Plugged In: For UMaine Extension Staff and Volunteers

Extension Leadership Team Meeting Minutes May 10, 2018

Extension Leadership Team Meeting Minutes

Thursday, May 10, 2018
Orono – 102B Libby Hall

Facilitator: Dennis Harrington
Note-taker: Richard Brzozowski

Present: John Rebar, Lisa Phelps, Jon Prichard, Dennis Harrington, Fran Sulinski, and Richard Brzozowski

Gayle Zydlewski, incoming Director of Maine Sea Grant, attended as a guest at 10:30 am. The ELT members met with Gayle for a conversation about the Extension-Sea Grant partnership.  We discussed ways to further our partnership and committed to communicate regularly.  Reporting by Sea Grant Extension personnel was discussed.  Regarding reporting, we’d like to have at least one success story per year by Extension Sea Grant personnel.   We also discussed a possible partnership in applying for a new funding opportunity from NIFA on sustainable agricultural systems.  Brzozowski emailed information on this opportunity to Gayle.  Another potential partnership with Extension is with Native American studies department and our proposed split appointment of a faculty member focusing on food sovereignty.  We also discussed possible connections with 4-H like Follow a Researcher®, camp and learning centers, STEM Ambassadors and the STEM Tool Kits. Jon Prichard will continue to engage with Gayle and the Extension Sea Grant team on a regular basis.

Updates:

• 4-H Foundation – The annual meeting is scheduled for May 16, 2018 on campus in the Wells Commons. National 4-H Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer, Hazel Goodwin, is planning to attend the 4-H Foundation Annual Meeting.
• Diagnostic & Research Lab – The open house is planned for Friday, June 22, 2018. Invitations will be sent out this week.
• The Maine Food and Agriculture Center – We are working on a new website with a searchable data base of members and expertise areas.
• Extension Dean Search – The Extension Dean position has been posted.

Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator Conference Proposal – Kate Garland submitted an independent proposal to the ELT to attend the Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator National Conference August 6-9, 2018 in Madison, Wisconsin. The ELT agreed to provide partial funding ($800) for her participation.

Refilling the Somerset CEA – The 4-H CEA in Somerset County, Kirsten Hallowell, has resigned. The ELT agreed to fill the vacant Somerset County 4-H position at .2 FTE level (8 hours/week).

Mentoring Handbook – UMaine Extension has a Faculty Mentoring Handbook adapted for our use by Louise Franck Cyr who served as our Special Project PA for faculty orientation years ago. That handbook remains available to our faculty and includes information specific to faculty evaluation processes. Fran further adapted that handbook for use by hourly and professional staff. The ELT reviewed and approved the handbook.  It will soon be posted to the website and linked to our new employee orientation checklists.   Fran will announce this new handbook via email.

Orientation of the Dean of Cooperative Extension – The ELT is beginning to discuss a strategy for orienting the new dean.

CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to PI John Jemison who has been awarded $6,200 by the Maine Potato Board for his “Evaluating High Glucosinolate Mustard as an Alternative to Cholopicrin to Control Verticillium” project.  This project will compare the effectiveness of verticillium wilt (VW) control with high glucosinolate mustard as opposed to using a soil fumigant, Cholorpicrin.  The results of the research will be presented at the annual Maine Potato Board Conference and will assist growers in the decision-making process for controlling VW.

Future Agenda Items:
Guests: On May 31^st, Ryder Scott will join the ELT to provide his annual Camp and Learning Centers update at 11 AM. *This meeting will take place in Augusta.

Early September. What should the focus of the next Hall of Flags be? Do we have a date yet? The 4-H Page component is very visible and beneficial. Possible features for the next Hall of Flags include the Food Safety Modernization Act.

Search Updates
Community Education Assistant CL2 (Lewiston) – Re-posted
Administrative Specialist CL2 – Diagnostic Lab/Orono – Offer made and accepted
Administrative Specialist CL2 – Cooperative Extension/EFNEP/Wild BB – Orono – Colby Darling hired
Pesticide Safety Education Program Professional – Advertising
Molecular Diagnostic Professional – Interviewing
Produce Safety Professional – Preparing to Advertise
Administrative Specialist CL2 – Oxford County – Advertising
Assistant Director – Bryant Pond – Nicolette Gagnon hired
Agriculture and Food Systems Professional – Oxford County – Interviewing
Administrative Specialist CL2 – York County – Advertising (re-posted)
Program Coordinator – Bryant Pond – Advertising
Administrative Specialist CL3 – Andro/Sag County – Screening applicants
Web Professional – Orono Communications – Preparing to advertise

ELT Meeting Dates –2017–18. Meetings are from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm – unless otherwise noted.