Present:

Hank Cothran, University of Florida
Virgil Culver, Mississippi State University
George Smith, University of Tennessee
Clark Garland, University of Tennessee
Carmen Gonzalez, University of Puerto Rico
Ed Jones, North Carolina State University
Greg Taylor, Texas A&M University
Brian Calhoun, Virginia Tech
Charles Shephard, Alcorn State University
Warren McCord, Auburn University
Sally Maggard, CSREES
Bonnie Teater, Southern Rural Development Center
Alan Barefield, Southern Rural Development Center

CSREES Report (Sally Maggard)

Colleen had all-staff meeting to discuss:

• Ability to generate new funds - Discussion of funneling funds from Assistant Secretary to Department to Agency
  
• FY 2005 Program Funding Priorities from CSREES
  
  • Homeland Security
    
  • Nutrition and Obesity
    
    • For CRD funding, look at the way that we do food production
      
      • Organic and sustainable
        
      • Regional production
        
  • Higher Education - Minority Serving Institutions
    
  • Expand RCCI to serve these Institutions
    
  • Research Initiatives
    
    • Infectious Disease and Invasive Species
      
    • Genomics (Affect on communities)
      
    • Emerging issues in food safety
      
    • Nutrition
      
    • Air quality
      
  • Look at National Research Initiative programs - Call for proposals looks at markets and trade and rural development. However, there is now a $300,000 floor and a $500,000 ceiling. Wanting to fund fewer, larger multi-state, multi-institution, multi-disciplinary projects.
    
  • All proposals need to be framed in terms of national projects.
    
• We need to move toward having a national capacity for competency - especially for national security
  

CRED Conference (Virgil Culver)

A planning committee conference call was held. It was agreed that this type of conference was needed. The best time to have this conference will probably be the third week in May. Suggested major conference topics include:

• Extension Committee on Policy (ECOP) perspective
  
• State of CRED activities in the Southern region
  
• Need at least 30 hours of training opportunities
  
• General session on building partnerships should be held on the last day
  
  • Internal relationship building through program areas
    
  • Relationship building with other state programs and agencies
    
  • Followup for national association
    
  • Potential topics include:
    
    • Ways that RC&D uses GIS in examining land-use issues and other community development topics
      
    • Chris Fulcher (University of Missouri) - Look at his rural diversity conference
      
    • University of Connecticut Non-Point Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO)

Program Leadership Network

• Need to have 1 to 1½ hour session with Bill Cook on GIS
  
• Probably need to make this a joint session with ANR Program Leaders
  
• Need to explore relationship with RC&D Councils
  
  • Do MOUs exist with states?
    
  • Get with Sally to invite RC&D person to PLN
    
• Need to have joint meetings with ANR, FCS, and Staff Development
  
• Develop Plan of Work