Present:

Margaret Johnson, Program and Staff Development (Chair)
Rick Maurer, Community Development (Vice-Chair)
Charles Artis, Community Development
Claude Bess, Middle Management
Fred Broughton, Middle Management
Charles Cox, 4-H Youth Development
Carla Craycraft, Communication and Information Technology
Samuel Felder, 4-H Youth Development
David Foster, Advisor
Bill Harris, Agriculture and Natural Resources
Judith Mock, Family and Consumer Sciences (representing Sandy Zaslow)
Bonnie P. Teater, Southern Rural Development Center

Absent:

Bo Beaulieu, Southern Rural Development Center
Nathaniel Keys, Agricultural and Natural Resources
Gloria Mosby, Communications and Information Technology
Carolyn Nobles, Family and Consumer Sciences
Jerry Whiteside, Program and Staff Development
Noland Williams, Advisor

Welcome, Introductions and Brief History of PLC:

Margaret Johnson welcomed the group and noted that each of the seven (7) committees was represented. In an effort to provide newcomers an overview of the history of PLC, Bonnie Teater provided a quick overview, highlighting roles and responsibilities of the PLC, annual conference themes, etc. Teater also reminded committee representatives that one of their responsibilities was to maintain communication with their individual committee members, particularly regarding meeting information, PLC information, etc.

Advisor Reports:

David Foster indicated that time did not allow for a full report at the most recent meeting of the Southern Directors during NASULGC. He did indicate to the group that he would be polling directors electronically with items that resulted from this meeting of Southern PLC. Foster did indicate that the Southern 1862 directors had approved the Puerto Rico location for the 2000 meeting. In the absence of Noland Williams, Margaret Johnson also indicated that 1890 administrators had approved the Puerto Rico location. It was noted that as items that need action by the respective groups, an electronic message will be prepared and distributed for approval. Foster did indicate that the 1862 directors really will be looking to the Southern PLC to make sure that a process is in place to capture multi-state activities. He noted that the ANR group has developed a template that should be shared for possible use by all Committees. It was decided that Bill Harris would get a copy of the ANR template to the entire committee for review and for action during the January conference call.

Committee Reports:

Agriculture and Natural Resources:
Bill Harris

All Action Items that have been approved by the PLC need director and administrator approval. Also, Bill Harris brought forward the Master Naturalist Volunteer Program that was a joint proposal from ANR and 4-H Youth Development. After some discussion, the PLC APPROVED the proposal and requested that it also be taken electronically to the directors and administrators for approval. The proposal was approved for a 3-year time period. It was noted that Communications/Information Technology persons needed to be added to the committee.

Communications and Information Technology:
Carla Craycraft

Various subcommittees have been formed that will make regional reports during the 2000 meeting in Puerto Rico. The subcommittees are as follows:
(1) Communication Resources Expertise Database,
(2) Regional Publications, and
(3) Knowledge Management Information on the Web.

Community Development:
Charles Artis and Rick Maurer

The 3rd Annual Southern Region Community Development Institute will be held June 12-16, 2000, outside of Jackson, Mississippi. The Institute has been successful in attracting county and state Extension specialists in their efforts to become more knowledgeable of the community development skills needed to facilitate county programming.

The Community Development Committee is in the process of collecting all web-based CD materials for posting on a regional site at the SRDC. All committee members are cooperating in this effort.

A Rural Health Institute is being planned much like the CD Institute. The faculty will be members of the SERA-19. Plans are for a week-long training October 2-6, 2000.

4-H Youth Development:
Charles Cox and Samuel Felder

The Character Education Initiative is moving along. The full proposal needs to go forward to Southern directors and administrators for approval.

Other items of interest include the 4-H Impact Assessment work that is being generated on school-based 4-H work. Oklahoma and Mississippi are cooperating on this effort. Also, discussion of the National 4-H Council's involvement with Philip Morris and its implications on regional 4-H youth development work, as well as the National 4-H Congress meeting. It was noted that the Congress approved the process for Incorporation.

Family and Consumer Sciences:
Judith Mock

The Southern Region Accountability Training held in April 1999 focused on parenting and child care. The training set for April 2000 in Dallas or Atlanta will focus on family resource economics and health. A regional committee has been established and includes two members from the Program and Staff Development Committee.

Middle Management:
Fred Broughton and Claude Bess

Urban Program Representation. The PLC approved an information item from the Middle Management Committee as follows: The Committee recognizes the importance of urban programming in the Southern region. Consequently, it reminds the state directors and 1890 administrators that they have an option to appoint additional representatives for urban programs to the Middle Management Committee, if they feel that their state's urban needs are underrepresented.

Southern Extension Leadership Development Program. The Southern PLC approved a proposal (APPENDIX A) brought by the Middle Management Committee and requested the proposal be submitted to directors and administrators for their approval. It was noted that if directors and administrators approve the proposal that a committee would be formed which would include representatives from Middle Management, Program and Staff Development, and Communications and Information Technology.

Dates for the 2001 meeting of the Southern Region Middle Managers has been set for April 2001, in Gainesville, Florida.

Southern Region WebSite Committee:

Bonnie Teater reported on progress to date of the Southern Region WebSite Committee. Plans are for each of the seven (7) regional committees to have links from the site which would include membership, minutes, regional committees, etc. There was some discussion about having multi-state initiatives highlighted on the site. It was suggested that a script program be written that would allow persons within the various committees to be sent electronic messages from the site.

Character Education Initiative:

Activities are progressing with this Initiative. Persons from each state have been identified as state contacts for the Initiative. Martha Talley, University of Tennessee, has been taking leadership and has provided an opportunity for persons to attend a conference scheduled in Nashville in February 2000.

Sustainable Community Development: A Southern Region Conference on Sustainable Farms, Forests, Communities and Families

Curtis Absher is chair of this committee. Members of the group include Ed Jones, Chris Sieverdes, Bill Harris, John O'Sullivan, Chris Todd, John Dooley, Greg Crosby, David Holder, Bo Beaulieu and Bonnie Teater. Planning is underway via teleconference calls. As soon as a date has been set the group will be advertised.

2000 Meeting of Southern Region Program Leaders

After review of evaluations, general discussion, the group decided a preliminary logo, agenda, concurrent sessions, as follows. Those names in parenthesis are to make contact and have response by January conference call.

THEME: Driving 2000
LOCATION: Ritz Carlton, San Juan Hotel, Puerto Rico
REGISTRATION FEE: $125

Sunday, August 27

• 4:00 PLC Meeting
• 5:00 Committee Chairs Meeting

Monday, August 28

• 8:00 GENERAL SESSION-Welcome, Introductions, etc.
• 8:30 A GLIMPSE OF THE SOUTH-Harold Hodgkinson (Bonnie Teater)

(one hour presentation, 30 minutes Q &A)
• 10:00 BREAK
• 10:30 GENERAL SESSION: _________________ (title)

Zerle Carpenter (David Foster)(30 minutes)
Back-up Presenters: Michael Tate / Ron Brown
• 11:00 PANEL RESPONSE (each presenter making 5 minutes of comments)

Dan Godfrey (Margaret Johnson)Chuck Laughlin (Bonnie Teater)
Jack Bagent (Margaret Johnson)
Back-up Presenters: Ron Brown, Jane Coulter, Steve Jones, Lorenzo Lyons, Chris Waddell, Jon Ort
(30 minutes of Q and A)
• 12:00 PLANNED LUNCHEON
• 1:00 Committee Meetings

Tuesday, August 29

• 8:00 CONCURRENT SESSIONS ROAD SIGNS, BLOCKS, etc.

The hope with these sessions is that each session would provide the following:

Current situation
Needs for enhancement
Recommendations for Action

The persons identified to provide an outline for the session, take notes at the meeting, and serve as general facilitator are included below. Also, group discussion which will be used by the person identified to write the outline for the session is listed.

Funding
Jack Bagent (Margaret Johnson)
Lawrence Carter (Fred Broughton)
Notes: David Foster, Fred Broughton, Jerry Whiteside

Multi-State Activities
Chuck Laughlin (Bonnie Teater)
Jon Ort (Judy Mock)
Notes: Claude Bess, Sandy Zaslow (Judy Mock)

Delivery Systems
Ron Brown (David Foster)
Dennis Nielson (Margaret Johnson)
Notes: Bill Harris, Carla Craycraft

Internal/External Forces/Partnerships
Steve Jones (David Foster)
Mike Davis (Charles Cox)
Notes: Charles Artis, Carolyn Nobles

Customers
Chester Fehlis (Bill Harris)
Linda Willis (Bill Harris)
Notes: Charles Cox, Gloria Mosby

Research / Extension Integration
D. C. Coston (Charles Cox)
Clyde Chesney (Rick Maurer)
Notes: Rick Maurer, Margaret Johnson

Politics
Walt Walla (Rick Maurer)
Pedro Rodriguez (David Foster)
Notes: Sam Felder, Nathaniel Keys

PRELIMINARY SESSION OUTLINES

FUNDING

A. Federal

General Trends-fed, state, local
1) formula and competitive (base - accountability)
2) Initiative (i.e. water quality/children and families)
3) partners outside USDA
4) capacity building of 1890s
5) Federal Match for 1890

B. State
C. Local
D. Grants and Contracts

MULTI-STATE

A. Federal Requirements-definitions
B. New opportunities for multi-state
C. Procedures for documentation
D. Facilitation at regional level

DELIVERY (electronic, traditional)
A. TRENDS-credibility of electronic.
B. Balance
C. Accountability

INTERNAL/EXTERNAL ISSUES (partnership)
A. Total Universities
B. Agencies (gov. agencies)
C. regional universities
D. community colleges
E. non profits

CUSTOMERS
A. Defining the customer (changes of customer)
B. Customer & stakeholder input/expectation
C. Expand base
D. Competition for customers
E. level of service
F. marketing
G. Maintenance of grassroot support
H. Issue programming

EXTENSION / RESEARCH INTEGRATION (teaching)
A. Federal Funding Requirement
B. planning
C. reporting
D. Documentation Req
E. Expectations of specialists

1) county staff/district
2) departmental

F. Scholarly achievement
      definition for ext.
      compensation

POLITICS

1.Cultivate/Using

Budgeting Processing: state legis. divide up what's left in pot
clientele/advocacy groups
"master"
Funding
Legislation

2. Marketing/communication dept. consistent message

managing advocacy groups

3. 1862/1890 Being Politically Proactive Together

• 9:30 BREAK 10:00 CONCURRENT SESSIONS (Repeated)
• 11:30 LUNCHEON

Chuck Laughlin, Speaker (Bonnie Teater)
• 1:00 COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Wednesday, August 30
• 8:00 COMMITTEE MEETINGS
• 12:00 ADJOURN

FUTURE CONFERENCE CALLS:
January 7
March 3
May 5
July 7
 

The calls will be held at 9:00 a.m. Central / 10:00 a.m. Eastern. Everyone will call (662) 325-8448 to be connected.

APPENDIX A

Southern Extension Leadership Development Program

In those Southern region states where SELD has been implemented, it has been considered a highly effective and useful program that offers Extension professionals an opportunity to develop their leadership skills. The program has been an attractive alternative to the NELD program for those professionals who could not afford to participate, either due to time or travel restrictions, in the national leadership program. However, during the past two years, the availability of SELD opportunities has diminished. Being a two-part program, many Extension professionals who had enrolled in SELD have not had a chance to complete the training. The Middle Management Committee recommends that the Southern Directors and 1890 Administrators support the revival of SELD or another similar, credible leadership development program for the Southern region, and see that it is conducted on a regular basis with a regular schedule established.