Break-Out Sessions

Break-Out Session 1
(Tuesday, March 5 at 1:15 – 2:30 p.m.)

The Essentials of Effective Supervision

Presenter: David Scheidt

So many of us are called upon to supervise without having had any formal training, and UMaine is a unique environment given the many Union contracts that govern many aspects of our workplace. This workshop will focus on the essential supervisory cycle that begins with setting clear expectations, training, monitoring progress, providing interim feedback, evaluating the work, and what steps are involved if the performance does not meet the standard. In addition, the Blue Sky Strategic Plan calls for a “university-wide renaissance to encourage and support the professional development of faculty and staff.” By attending this session, participants will learn about the UMaine Professional Development Initiative and be invited to contribute ideas about its content. The session will also discuss how this reflects the changing expectations regarding the roles of supervisors and employees.

David Scheidt is from the University of Maine’s Office of Human Resources. He came to the University nine (9) years ago when he accepted the position of Manager of Organizational Development and Employee Education. Before coming to the University, David worked in the private sector in organizational development and management system consulting. Prior to that in Human Resources and Organizational Development for two Fortune 500 companies.

Making Use of Google for Your Personal Information Management

Presenter: Stephen Judd

Our current age is frequently characterized as a state of information overload. Whether it’s keeping tabs on an increasing volume of e-mail, keeping track of our time and appointments, maintaining, finding, and collaborating on documents and presentations, or making it all work across multiple computers and devices, managing our information can seem a daunting task. This session will look at how using the many tools available through Google can help you take control of the information you’re inundated with. If you’ve ever wondered about e-mail filters, shared calendars, to-do lists, contact management, collaborating on documents, and the like, then this session is for you. Participants are welcome to bring a laptop or other device to follow along and apply some of the tips right away.

Steve Judd is the manager of IT and Distance Education for UNH Cooperative Extension and Chair of the Network Literacy Community of Practice with eXtension. He provides technical support, training, and develops web-based applications using Coldfusion, HTML, AJAX, and Flex. Steve’s interested in how the Internet can enable organizations like Extension to be more effective, less redundant, and more agile, and how the connections formed through online networks can empower individuals to enhance communication, learning, and collaboration. Steve lives in New Boston, NH with his wife and three sons.

Behind the Scenes of Volunteer Management: What You Need to Know

Presenter: Jen Lobley

From recruitment to recognition, participants will be introduced to the basic components of volunteer management, and learn about the importance of role descriptions.

Jen Lobley has worked for UMaine Cooperative Extension for the past 13 years. She has supported the work of over 200 4-H volunteers in Hancock and Washington Counties during that time. In 2009, she earned her Certificate in Volunteer Administration. In her position as Extension Educator for Volunteer Development, she works directly with volunteers and helps staff member build their capacity to work with volunteers through workshops and consultations.

So You Want to Do a Video?

Presenters: Jennifer O’Leary, Jason Bolton, David Handley, Kathy Savoie

Bring your idea or attend if you just want to learn where to start with getting a video done. We will walk through all stages of planning, preparing, filming, and the editing process. Plus, we will have “live” filming of video shoots and a behind the scenes overview to allow you the opportunity to learn more about the process.

Jennifer O’Leary, Marketing Manager for University of Maine Cooperative Extension, oversees outreach to a variety of audiences including state legislators, media and university colleagues to communicate UMaine Extension’s work and value throughout Maine. Jennifer received her B.S. in Business Administration and her M.S. in Adult Education from the University of Southern Maine. She is a member of the Maine Public Relations Council, American Marketing Association and the National Extension Association for Communications Excellence.

Jason Bolton is an Assistant Extension Professor and the Food Safety Specialist for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. He received his Ph.D. in Food Science from UMaine concentrating on food analytical chemistry method design. Dr. Bolton works with food processing companies throughout the state to assist with food safety and quality parameters. His research focuses on food safety and quality processing techniques, in addition to monitoring procedures. As an adjunct professor of food safety to the department of food science, he teaches FDA and USDA certification courses in addition to a new course entitled Brewing with Food Science.

David T. Handley is an Extension Vegetable and Small Fruit Specialist and a Cooperating Professor of Horticulture for the University of Maine. Dr. Handley received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts, and his Masters and Ph.D. degrees from the University of New Hampshire. He has been based at Highmoor Farm since 1983, where he carries out applied research regarding berry and vegetable variety evaluation, production techniques and pest management strategies. He coordinates statewide integrated pest management (IPM) programs for strawberries and sweet corn. Dr. Handley is the author of numerous Extension fact sheets, articles and newsletters, and co-editor of two regional small fruit production guides.

Kathy Savoie, MS, RD is an Associate Extension Professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension. She received her Community Nutrition and Public Health Nutrition degrees from the University of Maine at Farmington and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. During her 16 years of service, she has supervised the Eat Well Nutrition Education Program in Cumberland, Androscoggin, Sagadahoc, and Oxford Counties as well as provided food safety programs for volunteer quantity cooks through the Cooking for Crowds Program and coordinated food preservation programs including the Master Food Preserver Program.

Break-Out Session 2
(Wednesday, March 6 at 9:00 – 10:15 a.m.)

Promoting Your Workshop (and More!) with UMaine Extension’s New Centralized Data Management System and the CMS

Presenters: Michele Lodgek & Cindy Eves-Thomas

Get a behind-the-scenes look at UMaine Extension’s new Centralized Data Management System; learn how it can be used for online workshop registrations and more. Use the CMS to create detailed informational web pages for your workshops, which can be cross-linked with your online registration pages; learn best web practices to help you get your message noticed.

Michele Lodgek is part of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension technology team, specializing in a people-first approach to technology. As Centralized Data Management System Administrator, her primary responsibility is to provide leadership for the planning and development of UMaine Extension’s statewide Centralized Database System. Michele has been employed by the University for 26 years as a unit manager, database developer, and technology trainer.

As webmaster for University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Cindy Eves-Thomas manages UMaine Extension’s intranet and Internet sites and provides leadership for the development and management of the organization’s distributed web. She provides training and technical assistance and assures that all of UMaine Extension’s web pages comply with appropriate policies, guidelines, and laws. Cindy has been with UMaine Extension for 16 years and with the University of Maine for 31 years.

Coaching: A Vehicle Leading to Personal Sustainability

Presenter: Louise F. Cyr

By attending this workshop, you will create your own image of what personal sustainability looks like for you, as well as design a plan to achieve it in your work life. You will learn and practice some key skills you can use to support your colleagues in coaching conversations. In partnership with another workshop participant, you will set up a system of accountability for the plan you created. Join your colleagues as we engage in a dialogue about creating a fulfilling and sustainable work life.

Louise Cyr is a professor emeritus of UMaine Cooperative Extension. She brings over 30 years of experience working with individuals, organizations, and community groups as a facilitator, educator, and life coach. Louise has been facilitating the “Aging Gracefully” series for the New England College LINEC program and the Colby Sawyer College Adventures in Learning program. She is the creator of “Pathways Coaching and Facilitating.” Louise and her husband moved to Henniker, NH to build their retirement home and to be close to family. She continues to create this second part of life’s journey.

Handling Your Challenging Meeting

Presenter: Craig Freshley

Based on your advance input, Craig will design and lead us through a dynamic, interactive session that will result in participants learning new things and taking away practical tools to address YOUR most challenging meeting situations.

Speaker, author, and meeting facilitator Craig Freshley knows the rules of engagement. Specifically, he knows how to engage an audience. Craig is also the founder of “Good Group Decisions,” a company that provides team development and decision-making services. His meeting facilitation helps groups of every size with high-performance team building and actionable decisions.

Immersive Learning – Getting Beyond Show and Tell

Presenter: Steven Judd

Have you ever had the experience of attending a webinar, seminar, or workshop, getting excited by the topic, but then forgetting about it because you didn’t apply it right away? All too often, we learn about something but don’t become comfortable with it or make it a habit before we forget what we learned.

Immersive learning is a way to overcome some of these issues. In an immersive learning session, a cohort of people come together (in-person or virtually) and learn from each other and apply that learning over a period of time. The active application of what you’ve learned and working with a group of people learning with you, helps each learner become comfortable.

Participants in this session will be asked to join in an abbreviated immersive learning session the week or two prior to the conference, where we’ll explore Twitter and how it can be used for personal learning and as a conference back-channel.

Steve Judd is the manager of IT and Distance Education for UNH Cooperative Extension and Chair of the Network Literacy Community of Practice with eXtension. He provides technical support, training, and develops web-based applications using Coldfusion, HTML, AJAX, and Flex. Steve’s interested in how the Internet can enable organizations like Extension to be more effective, less redundant, and more agile and how the connections formed through online networks can empower individuals to enhance communication, learning, and collaboration. Steve lives in New Boston, NH with his wife and three sons.

Looking for New Meaning and Challenge in Your Work? Maybe Becoming a Program Administrator Is in Your Future!

Presenters: Doug Babkirk, Extension Educator, Shirley Hager, Retired PA, Cathy Elliott, Sustainable Living and Wildlife Specialist, Jim Dill, Pest Management Specialist

Ever wondered if being a Program Administrator (PA) was in your future? Are you looking for a new challenge in your work that draws upon your leadership skills in serving others? Come learn from those who have been PA’s what attracted them to the role, what challenges they faced, and what opportunities for personal and professional growth they experienced. In a casual and informal setting, you will hear first-hand what their PA roles were like and be able to pose questions directly to them. If you’re thinking about this role in your future, or never gave it a second thought and are just curious what it’s like to be a PA, join us for a lively and informative conversation.

Doug Babkirk, based at the UMaine Regional Learning Center at Tidewater Farm in Falmouth, has had a 35-year Extension faculty career focused on leadership development and facilitation skills with the community and not for profit leaders. From 1994-2011 Doug served as a Program Administrator including time as Associate Director of Extension. In 2011 he returned to the faculty part-time with a focus on resource development and strategic partnerships for the organization. As a facilitator prepared by the Center for Courage & Renewal in Seattle, his faculty work also includes facilitating groups that focus on the personal and professional renewal of K-16 educators and school leaders who want to reconnect and realign their core beliefs and values with their work in the world.

Shirley Hager, Associate Educator Emerita, retired from UMaine Extension in 2008 after 16 years with Extension. For 12 years, from 1992-2004, she offered Family Living and Nutrition education programs in Androscoggin-Sagadahoc Counties including the Eat Well program, food safety, parent educator trainings, and family budgeting. During her last two years in the county office, she was part-time faculty while she also served as a part-time Program Administrator, primarily overseeing the restructuring of the Eat Well program. From 2004-08, Shirley served as a full-time PA, with statewide responsibilities for Eat Well, 4-H Youth Development, Extension Homemakers and support of four counties. Shirley also has been prepared as a facilitator by the Center for Courage and Renewal and, during her tenure with Extension and since her retirement, has facilitated personal and professional renewal retreats, primarily for K-16 educators and school leaders, who seek to “reconnect who they are with what they do” in their work and beyond.

Cathy Elliott has been a faculty member with UMaine Extension for 26 years. From 1987 to 1998, she was Wildlife Specialist, focusing on wildlife habitat management on private industrial and non-industrial lands in Maine. Cathy served as Program Administrator from 1998 to 2004, working with 4H Youth Development, Family Living, and Natural Resources program areas and four county offices. In 2005, she returned to the faculty as Wildlife Specialist and codeveloper of the Maine Planning and Reporting System and is now Sustainable Living Specialist. Since 2010, Cathy has been working with Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove 4-H Camp & Learning Centers in a variety of capacities, including support of the CYFAR Sustainable Communities Project, the ELLMS Project: Environmental Living & Learning for Maine Students programs, management, and administration. On-campus, Cathy is a member of the UMaine Sustainability Solutions Initiative, and the Knowledge-Action and Sustainable Behavior Teams.

Jim Dill, based at the UMaine Pest Management Office in Orono, has had a 32-year Extension faculty career. Jim is the Pest Management Specialist having started his career here in February 1981 (after 2-years as an assistant professor at Rutgers University). Jim is responsible for developing and implementing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs; providing education for USDA’s Pesticide Safety Education Program; is Director of the Insect and Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, and supervises a full-time staff of 6. Jim is also a cooperating Professor in the School of Biological Sciences. From 2001-2007, Jim was an Associate Program Administrator (1/2 time faculty and 1/2 time Administration) with statewide responsibilities for parts of the agricultural program and for Waldo County.

Break-Out Session 3
(Wednesday, March 6 at 11:00 – 12:15 p.m.)

Handling Workplace Conflict Constructively: Skills for Difficult Conversations

Presenters: Polly Moutevilis-Burgess, Mary D’Alessandro

In this workshop we will provide an overview of conflict, describe five conflict resolution styles, and present a step-by-step process on how to have a conversation when differing perspectives or disagreement is present. This session is interactive and will include role playing of having the difficult conversation to familiarize participants with the experience.

Polly Moutevelis-Burgess, Ed.D., LCPC, CEAP has been Director of the Employee Assistance Program for over 28 years. Mary D’Alessandro, LCSW, LADC has been a counselor at the EAP for nearly four years. Between them, they have 55 years combined clinical and administrative experience in the mental health and substance abuse fields. They know the campus culture and have extensive knowledge of community resources and providers. Polly is also a trained mediator.

Last Phase of One’s Career… A Conversation Among Friends

Presenter: Louis F. Cyr, Pathways Coaching & Facilitating

For those of us approaching the last phase of our careers, the soon-to-be baby boomer retirees, what are some of the goals for this period of time? What would one want to leave behind? How does one leave feeling fulfilled and alive during this time? What needs attention and energy? What’s next? Who are we without our work? This workshop offers time for reflection and exploration of the opportunities awaiting us in life’s next chapter.

Deciding Between Web and Video Conference Options

Presenter: Stephen Judd

There are many options available to present information, teach, hold meetings, or collaborate with voice and video over the Internet. Which technology you choose should depend on your goals, required features, participant capabilities, and more.

In this session, we’ll look at some of the options available, including, Tandberg/Cisco teleconferences, Google+ Hangouts, Adobe Connect, and Skype, and discuss which may be a better fit for various situations.

Steve Judd is the manager of IT and Distance Education for UNH Cooperative Extension and Chair of the Network Literacy Community of Practice with eXtension. He provides technical support, training, and develops web-based applications using Coldfusion, HTML, AJAX, and Flex. Steve’s interested in how the Internet can enable organizations like Extension to be more effective, less redundant, and more agile and how the connections formed through online networks can empower individuals to enhance communication, learning, and collaboration. Steve lives in New Boston, NH with his wife and three sons.

Personal Sustainability Project Next Steps

Presenters: Personal Sustainability Team: Aileen Fortune, Leslie Forstadt, Linda Trickey, Mark Hutchinson, John Jemison, Sue Baez, Sheila Vaillancourt, Ryder Scott, Jen O’Leary, and Frank Wertheim

After several months of listening to colleagues and analyzing data from the organizational survey, interviews, and focus group discussions, we invite your involvement again. In this discussion, we will take preliminary findings from the research and begin to craft the implementation phase of the project. How can we be a more sustainable organization? Join us!

The Maine Food Plan: What Is It and How Do We Fit In?

Presenters: John Jemison & Tanya Swain

The overall goal of this session is to facilitate a conversation about food system education and the Maine Food Plan. Tanya Swain will present the history of the initiative, why its appropriate to develop this plan now, what is the Maine Food Plan strategy, and how does Cooperative Extension fit in. John will then facilitate a discussion about Extension’s role in the plan, and how might we do more formal Extension food system education.

Tanya Swain is executive director of the Western Mountains Alliance (WMA), a community and economic development organization located in Farmington, Maine. WMA’s work to support local agriculture has focused on marketing and promotion of the sector by using new tools to help connect farms with markets. Prior to her position at the Alliance, Tanya worked as a regional coordinator for the Maine Community Foundation and has a background in public relations and journalism. She has an M.A. in Public Policy and Management from the University of Southern Maine and holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Washington in Seattle.

As an Extension Professor of Soil and Water Quality, John Jemison develops and delivers educational programs designed to encourage growers and homeowners to implement practices to protect the surface and groundwater supplies. With projects like the Orono Community Garden, volunteers and John teach people what it takes to grow food, better understand civic agriculture, and the benefits of local food systems. John’s agricultural research focuses on nutrient and weed management strategies to improve productivity, reduce risk to water quality, and boost local food production. He also teaches courses on food systems and the fate of pesticides in the environment. He currently chairs the Maine Board of Pesticides Control. He is a cooperating professor in the School of Food and Agriculture.

Wellness
4:00 p.m.

No registration is required for Wellness activities. We encourage all staff to select one of the sessions.

Take “5”

Presenter: Brianna Woodworth, ATC, EMT-B, Wellness Educator

The Take “5” program is a series of 5 stretch and 5 strength exercises that will take 5 minutes of your time. These exercises are designed for employees so that they can be done at their workstation with minimal or no equipment.

Brianna received a Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology and physical education from the University of Maine. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in exercise science and health promotion and plans to pursue a post master’s certificate in sports performance and injury performance. Brianna has worked at Maine Medical Center in Portland, as a high school athletic trainer at Poland Regional High School, and as an athletic trainer at Cutler Health. Brianna continues to manage the S.M.A.R.T. athletic training room and helps to coordinates occupational health care for the employees of UMaine. She collaborates with other University departments on-campus wellness initiatives such as the employee wellness program Healthy U, Student Affairs, Campus Recreation, and Dining. She developed the student wellness program A Better U+ ME in 2010, which offers education to the student body on wellness topics and initiatives. Brianna also serves as an adjunct instructor in the KPE department, teaching First Aid and Emergency Care.

Yoga

Presenter: Leslie Forstadt

30 minutes of yoga to stretch a bit from the sessions of the day, and relax your mind in preparation for a fun evening. Basic, gentle postures at the beginner level. Please wear comfortable clothes. Yoga mats will be provided.

Leslie Forstadt is the Child and Family Development Specialist with UMaine Cooperative Extension. Much of her work focuses on stress reduction. In addition to her Extension work, she is a registered yoga teacher and teaches in Bangor. One aspect of stress reduction is relaxation, which yoga promotes.

Plugged In: For UMaine Extension Staff and Volunteers