Extension Leadership Team Minutes October 18, 2016

October 24, 2016 ELT Minutes

Extension Leadership Team Minutes

October 18, 2016
102B Libby Hall – Orono

Facilitator: John Rebar
Note taker: Jon Prichard

Organizational meeting

Thank you for the good work of the Organizational Meeting Committee. We have 114 registrants for the event.

  • 25 of our 38 faculty are attending.
  • 45 of 72 hourly staff.
  • 28 of 53 professionals.
  • 6 of 6 administrators.
  • Some additional staff will be attending for specific agenda items.

Threat Assessment Workshop

There was recently a system-wide threat assessment training.  Fran and Ryder attended on behalf of Extension and our 4-H Camps.

Customer Service Workshop

Fran is being trained in a system-wide UMS Customer Service Workshop.

NAE4-HA Conference

This conference was held in October in New Orleans. Maine was well represented.  Mitch Mason, Kristy Ouellette and Sarah Sparks collaborated on a presentation about their 4-H Community Central CYFAR project.  Mitch also spoke to state program leaders about inclusion and diversity and did a great job representing us. Barbara Baker presented on her Social Capital work. Susan Jennings and the youth trustees of the Maine 4-H Foundation were honored with the Denise Miller innovation award and Kristy Ouellette received a Distinguished Service Award.

Follow a Researcher™

Lisa Phelps, Greg Kranich and Laura Wilson recently met with National 4-H Headquarters staff from USDA to discuss this program and explore collaborative efforts.

Maine Counties Conference – Dick B. attended along with Penobscot County Extension staff.  Many thanks to Kate Garland for coordinating the Extension exhibit and its staffing. It was a productive event as staff made good connections to county government personnel from across the state.

Maine State Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry Commissioner Visits UMaine

Commissioner Whitcomb visited campus in early October – Thank you to the Extension staff who participated and represented us very well.

Funding Out of State Professionals Conferences

We have a very limited budget for out-of-state funding for conferences.  If interested individuals can apply through Plugged-In  with an Independent Proposal.   An application form is available at https://extension.umaine.edu/plugged-in/policies-guidelines/policies-procedures-manual/section-four-programs-and-reports/4-6/#independent.  Staff are encouraged to provide matching funds when possible.

Pest Management Administrative Position

We agreed to fund a temporary position for up to 6 months to fill a recent support staff vacancy in that office.  Dick will inform faculty members of this decision.  Fran will be the point person in the hiring of this position.

Program Leaders for Ag and NR

Maine hosted program leaders from 9 states of the northeast region last week.  Dick Brzozowski was involved in coordinating and planning this 2-day event with 2 others (PA and VT).  Nine states were represented.  Participants were very impressed with Maine and the meeting location (Pineland Guesthouse: Merrill Farmhouse).  Much was accomplished.  Dick surveyed participants electronically immediately after the meeting.

NEMO (Northeast Extension Managers Organization)

Dennis will be attending in Portsmouth, NH on behalf of the ELT.

iPET

Fran and John recently met with iPET to discuss their activities and to have a conversation about Extension’s tech needs.

New 2017 ELT Meeting Dates

We chose new dates for the first half of 2017, listed below.

2016 Annual Report Process

The ELT discussed the timeframe for the preparation of our Annual Report of Accomplishments. The end of the fiscal year has passed and Plan of Work reports for FY16 (October 1, 2015 through September 30, 2016) are due and should be entered into the MPRS by October 30th. Those entering reports are encouraged as part of their reporting obligation to enter at least one quality impact statement that follows the USDA format: a brief explanation of the issue (500 characters max); an explanation of what was done (500 characters max); and an explanation of the impact (1,000 characters max).

As always this year supervisors will be reviewing narrative reports more carefully for compliance with these standards. If you have questions, please let your program administrator know ASAP.

USDA-NIFA Feedback on our Annual Report

The USDA-NIFA has accepted UMaine’s combined POW update for FY 2017-21 and the FY 2015 Annual Report of Accomplishments. The reviewer made several observations and recommendations that the ELT reviewed and discussed.

Understanding the FY17 Budget

Dennis gave a brief report comparing a summary of the budget that was consolidated from those submitted by individual project managers with the final balanced budget.  He gave a general explanation of what was eliminated in order for the budget to balance.

Announcements:

CONGRATULATIONS:

Congratulations to Ellen Mallory who has been awarded $43,112 from USDA Northeast SARE for conducting soil health professional development opportunities for farmers in New England.

David Handley (PI), Tori Jackson (coPI), and Crop Insurance staff members Erin Roche, and Pamela St. Peter were awarded the USDA Risk Management Agency’s Targeted States Cooperative Agreement.  This Agreement provides $204,580 for “2016-2017 Crop Insurance Education for Maine”.  The goal of this program is to deliver a broad outreach program of crop insurance education to Maine farmers and will target diversified crop and beginning farmers.  Approximately 300 hours of education will be offered in meetings, reaching about 1,000 farmers.  An additional 6,000 farmers will be reached through web and print media.  As a result of this project farmers’ knowledge of risk management programs and their likelihood of enrolling in these programs will increase.

Congratulations to Andrew Plant, PI, and co-PIs John Jemison and Lakesh Sharma who have been awarded $9,866 from USDA Northeast SARE investigating methods of preventing soil loss in potato using grain rotation system using cover and nurse crops.

Search Updates:
Statewide Livestock Educator – offered and awaiting acceptance
Education Program Director at Bryant Pond – advertising
Parent Education Professional – accepting applications
Accounting Reporting Professional – Jared Whinery has been hired

ELT Meeting Dates –2016/17 – Meetings are from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm – unless otherwise noted.

Dates
 Facilitator Notes Location
November 15 Prichard Harrington Orono – 102B Libby Hall
November 30 Harrington Brzozowski Augusta – Farm House 11
December 15 Brzozowski Sulinski Orono – 102B Libby Hall
January 24 Sulinski Phelps Orono – 102B Libby Hall
February 9 Phelps Rebar Augusta – 218 RSTC
February 23 Rebar Prichard Orono – 102B Libby Hall
March 14 Prichard Harrington Orono – 102B Libby Hall
March 29 Harrington Brzozowski Augusta – 218 RSTC
April 19 Brzozowski Sulinski Orono – 102B Libby Hall
May 3 Sulinski Phelps Orono – 102B Libby Hall
May 16 Phelps Rebar Orono – 102B Libby Hall
May 31 Rebar Prichard Augusta – 218 RSTC
June 21 Prichard Harrington Orono – 102B Libby Hall