Meeting Participants:
| Irene Lee, AR | Mary McInnis, SC |
| Marth Dwyer, LA | Fred Broughton, SC |
| Helen Brooks, MS | Dan Jones, MS |
| Jacquelyn Wright, MS | Kyle Smith, TX |
| Starlene Taylor, DE | Lott Rolfe, III, AR |
| Jackie Courson, MS | Thelma Feaster, NC |
| James McKee, TN | Clarene Johnson, AL |
| Russell King, NC | Jacquelyn Ifill, AL |
| Claude Bess, OK | Charlene Jacobs, KY |
| Kent Rorie, AR | Susan Lyday, NC |
| Dorothy Rodgers, AR | John Mowbray, KY |
| Jannie Carter, AL | Patrick Morgan, MS |
| Terril Faul, LA | Carol Webb, SC |
| Howard Gryder, LA | Ilene Dailey, GA |
| Bill Davis, LA | Mitchell Flinchum, FL |
| Debra Davis, LA | Severn Doughty, LA |
| Bobby Flelcher, LA | Frederick J. Custis, VA |
| Rosalie Bivin, LA |
Officers:
Chair - Severn Doughty, Louisiana State University
Vice Chair - Susan Lyday, North Carolina State
Secretary - Frederick J. Custis, Virginia Tech
Administrative Advisor
Dr. Jack Bagent, Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service
PLC Representatives:
Charlene Jacobs, Univ of Kentucky (2 year term);
Fred Broughton, SC State (2 year term)
SUMMARY:
Severn Doughty: Talked about the importance and opportunity for PLC/MM. He asked how many new Middle Managers were attending for the first time. There were 5 new middle managers in attendance. He thanked Patrick Morgan for representing PLC/MM Committee. Patrick will be rotating off. He introduced Susan Lyday as Vice-Chair and Frederick J. Custis as Secretary. He asked for volunteers for Nominations Committee. Fred Broughton and Susan Lyday volunteered. He asked members in attendance to introduce themselves.
He talked about list-service and encourage participation. Thanks to Charlene Jacobs for putting the list-serv together.
He reported on Western Region MM Conference in the Utah. The Western Region encourage County Directors participation. He asked group how did they feel about extending invitation to other region to attend Southern Region Conference. Group agreed to extend invitation. He shared highlights of the conference in detail from Dr. Myron Johnsrud, Director of Extension and Outreach for NASULGC.
He talked about comments from Cuco Gonzalez, Lyla Houghum, Milan Rerverts (Co), Jean Kobayaski (UT), Stuart Parkinson (ID), Bob Gilliland (UT), Frank Liebrock, National Extension Leadership Development.
Topics individuals presented at Western Region:
What is importance of identifying needs?
What can Cooperative Extension Service do to your preception?
What advise would you give middle managers
The above three questions were addressed by Panel Group.
Martha Gwyer: Urban Programming in Metro New Orleans Jefferson Parish. Made reference to Dr. Fletcher Ifill and Dr. Jackie Carter Urban program mandate by legislature establish urban program as 6 base unit, urban centers have been establish in 5 cities.
Carol Webb: Funding Partners - New President believe and is driving leverage funding. Partners with Clemson Extension, Cypress Garden Commercial Nursery, County local government and schools.
Charlene Jacobs: Motivating factors of County Extension Agents - A Kentucky Study - Dissertation for her Ph.D. degree.
Background of Study:
Motivating employee's in today's organizations
Changes in society
Diversity is increasing in the work place
High technology influencing the work place
Interest in human factors of the organization
Motivation more intents
Challenges for Administrators - Purpose of Study
How to motivate employees in all age categories.
Severn brought up for discussion the Southern Region Extension Middle Conference to be held March 1-4, 1999 in Biloxi, Mississippi. There was a question about the budget for the conference, Severn, Susan and Charlene shared the budget information and seed money for the conference.
Severn announced planning committee for conference:
| Patrick Morgan | Severn Doughty |
| Frederick J. Custis | Dr. Bill Davis |
| Dan Jones | Russell King |
| Bonnie Teater | Charlene Jacobs |
| Helen Brooks | Susan Lyday |
| Dr. Rosalie Biven | Mitchell Flinchum |
Severn asked group for possible theme. The group kicked around several titles before deciding on "Transformation Leadership -- Journey into the 21st Century". There was a group discussion in reference to the beginning time and date to start conference after discussion the group decided to follow planned program. Thee was a discussion for opening address speaker. Frank Liebrock name was suggested and committee will select speaker. The group continued with the discussion of workshop titles and presenters.
Dr. Bill Davis: Louisiana's new performance appraisal and how it impacts programming. Did a power point presentation on Louisiana's appraisal system. The new system verus the old system.
Severn Doughty, Chairman announced that minutes from last year's meeting were on the Mid Managers' list-serv. Charlene Jacobs explained that minutes were "bounced" back to the list-serv if not read or received by the individual within a certain time frame.
Report on PLC Meeting
Charlene Jacobs and newly elected Mid Managers' Representative to the PLC, Fred Broughton received guidelines for formatting minutes by all committees for submission to the PLC. These
guidelines were not reported orally but were given in writing to the temporary secretary (Mitch Flinchum) who was replacing Frederick Custis due to his early departure. The report, due September 30, 1998, should include:
List of participants
Officers of the committee
Administrative advisors to the committee
PLC representatives and terms
Action Items
Information Items
Minutes
PLC meeting locations for the new two years were discussed. San Juan was suggested along with 4 other locations. PLC decided to have Bonnie Teater do a cost analysis for the new 2 year locations. PLC will have a conference call in October to decide. After some discussion introduced by Kyle Smith, the Mid Management Committee decided in favor of recommending San Juan as the next meeting site assuming that the cost analysis permitted it.
PLC asked for Mid Managers input regarding proposals for including IT (Information Technology) personnel in the annual meeting how to structure the group within the PLC organization. PLC's "PROPOSAL A" which included putting IT and Communications as one committee was recommended by the Mid Managers.
PLC reminded Mid Managers to complete the program evaluations forms prior to their departure and leave them on the tables.
PLC may be considering an effort to support Southern Rural Development Center via state contributions to acquire services of Bonnie Teater such as planning various meetings, developing a web-site for PLC, etc.
SHARE Session.
A. Texas (Kyle Smith)1. Texas Commodity Futures Forum...a different approach to identify programmatic issues.
2. Explained efforts to address Urban programs
3. Social Marketing Training activitiesB. Kentucky (Charlene Jocobs and John)
1. Formalized many practices
2. New hiring practices
3. Core Training requirements and standardized resource check sheet.
4. Developed cumulative transcript for each agent's in-service training history.
5. Mentoring system in place. Mentors are required to get training.
6. Agent at Large Program
7. Performance Evaluation Instrument
8. General overview of Planning/Reporting System (moved report forms directly to the web).
9. Marketing Extension Efforts in KentuckyC. South Carolina State University (Fred Broughton and Mary Jo McInnis)
1. Overview of Marketing Efforts through personal contacts
2. Leadership Institute
3. Interactions with Army at Ft. Jackson
4. Heifer Project International
5. Welfare to Work/EFNEPD. Tennessee (Jim McKee)
1. 4-H Endowment for each District (matched by State)
2. Private Endowment for Staff Development
3. Increased salary levels to $26,500 for Masters Degree
4. Minority Interns paid $3,500 for 10 weeks
5. Established Agent in Training program
6. College senior internships with salary
7. County funding to the system is improving. With Area Agents, all counties contribute now.
8. Received Grant Funds for a Media Center
9. Discussion ensued on intern salaries and procedures.E. Arkansas (Dorothy Rodgers)
1. Amendment 4 Tax issue critical if passed.
2. Two to 6.7% merit increases to faculty salaries, an equity increase and increases in travel budgets.
3. Agent salaries $24,000 for BS and $26,000 for MS. Also pay interns.
4. Established "Winter Schools" which awards 6 hours credits in 6 weeks for a Master's degree.
5. New Logo
6. Still working on equity funding
7. Now have a computer person per district and working toward getting a "computer on every desk".
8. Dorothy announced that this would be her last meeting with the Mid Management Committee. Severn complimented Dorothy as being a mentor to many of us on the Mid Management Committee.F. Alabama (Jacquelyn Ifill)
1. Business as usual with "court order merger"
2. Changed name from Service to System
3. Urban Centers developed - by 2000 will have 10.
4. Down-sizing Middle Management. Ag. Task Force recommended eliminating District Director positions. Appears that positions will go from 9 to 4 District Directors.
5. Trying to get 4-H License Plates for funding support
6. Good funding in county programs
7. 2% salary increases last year, 8% this year
8. $23,000 for BS and $30,000 for Masters
9. Two Ag. Extension Centers developed.
10. County operations possibly moving to multi-county clusters
11. Recommended that next year each state should bring "vacancy lists" or position announcements.G. Louisiana (Bobby Fletcher)
1. Received legislative funds for "Character Education" programs in each parish. (Teaching older youth to teach youngsters)
2. 4-H Clubs are in schools during school hours
3. Faculty Proficiency and Interest Inventory Program (a recognition step for field faculty which allows them to receive specialty recognition
4. At Chancellor's level hired an Institutional Relations person (Lobbyist) and a Cultural Diversity person.
5. Had 5 summer interns -- worked 10 weeks at $7.00/hr. plus travel
6. BS salary $22,500; MS salary $25,500 and PhD salary $32,000
7. Hiring "non-traditional' degrees now
8. From computer perspective will net-work every office in the future.H. Mississippi (Dan Jones and Jackie Courson)
1. Health Programs for Youth -- "Tobacco" money being used in 4-H is funneled through Extension to establish coalitions for dispersal of funds.
2. Program reviews in all counties using random selections of volunteers to be interviewed. Other states endorsed this approach.
3. Gave excellent examples of their new Director who supports Human Resources Development.
4. Revamping Evaluation system.
5. Simplifying web-based Intra-netI. Oklahoma (Rod)
1. As a result of "Focus on Future Task Force" looking at major re-organization. Might see less mid-management, more local specialization.
2. Requesting a 5% increase in County contributions.
3. Working on a 4% salary increase for October 1. (Carol Webb from Clemson state that they use state dollars for salary and federal dollars for operating. This allows more money to be given from the state when it comes to receiving salary increases)
4. Currently requires MS degree within 7 years. This policy will be "tested" this year.J. Georgia (Irene Dailey)
1. Past legislative sessions good. 6% salary increases for past 4 years. Gained 22 Agent position, $125,000 for 4-H program assistants, and $250,000 for FCS.
2. bs SALARY IS $25,000. Master's salary was $32,000 this past July and will increase that to $35,000 in January, 1999.
3. Support by Foundation for equipment has been good.
4. As a result of "cutbacks" their county organization is clustered, but still maintaining county offices (This has been a programmatic clustering rather than administrative clustering)
5. Have paid interns and agents in training.
6. Just initiated a 4-ranked promotion process
7. Will send copy of new agent training programs if requested.
8. As agents specialize, units are developing more in-depth courses for Agent training.
9. District heads worked on long-range county budgetsK. Clemson (Carol Webb)
1. New Director
2. Creating new marketing unit under
3. FCS moved out of Agriculture to another college. Don't know how this will affect field faculty for support.
4. Gone back to making Master's degree a requirement for employment
5. Received increases in operating funds.
6. After a periods of down-sizing, have now been given more positions.
7. Conducting "file checks" for Civil Rights review.L. Florida (Mitch Flinchum)
1. EDIS, print on demand publication system working reasonably well. Many are satisfied.
2. Current BS salary is $23,500 and $26,000 for Master's. It is expected that these will be increased by $2,000 in January, 1999.
3. First distance education Master's degree in Ag. Education and Communication has been developed and student's are starting this fall with first course. Dr. Jimmy Cheek would be the person to contact if anyone is interested in having access to this program. (It was suggested that any "regional" courses be listed on our Mid Management List-serv.)
4. Legislature mandated 2.78% across the board salary increases effective October 1 this year.
WRAP-UP
Prior to adjourning the meeting at 11:35 a.m., Severn handed out literature on Distance Learning and Copy-Righting and reminded everyone to complete evaluations to be left on the table.