Program Leadership Committee
Report to Directors and Administrators
April 2001

ACTION ITEMS

  1. Southern Region Sustainable Development Conference.   Although the conference was held in November 2000, the planning committee has continued to support participants who attended the conference.  In addition to setting up a listserve of all participants, the committee has been exploring the need to further develop regional curricula around the issues of sustainable development as follows: 
    • Creating community
    • Growing a sustainable economy
    • Governing sustainably
    • Exploring smart
    • Protecting natural resources
    • Living sustainably

    The Committee is requested Directors and Administrators to support the development of multi-state curricula that addresses these issues.  If current curricula are available, they should be provided copies or a website to the Southern Rural Development Center.

  2. Southern Region Middle Management Committee.  The Southern Region Middle Management Committee met during the recently-held Conference and requests that individuals who will serve on the Committee on a three-year rotational basis be identified by Southern directors and administrators.    Judith Jones, Advisor to the Committee, will take the necessary action to get these individuals identified.

INFORMATION ITEMS

  1. Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.

  2. Communications and Information Technology Committee. 

    (1)  The committee is currently contacting committee members to obtain items which will be included on the agenda for the upcoming PLC meeting in August.  Projects from the previous meeting are still being worked on through chairpersons of those projects. 

    (2)  The committee chair who was working on the Grammar Project, LaRae Donnellan, said that she had to give up her responsibilities for that project temporarily because of some situations that she has to work through.  We will discuss having an alternate to chair the project when the committee meetings in Savannah. 

    (3)  If we no longer have the current 1862 representative for this committee, nominations for this position will be obtained at the meeting in Savannah.

  3. Community Development Committee.  The Committee is working closely with the Southern Rural Development Center in developing a complete directory of community development curricula that can be used throughout the Southern region.  Also, individual subcommittees are working on curricula that need development for regional application (i.e., Business Retention and Expansion, Workforce Development, and Non-profit Board Training).

  4. 4-H Youth Development Committee.  Teleconferences have been held October, December and January.  Additional teleconferences are scheduled for April and July to discuss items of mutual interest.  Steve Mullen (Louisiana) will represent the Southern region on the Strategic Directions Team.  Multi-State agreements have been prepared and forwarded to all State 4-H Youth Development Program Leaders.  They have also been posted to the PLC website.

  5. Family and Consumer Sciences Committee.

  6. Middle Management Committee.  The Southern Region Middle Management Conference was held April 2-5, 2001, in Gainesville, Florida, with 100 participants with representatives from all 13 Southern states.  The theme was “Maximizing Organizational Effectiveness through Middle Managers.”   Planning Committee members were as follows:  Claude Bess, Oklahoma State University; Rosalie Bivin, Louisiana State University; Fred Broughton, South Carolina State University; Fred Custis, Virginia Tech; Mitch Flinchum, University of Florida; Charlene Jacobs, University of Kentucky; Martha Ray Sartor, Mississippi State University; and Bonnie P. Teater, Southern Rural Development Center.  Based on preliminary review of evaluations, it has been noted that this Conference was most successful, and many noted that it was the best Middle Management Conference ever held. 

    7. During the Southern Region Middle Management Committee meeting, it was determined that the a listserve would be established by the Southern Rural Development Center to facilitate improved communication on a multi-state basis.  Also, the Committee has requested that any state that is interested in hosting the 2003 Conference will need to come the Savannah meeting prepared to make a proposal.   Another item of information that was discussed and will be further explored is the Southern PLC—Middle Management Committee website.  There was discussion about enhancing the information provided on the website.

  7. Program and Staff Development Committee.   A subcommittee has been formed to  determine the future of SELD/MAP (Southern Extension Leadership Development / Managerial Assessment of Proficiency Program).