1. Chris Sieverdes welcomed Ernie Hughes to his new position as Chair.
2. Ernie Hughes called the meeting to order at 10:05.
3. Call participants:
| Bo Beaulieu | Ed Jones |
| Bonnie Teater | Steve Jones |
| Ernie Hughes | Jeff Alwang |
| Chris Sieverdes | Greg Taylor |
| Hank Cothran | Rick Maurer |
4. Minutes of the previous meeting, August 28-30, 2000, were approved with revisions: Add Bonnie Teater, Bo Beaulieu, and Hank Cothran to list of members present.
5. Information update from CSREES: No report.
6. Information Update from PLC: Rick Maurer reported that bids are in for the next annual meeting (two Georgia locations). The CD Committee must submit a report of information items and action items. Ed Jones and Chris Sieverdes will prepare the report for PLC and Extension Directors/1890 Administrators.
7. Information Update from SRDC (Bo Beaulieu and Bonnie Teater). Reporting about the Technical Advisory Committee activities, Bo Beaulieu reported on the results of 150 survey instruments distributed to SRDC users regarding the mission tied to research and extension. Issues include health care and delivery, technology, infrastructure, and economic development.
a. Southern Extension Health Institute - 32 hours of instruction. Seven participants received 3 hours of credit from Mississippi State University.
b. Sustainable Development Conference: 85 persons are registered for the October 10-12, 2000 conference in Nashville. No representatives have registered from Alabama, North Carolina, and Arkansas at the present time. Alabama and North Carolina anticipate sending participants. Purdue University plans to send a contingent.
8. Action Items Updates and Needs
a. Community Development Institute: SRDC wants the survey information from the CDI participants from all states. Florida and Texas participants have responded. Participants included in the survey enrolled during years 1998, 1999, and 2000. Data is needed to plan future CDI offerings. .
b. Mid-year meeting of CD Committee is scheduled for January 31-Feb 1, 2001, from noon to noon in Fort Worth, TX. This is a firm commitment.
c. State Reports should be sent electronically to Bonnie Teater for posting on the web site.
d. Hank Cothran and Chris Sieverdes, reporting for the Business Retention and Expansion Committee, noted that the curriculum is under construction. The working principle is that a train-the-trainer program should be scheduled for one day. The committee is considering the use of focus groups rather than the Minnesota Extension's BR&E Visitation program.
e. Programs of Excellence in community resource and economic development should be forwarded to Rick Maurer (CRED Base Program representative).
f. Web Site. The SRDC web site continues to undergo updates and additions. A large number of publications are referenced on the web site.
g. ESCOP. In a recent development, ESCOP has identified three initiatives. Experiment Station Directors and Extension Directors have supported the Community Vitality Initiative budget and program request for $20 million. Each center would receive $5 million if approved by Congress.
Reminder that conference calls are scheduled monthly on the last working day at 10:00 Eastern Time. Next meeting is Oct. 31. Please note that the committee also agreed to have a conference call every other month (See minutes for Aug. 30). We can reconcile this during the next conference call on Oct. 31.
Meeting adjourned at 10:42 AM.