Meeting was called to order by Chair Carolyn Nobles at 1:00 pm. Roll call was conducted by Kathy Volanty, Secretary:
| Alabama | Martha Johnson |
| Arkansas | Sarah Anderson |
| Florida | Nayda Torres |
| Georgia | Tom Rodgers |
| Kentucky | Bonnie Tanner, Beverly Garner, Joanne Bankston, Mary Fant |
| Louisiana | Rosalie Bivin (interim), Gina Eubanks, Karen Overstreet |
| Mississippi | Beverly Howell, Mildred Holland, Mary Tuft, Wanda Burke |
| North Carolina | Sandra Zaslow, Thelma Feaster |
| Oklahoma | Linda Harriman, Lynn Russell |
| Puerto Rico | |
| South Carolina | Diane Smathers, Susan Barefoot |
| Tennessee | Shirley Hastings |
| Texas | Kathy Volanty, Carolyn Nobles, Linda Williams-Willis, Margaret Hale |
| Virgin Islands | |
| Virginia | Eleanor Schlenker |
| West Virginia | Nicki Bentley-Colthart |
Minutes from the August 2002 Southern Region FCS Program Leaders Committee Meeting as well as the July 20 FCS PLC teleconference were distributed for approval. Motion was made by Gina Eubanks and seconded by Nayda Torres to accept the minutes as corrected. Motion passed. Minutes will be filed in the Chairman's notebook.
| Dr. Alma Hobbs, Deputy Administrator for Family, 4-H and Nutrition, Cooperative State Research Extension and Education Service, was introduced. Dr. Hobbs highlighted a few current legislation actions affecting children, youth, and families. |
Public Law 719 - authorizing 5M for National Conversation for Youth; funds not appropriated; this is an opportunity for 4-H and FCS to work together in the context of families; hope joint planning will occur. |
Faith Based Organizations - barriers are being removed by legislation; Family Caregiver's Support Program, Area Agency on Aging are cooperating. |
TANF, child care block grants, FSNEP, abstinence being reauthorized for 2002; |
Fatherhood and marriage are key issues in Bush Administration; |
Oklahoma is a key partner in a unique approach to support marriage education; |
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Funds for Rural America were not refunded for 2002; |
Younger Americans Act - establishes a national policy on youth development -mentoring, after-school, community service, and recreation programs will be funded block grants over 5 year period; $5.75B available; |
Update on USDA: report on last year's priorities (1) increased visibility for 4-H/FCS, (2) integrate Extension across programs, and (3) diversity. A brief USDA video will be made to celebrate 100 years of rich diversity. April - Bush will accept 4-H National Conversation report. States to send teams. |
Dr. Hobbs sees Extension as providing a platform for expert speakers, policy makers and community people who are resolving issues. Select one or two issues to focus on. |
Discussion continued of family relationship programs including fathering, marriage relationships, etc. Two curriculums were recommended - "Tying the Knot" - Florida, and PREP from Colorado (Personal Relationships Education Program). Pastoral counseling is also becoming more prevalent. |
Larry Jones will be funded to act as full-time liaison to FSNEP. National FSNEP/EFNEP meeting in Dallas September 10-14. Some states are experiencing difficulty with their state agencies and FNS. Advised to contact Ruthie Jackson in Washington for advice. Other discussion followed on particular states progress with FSNEP. |
Chairman Nobles requested input from the committee on behalf of the PLC on identified questions:
| 1. | How do we address the needs for multi-state programming better and more efficiently? What approaches can be used? What are some existing issues that can be addressed? What are some emerging issues that could be addressed? What staff and organizational development issues need to be addressed? What issues can be addressed on a multi-committee basis? |
| 2. | How can PLC facilitate better communications between Directors and Administrators and the work of the committees? How can we speed up the process of multi-state programs? |
| 3. | What is the role of Directors and Administrator advisors to the regional committees? |
| 4. | What do you see as the role of executive director of the Southern Region in relation to PLC? |
After the break, Chairman Nobles presented the next speaker, Dr. Linda Williams-Willis. Dr. Willis shared information from the latest ECOP meeting in Bloomington, Minnesota. The Vision for the 21st Century Project looks at the future of Extension and will be reported tomorrow by Dave Foster, Committee CoChair. Issues facing families and FCS programming was significant to the report. Final report will be released in national administrators meeting in Las Vegas in February, 2002. Four task force priorities were approved at the February ECOP meeting - resilient children, youth and families, employability, and health and well-being. Significant progress is being made by 5 program teams appointed by 1890 administrators. The national initiatives were discussed: financial security, childcare, healthy people/healthy communities. Food safety graduated and new initiative will be brought forward. PLC recommend continuation of Financial Security in Later Life and Food Safety be graduated and a new initiative solicited with a more focus. A proposal was made to ECOP to fully fund a national leadership position with Food and Nutrition Services. Suggested benefits would include a better integration of partners, a stronger partnership with USDA, a common evaluation framework for nutrition education, and a national meeting. Recommendations for the future of the position would include broadened contacts with FNS that would result in more effective timely and consistent communication of FSNEP policies across the nation, continue to build relationships with ERS, propose specific steps to enhance research and evaluation, increase participation of underserved institutions, and to identify and make available to state staffs and reliable and valid evaluations instruments that measure the outcomes identified by the national committee. A budget was submitted by ECOP to CSREES for funding of the position.
Chairman Nobles introduced Dr. Margaret Hale. She is the FCS liaison to ASRED in Memphis. There was significant concern over budget situations in many states. Directors are looking for strategies to continue response to clientele. One idea was sharing across state lines.
She gave information in the new executive director's responsibilities - facilitate discussion, assist with multi-state programming, collaborating with NASALGC and Experiment Station, supporting PLC, information management through customer-friendly websight. Dr. Brown chairs a task force (Margaret Hale, Lawrence Carter, Paul Warner) to look at Community Development and how competency development training can be facilitated for Extension educators. ASRED was also interested in seeking funding from sources other than USDA - Health and Human Services was mentioned.
ASRED discussed need for more coordinated efforts between work groups. Hale reported to ASRED about the three areas of discussion in FCS - aging baby boomers, workforce, family and community health. Paperwork involved to take a work group to a SERA on websight.
Texas invited to host a work group of REES on e-Extension which involves regional representation. Thesaurus being developed to support this level.
Carolyn initiated a discussion on the method for serving as chair and secretary for the FCS PL Committee. Officers have been selected according to a rotational 1862/1890 method. The chart will be consulted.
Linda Harriman reported on the possibility of funding from J.C. Penny Foundation for youth afterschool programming. Some work being done on evaluating child care programs. Dr. Chris Todd (Georgia) will have an on-line evaluation instrument by October 1, 2001. Watch for this.
Nayda Torres asked if any states were addressing the need to develop competency skills for specialists and agents in teaching - beginning, intermediate, and advanced. Some states indicated they were beginning to look at subject matter competencies as well as teaching skills.
Chair Nobles shared the plans for 2002 Southern Region Joint Program Leaders Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee at the Sheraton Music City ($72 per night). August 25-28, 2002. Possibly going to Kentucky or Oklahoma in 2003.
Chair Nobles asked for committee reports. Hard copies for distribution.
Martha Johnson reported that five southern states are co-hosting Elder Financial Abuse Conference October 16-18, 2001 in Montgomery, Alabama. Hosted by Tennessee, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Georgia and Alabama.
Martha Johnson also reported on the Priester Health Conference - "Healthy People/Healthy Communities". Conference will be May 7-10, 2002 in Orlando - Sheraton World Resort (Seaworld). She passed out the Call for Papers. Last year had 130 people to attend. Anticipate more in 2002.
Martha also reported on the Health SERA - Southern Region Extension Research Activity - has been going on 8-9 years; gathers twice a year to talk about health programs. Also do health programming. Last year held Health Institute (5 days). This year the Health Institute will be in Kentucky, October 15-19, 2001. You have gotten information about it - want state teams to participate. September 15 registration deadline.
Also discussed a partnership formed last November between Schools of Pharmacy and Extension. Pat Sobrero did a leadership workshop for Pharmacy - common concerns were identified. First project was immunizations and poison control. In November, Deans and Directors discussed areas of partnership. Alabama is partnering on asthma education. Other states are also doing things under umbrella of health literacy. Florida is working on food and drug interactions with citrus. Mississippi may join group.
Chair Nobles led the group in answering the survey from the PLC.
Chair Nobles was congratulated on completing her PH.D recently.
Meeting was adjourned.
Meeting was reconvened by Chair Nobles at 1:00 pm. Reports were continued.
Martha Johnson reported on the FSNEP program that Alabama is doing with kids. Curriculum has been developed and is for sale. "Come and Get It" it for 4-6 year olds; "Feed Your Mind" for adolescents.
Nayda Torres reported on the IFAS publication system from Florida. Emphasized the need for publications in Spanish. Florida's list of publications in Spanish on their websight. Can be printed off.
Nayda also had materials from the Aging Baby Boomer. SERA was requested. Meeting was held in February in North Carolina. Every state was represented as well as Anna Mae Kobbe. Twenty people attended. Divided into two groups - Environmental Scan and Curriculum Development. Websight BabyBoomerUniversity.org. John Dooley and Nayda Torres facilitated. Will meet again in 2002.
Chair Nobles presented invited speakers Dr. Doug Scutchfield, Director of the School of Public Health in Kentucky, and Dr. Elizabeth Howze, Associate Director for Health Promotion Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Chair Nobles thanked the speakers for a wonderful and informative information.
Sandra Zaslow discussed the electronic online research peer reviewed journal (Southern Region Forum for Family and Consumer Issues) and that her group has maintained since 1996. It focuses on family and consumer issues. It focuses more on application and innovative programs, emerging themes relevant to families and consumers and local programs. Carol Schwab is currently providing editing leadership. A panel peer reviews online. North Carolina is having trouble maintaining alone and wanted to know if any state would like to partner in being editor for the journal. $1000 per state needed to support it if it continues. Is there a concept that anyone would like to provide or anyone that would like to take ownership? Group recommended discussing again in Portland.
Martha Johnson discussed work groups workforce, child development and parenting. Martha presented proposal to PLC for approval to continue with accountability program. Proposal to bring Wisconsin for workshop. Chairs of work groups need to get together to help plan. Some chairs no longer here. A conference call was suggested by Martha to get something going.
Chair Nobels continued with the group on discussing the PLC survey questions.
Tom Rodgers was thanked profusely for his coordination of the FCS PL preconference tour and the Georgia Hospitality shown this group. PL's were encouraged to attend the Board of Human Sciences meeting and the NASLGIC meeting in D.C. November 11-13, 2001.
Meeting was reconvened on Wednesday, August 29, at 8:00 am by chairperson Nobles.
Summarized action items included:
- Investigate opportunities for family life specialist training, possibly as a multi-state effort.
- Look at opportunities for identifying competencies, especially in the areas of accountability groups.
State Reports were given by:
Mississippi
Georgia
Texas
Louisiana
Alabama
West Virginia
Arkansas
Kentucky
Florida
Members were reminded of:
CYFAR Conference - New Orleans, May, Riverfront Hilton
Southern Region Conference Calls, 9:00am CST:
January 4, 2002
April 5, 2002
July 12, 2002
Session was adjourned at approximately noon.