests and Beth extended an invitation to become members.
- Copies of the 2017-2018 Annual Report were handed out and key points were emphasized.
- Lisa Phelps, Acting Director of UMaine Cooperative Extension, was introduced and spoke briefly about her various roles. Lisa talked about the search for a professional to replace retiree Barb Baker. Gretchen Huettner has volunteered to represent Piscataquis County on the Search Committee.
- Beth thanked Dottie Hadler and Richard Neal for their service on the Executive Board as they retire.
- The business meeting was adjourned at 5:55 pm
Everyone enjoyed a delicious dinner, catered by DKB from Greenville, followed by a presentation by Trisha Smith on the Master Gardener program. Guest speaker Alicyn Smart, Plant Pathologist gave a virtual tour of the new Diagnostic Lab in Orono. She described how the lab can identify the type of tick and whether it is a disease vector in 2-3 day turnaround. She showed the 500-gallon aquatics tanks where aquatic species are cleaned and kept in natural conditions. The lab features a cold room for DNA samples and an animal diagnostic lab. Alicyn described the plant disease diagnostic lab, what she needs in a sample to be able to plate the pathogens and the best way to send samples. Her presentation ended with questions and answers from the audience.
Submitted by Carole Boothroyd, Secretary 11/27/2018