Meeting Highlights
1. Multi-state programs
a. Matrix of state programs and expertise for each state specialist
b. Identification of individual programs for multi-state collaboration
2. Community Development Institute Programs
3. CSREES connections and the participation of two administrative advisors throughout entire program
4. Increased importance and impact of CRD on Extension Programming.
5. Topic matrix/SRDC web outline
Meeting Activities, Discussions and Actions
Charles Artis, Joe McGilberry, Bo Beaulieu were named to the nominating committee, to nominate officers for next year's CRD Committee.
Administrative Advisors' Reports.
Dr. Chester Fehlis, Texas
Points made :
- Indicated that his term as 1862 Administrative Advisor to the CRD committee, expires August, 1999.
- Discussed Texas strategic planning efforts and agents fear of moving in to new and unfamiliar areas. Relates well with CRD efforts.
- No. 1 concern in Texas was community and quality of life from local meetings.
- All of us will have to redirect programs without abandoning agriculture.
- Texas communities need to diversify their business makeup. New effort is just being called - Texas Communities Program.
- Stressed the benefits that can come from helping each other - not everyone duplicating what one has already done.
Group had discussion of major issues that communities are addressing as the most important.
Dr. Clyde Chesney - Tennessee
1. Reviewed model used in early work with CRD.
2.Explained how his prior experience and work in CRD area provided his interest and willingness to accept the advisory position to the CRD committee.
3. With several vacancies in the organization, he hopes to fill these so as to influence the CRD program in Tennessee.
Dr Chesney was welcomed as a new advisor to CRD committee as the 1890 advisor.
USDA Report
Sally Maggard - USDA
Reported on activities in USDA relating to CRD, including several administrative changes and the President's conference on Sustainable Economic Development. Initiative's just being launched.
- Distributed "Initiatives for the Development of New Markets" (copy attached).
- Distributed "The Sustainable Communities Network" (copy attached).
- The two initiatives changes the direction and type effort expected to be done in CRD area.
- Bio based technology is also in forefront in Washington.
- Discussed CSREES administrative changes that have taken place recently.
- Informed group that there is an extension section of NRDP and this is a valuable relationship. Greg Taylor encouraged everyone to use this as it is good source of assistance and information.
Report on Southern Rural Development Center
Bo Beaulieu --
Distributed a summary of key activities of the SRDC (copy attached).
He discussed: 1. Quality Workforce Conference, 2. Mid-South Delta Community Development Institute.(Would like to expand these efforts into the Louisiana and Arkansas Delta areas. Need support of the Directors and Extension CRD folks in those states to be effective. He urged that states follow up.)
New publications of SRDC - Three are complete - two published and one in process. Discussed the publication, "Ready or Not" on workforce of South with TVA.
Reviewed the millennium issues shown on the back of handout.
Requested that any new staff to be added to SRDC mailing list should be sent to him.
ECOP and PLC Report
Rich Maurer - Kentucky.
Identified ECOP members from the Southern Region.
Base Programs - were named and were to be discussed later.
New initiative adopted on child care.
ECOP-PLC working on web page.
Discussed the Kellogg study and its perspective. Talked about broader university extension pointing out that not all schools were responding favorable to this and other recommendations. From Kentucky's viewpoint, involvement of other than LGU is of concern. Study was discussed by group. The Kellogg Commission has issued a series of internal (NALGC&U) publications.
Informed group that it is scheduled to meet with ANR group on conference renamed and re-emphasized from the "Community Based Programming for Extension.
Report On Base Programs
Rich Maurer
Each base program is identifying programs of excellence. Emphasis will be on impact of the specific based program.
Communities in Economic Transition is no longer a separate program. It has been merged into the Community, Resource and Economic Development base program.
Ernie Hughes pointed out that this offers a chance to market our CRD program efforts.
Greg Taylor pointed that although "Communities in Economic Transition" no longer exist, the principles and program are still available and useful.
Leadership and Volunteer Development Report
Chris Sieverdes reported that there is now a Web site for Leadership and Volunteer Development. Base program team.
He also pointed out that the various CRD programs continue to overlap and support each other and a specific effort may involve more that one program.
Group recessed for meeting with ANR group.
Joint Meeting with ANR Group
Curtis Absher, Kentucky led the discussions on Sustainable Community Development - Farms, Forests, Families, and Communities. This conference is to train specialists, agents and others in this area. Would assess community and develop a plan for sustainable development. This is a modification of the conference "Community Based Programming for Extension" initiated two years ago by the CRD group.
This conference was approved by Directors at their recent meeting in Baton Rouge. The conference will focus on skill development, but will use real problems in training. A lengthy discussion of the program followed.
4-H and Youth and Family and Consumer Science will be asked to join in conference. Ernie Hughes, Ed Jones (and Rick Maurer as alternate) are to represent CRD on this program planning committee. The conference is scheduled for the spring of 2000.
Reconvened CRD Committee
Bill Hubbard
Handed out the report he made to Director's meeting in Baton Rouge (attached). He discussed several of the area listed in the handout. Pointed out role and interest of forestry industry in CRD.
PLC Committee
Charles Artis
South Carolina - Discussed the multi-state programming guidelines provided by PLC from meeting of 8/29/99. He explained how multi-state programming will occur is the charge of each of the committees here at Biloxi. Reports are due Wednesday morning.
He also discussed the multi-state program agreement. Each state to estimate the expenditures (as percent of their federal budget) of their multi-state effort. The agreement is for documentation of effort and as audit trail.
Group discussed the multi-state efforts. Artis emphasized that directors did not see this as a proliferation of regional specialists.
Partnering includes non-Land-Grant institutions as well LGU.
Rick Maurer
Only request of PLC was the joint conference by CRD, ANR, 4-H and CFS. PLC meeting in 2000 to be in Puerto Rico - the week before labor day.
Joe McGilberry
Discussed matrix of program strengths for southern states. He provided a handout. He requested a list of programs in each state in which specialists have expertise. Bo Beaulieu wanted list of all specialists working in CRD. Asked all states to fill out CRD survey form on Program Expertise. One form for area of expertise. Take home and have each person with strong program fill one out. Send back to Joe McGilberry by October 15, 1999. (Following a later discussion, Joe McGilberry will revise the matrix and send revision to all CRD leaders.)
Bo Beaulieu
- Southern Region Community Development Institute will be held again. As like last year, would like to have as many county agents participate as possible.
- Graduates of above have requested advanced level institute. Group thought it was good idea and suggested it be tagged on another conference they could also attend. A "for credit" session was discussed. Conclusion - continue to explore the idea.
Bonnie Teater
Health Institute - CSE people do not have health training. Thus a "Health Institute" is to be explored as whether to hold one for these people. Health SERA will be held in October.
Mike Woods
Economic Development and Infrastructure SERA - meet prior to SAAS meeting. Topic for next meeting will be workforce preparation. Mike requested help prepare the agenda. Group provided names and help with arrangements.
Chris Sieverdes
Sustainable Communities: Farm, Forests, Families, and Communities Workshop. Multi-committee project being headed by Curtis Absher, KY and Roger Crickenberger, North Carolina.
SELD training is being held for potential extension leaders (Howard Ladewig is heading this). Mainly teaching people skills.
Public Issues Management School - held by Clemson University- put on by Chris Sieverdes and Christy Ellenberg. (Handouts on program) Includes forty hours of classroom time and 10 hours of tours and site visits.
Bonnie Teater
SRDC Web site - Southern Directors have approved this and it will be done. Questionnaire on web content handed out, to be returned before meeting ends.
Chris Sieverdes
Clemson Extension, USA, + Board of Trustees have put priority on business retention and business expansion in South Carolina.
Plans of work - several of those present had replied to Bo Beaulieu's request and these were available. He plans to use these to evaluate more fully the areas for multi-state collaboration.
It was pointed out that the CRD representatives term on PLC is two years. Each represented has one year remaining on his term.
Discussed attendance to CRD committee and need for USDA representation. Consistency of state representatives would be beneficial.
Officers
The nominating committee recommended the following slate of officers for the next year.
Ed Jones (Chair)
Ernie Hughes (Vice- Chair)
Chris Sieverdes (Secretary)
Approved unanimously
Conference call of CRD group: Scheduled for last working day of every other month - in 1999/2000 the months will be September, November, January, March, May, July. The call will be held at 9:00 a.m. Central / 10:00 a.m. Eastern. Everyone should call (601) 325-8448 to be connected.
Bo Beaulieu
Interest in POW was to look for areas where multi-state efforts appeared possible. Will look at major themes and see where efforts stress the same things. POW show the direction for state CRD programs. Group discussed those programs that could possibly become a multi-state effort.
Areas for which CRD group are engaged in multi - state efforts.
- Community Development Institute
- Southern CRD
- SERA - 19 Rural Health
- SERA - 16 Rural Infrastructure
- Sustainable Communities, farms, forests and families
- Home based businesses/micro businesses
- Public Issues Education
- Welfare Reform Briefs Series.
- "Southern Perspectives" Publications
- Communities in Economic Transition
- Mid-South Delta Consortium
A person was assigned to write up the agreement for each of these.
Demand for local planning and other CRD activities exceeds the resources available to individual states. Suggests more multi-state collaboration. Bo Beaulieu raised question on Sustainable Communities effort should CRD group develop materials on CRD programming methodology? Definitions are also needed before the conference is sold.
Group recessed to meet with FCS group to hear their discussion of "Welfare to Work" program.
Sarah Anderson - Arkansas
Discussed teaching life skills for working force to those going from welfare to work. Gave a handout on the Arkansas program (an outline).
Thelma Feaster and Sandy Zaslow, North Carolina
Getting welfare folks to stay on job has become an issue. Extension is just getting involved. Program called "Work First". Coalition of NCSU, NC A&M and Department of Social Services. They are designing a curriculum to be tested in four pilot counties. They gave a handout on "Work First Mentor Education Program." Both job skills and behavioral skills are to be covered.
Lynda Harriman - Oklahoma
Two parts to the Oklahoma program:
1. Finding a job/being a good worker
2. Handling work and family.
Also have program with Department of Corrections to work with confined. Train corrections people to train others.
Chris Sieverdes thanked the FCS for having the CRD group sit in on their discussion of welfare to work efforts.
The discussion of the group returned to the SRDC Web as to what is available and what needs to be developed. Web should be emphasized because the group felt there was a real need. The group outlined a topic matrix to be used by Joe McGilberry and to serve as a web outline.
Topics Matrix/Web
Tools we use:
- a. Strategic planning
- b. Asset mapping
- c. Needs assessment
- d. Impact analysis
- e. Socio-economic analysis
Process skills:
- a. Leadership
- b. Conflict management
- c. Collaboration and Partnership building
- d. Group facilitation
- e. Public issues education
Subject Matter Areas:
1. Economic development
a. Business Retention & Expansion
b. Home based/micro businesses
c. Business management
feasibility studies
business plan
2. Tourism
a. Hospitality training
b. Eco-tourism - Nature based
c. Development and expansion
d. Heritage tourism
3. Community capacity building
a. Non-profit development4. Agribusiness/value added
b. Downtown revitalization
c. Community organizing/issue based
a. Entrepreneurial assistance
b. Marketing and processing
5. Local government
a. Public officials training
b. Services
(1) land use planning
(2) infrastructure
(3) Public safety
(4) Waste management and recycling
(5) water
(6) Fiscal management
6. Workforce Development
a. Welfare reform
b. Training and retooling displaced workers
7. Rural health
8. Natural resources