ELT Minutes, April 4, 2013
Extension Leadership Team Minutes
Thursday, April 4, 2013
102B Libby Hall, Orono
9:00 am to 3:30 pm
Facilitator: Jon Prichard Notes: Dennis Harrington
Present: Dennis Harrington, Lisa Phelps, Jonathan Prichard, John Rebar and Fran Sulinski.
Guests: Cathy Elliott, Audrey Chapman, and Jennifer O’Leary.
Please note: Due to the confidentiality and sensitivity of some agenda items, these ELT minutes do not represent the full content of each meeting.
Caribou Hall update: Parking lot improvements at the Penobscot County office will begin early this month and be completed by the end of May. Putting a parking lot next to the building will at long last alleviate the need for visitors to park in a muddy unimproved lot and cross a very busy, dark road to get to the building, eliminating a substantial safety issue.
Use of University Trailers: A recent incident has helped to clarify that trailers owned by the University can only be towed by University owned vehicles, and never by private vehicles.
Centralized Data Base update:It was reported to the ELT that issues related to the development of the new centralized database system have been worked out with the subcontractor, and a timeline for completion clarified. It is anticipated that the system will go through a multi-level testing process during April and May, with training and a final rollout/go-live in mid-June. The ELT is appreciative of everyone’s patience with the long delay, and we look forward to the efficiencies and the value the system will add to everyone’s work.
Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove update: Cathy Elliott offered a financial and programming update of Tanglewood (TW) and Blueberry Cove (BBC) camps that included a wrap-up of 2012 and a peek at plans and projections for 2013. The camps had a successful year and are reporting that they have met all financial obligations for the year. Both camps are experiencing some shifting rations of school, day, and residential campers, and are substantially ahead of previous years in early registrations for 2013 programs. The 2013 budget has been conservatively developed and wisely includes depreciation and reserves for contingencies. The programs of TW & BBC are becoming more integrated with a variety of other 4-H programs including National 4-H Teen Science, Adobe Youth Voices, 4-H Workforce Development, Operation Military Kids, and the 4-H Program Issue Team’s work on STEM programs. Cathy reported that the Board of Directors has been refreshed with a cross-section of young and energetic people, most of whom have been campers or counselors in the past, joining ongoing Directors in addressing the needs of the camps. The program is engaging in numerous robust fundraising efforts that are intended to support scholarships and facilities upgrades. She called attention to the Blueberry Cove Half Marathon [http://www.halfmarathons.net/usa_half_marathons_maine_blueberry_cove_half_marathon.html ] that will be held August 25th. It is truly heartening to hear of all the wonderful things that are happening for the several thousand youth that are directly participating in the educational programming of the camps every year.
Blue Sky Project 1: Jennifer O’Leary is the Extension representative to the UMaine Blue Sky Project for Pathway 1 called Maine’s Renewal, which deals with the University’s focus on meeting the needs of Maine people through teaching, research, and outreach. Jennifer shared a video that was produced to highlight the University’s efforts in that area. The video is very impressive and features a number of Extension staff in its effort to highlight the University’s outreach success. The video can be seen at
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqAMFy4MJqM&list=PLA62CB8C43324E565&index=1 ], and on public access television among other places. For more information about the Blue Sky Plan:
[http://umaine.edu/bluesky/].
Compliance with Marketing and Communications Policy: The UMaine Department of Marketing and Communications is very carefully monitoring all public communications for compliance with the University’s branding policies. Consequently, it is imperative that all types of communications are vetted through Jennifer O’Leary before becoming public, and she will shepherd it through the UMaine Department of Marketing and Communications for review and approval. It is important that the recommendations of Jennifer and Cindy Eves-Thomas (for Websites) are followed, as they are charged with helping you comply with these policies. It is important that everyone understand that Jennifer and Cindy are not making the policies, but making sure we are compliant with University rules.
Maine 4-H Foundation Update: Audrey Chapman, Executive Director of the Maine 4-H Foundation gave the ELT an update on activities of the Foundation duringthe first quarter of 2013. The Foundation is benefitting from the 100-year anniversary of 4-H and associated fundraising that is part of the celebration; and from an improved investment climate that is responsible for growing the endowment over $36,000 during 2012. The Foundation is currently working to recruit four (4) new Board members.
IMRC – UMaine Inter-media Facility As a Resource: The ELT and Extension’s marketing, communications, and technology staff members toured the UMaine Inter-media program’s new building on campus. Called the IMRC, it was built with a Maine Technology Asset Fund grant from the state of Maine.
[ http://www.intermediamfa.org/wp/resources/facilities/]. The building is a well equipped facility that houses a state-of-the-art sound stage, video editing, and recording studios as well as high-end digital classrooms and media evaluation rooms. It is the intention of the Director of the Inter-media program that the facility is utilized for the good of the campus and the economy of Maine. The group gained an understanding about the possibilities for using the facilities to expand Extension’s ability to produce and evaluate digital outreach media. Please contact Jennifer O’Leary, if you are interested.
Temporary Support for Technology: Work within our technology unit is getting backed up due to extra set-up work for County video equipment, set-up of new computers, increasing use of mobile devices, and a temporary leave for one of the technology team. The ELT is supporting the cost of using the UMaine IT department for selective projects in the near future. The work will be prioritized and scheduled as always through Sheila Vaillancourt and Tanner Kelleter.
Announcements:
The ELT invites you to submit items to be included in the minutes/announcements of the next regularly scheduled ELT meeting. This is an opportunity to share with the ELT and the rest of the organization any of the following:
· Notable programmatic accomplishments
· Development or fundraising success
· Significant new partnerships and/or opportunities
· Important transitions
Please take the opportunity to share your good works through this avenue. Keep it brief…approximately two to four sentences would be appreciated. To submit an announcement, please contact your PA or appropriate member of the ELT.
Please remember to visit University of Maine’s news site for additional University of Maine Cooperative Extension highlights.
- Congratulations to Esperanza Stancioff, who has been awarded $5,000 from US Fish and Wildlife Service Gulf of Maine Coastal Program to help fund the Signs of the Seasons program. This award will provide support to assist Maine citizens with becoming familiar with climate change science and monitoring, and to increase interactions with their natural environment and increase climate literacy.
- Congratulations to Barbara Murphy for the award of a two-year, $45,000 grant from The Betterment Fund to support the Harvest for Hunger program.
- Congratulations to Scott Olsen and the UMaine Shooting Sports program based at Bryant Pond on the receipt of a $100,000 donation to the Midway USA Scholastic Trust, putting their total trust at over
$155,000. Available annually to the UMaine Shooting Sports program is 5% of this trust. - Congratulations to Karen Hatch Gagne, who has been awarded $40,175 by US Army Installation Management Community (IMCOM) to continue the work of the Operation Military Kids program.
Trailer Accidents Can Cost the Staff Member
If you use trailers in the course of your work, please be sure it is a piece of equipment that Extension has listed and tracked as our asset and that it is registered and inspected as required. In addition, the trailer must be towed by a University vehicle (per University of Maine policy). If you have questions about this please contact Fran Sulinski. If you have a trailer that you are not sure is tracked as our asset, please contact Dennis Harrington. Not following this policy may result in your personal insurance having to pay for an accident caused by a University owned trailer.
Status on searches as of: Updated 3/27/13
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POS # 200 |
Extension Educator, Assistant Extension Professor (Agronomist) Presque Isle |
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ELT Meeting Dates
2013
Meetings are from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm – unless otherwise noted
Anyone wishing to participate in an ELT meeting should contact the facilitator for that date.
Dates Facilitator Notes Location
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April 24 |
Harrington |
Sulinski |
Augusta – UMA – Richard Randall Center, Room 208 |
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May 15 |
Sulinski |
Phelps |
Away – Location TBD |
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June 4 |
Phelps |
Rebar |
Orono — 102B Libby Hall Tentative |
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June 26 |
Rebar |
Prichard |
Orono — 102B Libby Hall Tentative |
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July 17 |
Prichard |
Harrington |
Augusta – UMA – Room to be determined Tentative |
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August 7 |
Harrington |
Sulinski |
Away – Location TBD Tentative |
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August 27 |
Sulinski |
Phelps |
Orono — 102B Libby Hall Tentative |
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September 19 |
Phelps |
Rebar |
Orono — 102B Libby Hall Tentative |
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October 15 |
Rebar |
Prichard |
Augusta – UMA – Room to be determined Tentative |
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November 6 |
Prichard |
Harrington |
Away – Location TBD Tentative |
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November 25 |
Harrington |
Sulinski |
Orono — 102B Libby Hall Tentative |
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December 18 |
Sulinski |
Phelps |
Orono — 102B Libby Hall Tentative |