Present:
Rosalie Bivin, (Sitting in for Paul Coreil, ASRED Representative, Louisiana State University)
Nina Boston, IT, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension
Michael Bratcher, IT, North Carolina A & T University
Charles Cox, 4-H, Oklahoma State University
Carla Craycraft, COMM, University of Kentucky
Tim Cross, ANR, University of Tennessee
Thelma J. Feaster, PSD, North Carolina A&T State University
Thelma Hunter-Sanders, PLC Chair-elect, FCS, Tennessee State Univ.
Ed Jones, PLC Chair, CRD, North Carolina State University
Dan Lyons, MM, North Carolina A & T University
Gloria Mosby, Past PLC Chair, Chair of PLN-EC, COMM, Prairie View A& M University
Louie Rivers, ANR, Kentucky State University
Kent Rorie, MM, University of Arkansas
Larry Turner, 1862 Advisor, University of Kentucky
Dorothy Wilson, 4-H Youth Development, Langston University

Ex-Officio:
Ron Brown, ASRED
Kathy Ibendahl, SRDC

Absent:
Beverly Howell, FCS, Mississippi State University
Ernie Hughes, CRD, Southern University Ag Center
Shirley Calloway-Pope, 1890 Advisor, Alcorn State University
Noland Williams, AEA Representative, Kentucky State University

Welcome:
PLC Chair, Ed Jones, welcomed everyone.

Committee Reports:

Communications
Gloria Mosby reported that the Communications committee held a conference call yesterday. They continue to work on their CECP modules. Carla Craycraft is no longer involved in the day to day operations of UK Ag. Communications due to her role with eExtension. Haven Miller will replace Carla on the Communications committee. Dr. Turner will communicate this to Garvin Quinn, Communications Committee Chair.

Carla added that Garvin Quinn is doing a great job. They have several new committee members and things are moving along well.

Advisors' Report
Larry Turner announced that James Wade, Associate Director of Extension at the University of Maryland, is replacing Dick Wooten at NASULGC. Dick will be retiring July 31 and James begins July 1.

2006 Budget-The House approved $1 million on the $3 million Extension budget. EFNEP and other areas of Extension have received support from the president's budget.

There is an effort underway to benchmark our success. Nicky Conklin at Ohio is in charge of measuring Extension in each region and several other groups are working on benchmarking as well. Dr. Turner stressed the importance of Extension's role in these discussions and the need to take a lead rather than have measures dictated to us.

The ECOP meeting will be held in Kansas City this July in conjunction with other meetings.

Agriculture and Natural Resources
Louie Rivers and Tim Cross reported that the National Agriculture Program Leaders held their meeting May 10 -12 in Kansas City. The Southern Region leaders met on the last day.

An update on ANR's CECP projects was provided. The committee will have a full report at the August meeting. The 4th National Small Farms Conference will be held October 16-19 in Greensboro, NC. The deadline for submission of posters and presentations has been extended until June 30th.

A discussion on the committee's white paper and how to involve the other groups followed. It was determined that Ed will send it to the committee chairs before August.

Community Development
The CD Committee held a conference call a few weeks ago. Ed reported that the major items included CECP module development and a certification program for agencies involved in CD. The committee is putting together guidelines to help agents and others know what type of training is required.

The second annual National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals conference will be held in the Southern region this year. It will be in San Antonio, February 13 - 16, 2006.

Family and Consumer Sciences
Thelma Sanders-Hunter said that FCS will hold its next meeting in July. At this time, the committee is concentrating on CECP module development. Larry Turner announced that the University of Kentucky has a new assist director for FCS/Director of School of Human Environmental Sciences. Dr. Ann Vail (New Mexico State University) replaces Bonnie Tanner who has retired.

Larry also shared an announcement regarding an Obesity Conference for Extension, research, and instruction to be held in Washington, DC July 19-20, 2005.

4-H Youth Development
Charles Cox said that he has been a part of a national group working on a proposal for the next round of the Rural Youth Development grant. The funds will be used nationally and programs focus on youth in government and youth/adult partnerships.

The Youth Direction Team will be meeting in Washington DC. John Deere is supplying travel support for one youth and adult mentor from each state to participate in the National 4-H Youth Direction Leadership Training. Hopefully all land-grants in the region have applied.

There has been positive feedback from teams involved in the 4-H Youth Caucus. Larry Turner reported that congressional representatives have been involved. This is another good "plug" for the program.

IT
Nina Boston told the committee that IT met June 9th via Centra. They discussed their plan of work in addition to their CECP modules. These are a little behind schedule and the committee is in the process of determining which non-approved CECP courses to complete and which to toss. During that meeting, Carla provided good information regarding eExtension.

Texas A & M has stepped forwarded and offered to host seats for the Southern region's webhosting needs. This will allow for a significant reduction in price for Arkansas and other Southern institutions who choose to move seats to Texas. This is a very positive move. Some institutions are choosing to contract with Centra themselves.

eExtension
Carla Craycraft announced that the Call for Engagement for Communities of Practice is out. The deadline for a response is either July 8th or 9th. Institutional teams are forming. If your institution has not made a submission, please get the word out to get that done.

Middle Management
Dan Lyons and Kent Rorie reported that the middle managers are conducting a survey of all the southern region states to obtain information for the urban programming meeting in August. This information will help the group determine its agenda for the meeting.

The joint 1890 Extension and research conference will be held at the New Orleans Marriott on Sunday, June 19th - 22nd.

As part of the agri-medicine initiative, in the near future, there will be a meeting for the 1890 schools to get involved. Agri-medicine involves health and safety issues. This is spearheaded by several institutions in North Carolina.

Program and Staff Development
Thelma Feaster said that no quarterly conference call occurred in May; however, the PSD chair distributed a survey to the membership and the results are not available as of yet. A draft of the indicators white paper has been completed and passed on to the Southern region directors. This effort was chaired by Roger Rennekamp.

Reappointment of New Members

Ed Jones reminded the committee that some members' terms are expiring this August. Please remind your committee chairs and make sure that replacements or reappointments are made by the end of the meeting in August. Each committee is to select an 1890 and an 1862 representative with terms alternating. Each term is for three years.

Members needing to be replaced or reappointed include:

Tim Cross (ANR) - Tim's term expires in August.

Carla Craycraft (COMM) - Shifting roles. Her position on the COMM committee will be filled by Haven Miller who is taking the Ag. Communication leadership role in Kentucky. She has one more year on PLC, so the committee will need to name a replacement to finish her term.

Ed Jones (CD) - Next year, Ed will continue on PLC as past-chair and chair of the Executive Committee. However, CD will need to name a new committee representative since his term in this role will expire in August.

Thelma Sanders-Hunter (FCS) - Ed will pursue Thelma Sanders-Hunter's reappointment in order for her to take on her new role as PLC Chair next year.

Charles Cox (4-H) - Charles' term expires in August.

Kent Rorie (MM) - Kent's term expires in August

Roger Rennekamp (PSD) - Roger's term doesn't expire until 2006, but he has left the region to take another position out west. The PSD committee will need to name a new representative to finish Roger's term.

Thelma Feaster (PSD) - Thelma's term expires in August. She will be leaving the Executive Committee as well.

Larry Turner (Advisor) - ASRED will need to reappoint Larry to PLC or select another advisor.

Paul Coreil (ASRED) - ASRED will need to reappoint Paul to PLC or select another representative.

Annual Conference

Ed reminded the group to make their reservations. See the conference website at http://srpln.msstate.edu/conferences/05pln/index.htm. Early registration ends July 15th and registration ends August 1st.

Round Table Topics - We are not sure where Roger and Ernie left this effort. Ed will contact them to see what has been done in order to know how to proceed. He will report back to PLC via e-mail and/or at the July meeting.

Larry Turner suggested that we could ask each committee to provide a facilitator and a topic that encompasses a number of areas. Nina Boston said that "reporting" would be such a topic. The revision or creation of new reporting systems. She will relay this to the IT committee.

Ron Brown suggested that Ed introduce James Wade at the opening session so that all of PLN will know who he is. Ed agreed.

The next PLC meeting will be held Thursday, July 21, 2005 at 9 a.m. Central.