Plugged In: For UMaine Extension Staff and Volunteers

Extension Leadership Team Minutes April 19, 2017

Extension Leadership Team Meeting Minutes

April 19, 2017
102B Libby Hall – Orono

Facilitator: Dick Brzozowski
Note taker: Fran Sulinski

Check in – A Few Items to Highlight
Dick Brzozowski was selected to be on the United Farmer Veterans of Maine. Maine Veterans Farmer board of directors. They have many grants and programs in place and there are many opportunities for collaboration. Veterans are a protected group and therefore outreach to veterans is not only valuable for the information you may share and impacts that can be reached and is also valuable to reach a protected audience for our civil rights goals.

Lisa Phelps attended the National Extension Conference on Volunteerism. Jen Lobley and Kristy Ouelette were presenters. Kate McCarty and Kathy Savoie presented a poster.

Video Services Update
The Director of the Biological New Media Lab, Ronald Kozlowski, met with John Rebar to discuss their video production capacity and the costs. We are working with them to determine how the charges would work (travel, mileage …). The ELT will explore their services further and determine a budget allotment to set aside for this work.

Exploring an Organization Zoom License
Sheila Vaillancourt will be sending all staff a survey with information about Zoom in an attempt to coordinate our accounts to save money while rolling out this technology in a coordinated fashion.

Conferences & Institutes Services and Support
Brian Bray, Director of Conferences & Institutes (C & I) with the Division of Lifelong Learning met with the ELT to discuss possibilities for collaborations. C & I want to bring non-profit and professional group conferences to UMaine and they are really interested in new program development.

If you are part of a professional organization or are a programmer organizing a meeting for your clients, please consider utilizing the support of C & I. They are here to assist with contract negotiations, registration, marketing, budget planning and financial management, as well as excursion planning and arrangements. C & I have a template to help groups to understand what the University has to offer.

Pilot sessions of the Ultimate Customer Experience Workshop
Fran provided the ELT with an overview of the workshop, the feedback received and information about next steps. The 9:30 – 3:00 workshop took place in Orono and Lisbon Falls. Thirty staff members, of all employee ranks, were in attendance and gave very positive feedback. This workshop evolved from a train the trainer session offered by the UMS Learning and Organizational Development Director, Megan Clough. The course will be offered at USM, IT and Procurement. Extension is currently the only UMaine department trained and offering the program. The workshop was developed by the World Class Benchmarking consulting group. The workshop is relevant to all employees. It offers each staff member a chance to look at the clients they serve (internal or external) and determine how to individualize the service they provide to exceed customer expectations. The workshop gives you the opportunity to examine the big picture of the products, people, processes and other factors that impact the customer service experience. Fran will be offering additional open sessions and she will extend an invitation to program teams or county meetings to bring a version of this information to their groups. Fran will also explore ways to provide this training online as a refresher. The Ultimate Customer Experience training will also be included in the new employee orientation Tandberg session series. Please do not hesitate to contact Fran with interest or questions.

CONGRATULATIONS

Healthy Eating Tips with Chris
Congratulations to PI Lisa Fishman who has been awarded $5,000 by the Aroostook Public Health District/Aroostook District Coordinating Council for her “Healthy Eating Tips with Chris” project.  During the life of this project, Christine Finnemore will conduct a series of eight weekly nutrition classes in the Houlton area, at St. Mary’s Food Pantry.  Program topics will relate directly to the 2015-2020 USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPlate and will address steps people can take to reduce the risk of chronic disease, including obesity, and also nutrition and physical activity.  Participants will learn healthy cooking habits and then be given the opportunity to put that knowledge into practice with cooking labs aimed at helping them master their new skills.

Betterment Fund 2017 Maine West
Congratulations to PI Ryder Scott who has been awarded $5,000 by the Betterment Fund to take part in the “Maine West” initiative.  Maine West is a partnership of local and regional organizations dedicated to addressing systemic rural challenges and enhancing community well‐being in western Maine through increased collaboration across the economic, education, health and conservation sectors. This new initiative grows directly from the successful collaboration among conservation and community organizations to advance land conservation and related development efforts across the Maine‐New Hampshire border through the Mahoosuc Initiative.

US Cellular 4-H National Youth Science Day 2017
Congratulations to PI Mitchell Mason who has been awarded $5,000 by the National 4-H Council for his “US Cellular 4-H National Youth Science Day 2017” project.  The purpose of this project is to expand the 4-H National Youth Science Day program in Maine while supporting 4-H STEM partnerships with US Cellular in their critical service area. 4-H NYSD delivers a consistent STEM experiment to 4-H youth throughout the country. Past NYSD experiments include drone technology, GIS mapping, rocketry and physics.

4-H Day of Service Mini-Grant
Congratulations to PI Ryder Scott and Co-PI Ronald Fournier who have been awarded $10,000 by the National 4-H Council for their “4-H Day of Service Mini-Grant” project.  These funds will support the following projects at our 4-H Camp and Learning Centers; the completion of a solar array that will provide power to the Animal Barn (Bryant Pond), construction of bird and pest canopies over blueberry bushes (Bryant Pond), and removal and rebuilding of raised bed gardens (Tanglewood).

Military Teen Adventure Camps 2017
Congratulations to PI Jessica Decke and Co-PIs Ryan LeShane, Ryder Scott, and Lisa Phelps who have been awarded $121,800 by the National 4-H Council for their “Military Teen Adventure Camps 2017” project.  The Maine Teen Military Adventure Camps feature opportunities for teens to learn to sail and canoe on the ocean and spend time exploring coastal islands, hike a portion of the “100 Mile Wilderness” along the Appalachian Trail, and paddle the length of the St. George river in coastal Maine from inland lakes down to the ocean.  Program emphasis is on leadership skills, building communication, listening skills, conflict resolution, and trust building.

Search Updates
4-H Youth Development Professional – Franklin County – Interviewing
4-H Youth Development Professional – Knox/Lincoln Counties – Interviewing
4-H Youth Development Professional – Oxford County –Advertising
4-H Youth Development Professional – Aroostook County – Advertising
4-H Youth Development Professional – Hancock County – Committee formed
4-H STEM Specialist – Orono – Advertising
Ornamental Horticulture Specialist – Orono – Advertising
Assistant Extension Professor & Extension Plant Pathologist – Orono – Interviewing
Integrated Pest Management Technician – Aroostook –Advertising
Accounting Support Specialist CL2 – Orono – On Hold
Administrative Specialist CL2 – Pest Management, Orono – Reviewing applications
Community Education Assistant CL2 (Food System Aide) – Penobscot County – Interviewing
Community Education Assistant CL1 (Horticulture) – Oxford County – Advertising
Marine Extension Associate (Joint appt. with Sea Grant) – Coastal Maine –  Advertising

ELT Meeting Dates –2017– Meetings are from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm – unless otherwise noted.