Present:
Nina Boston, Information Technology, University of Arkansas
Gae Broadwater, Community Development, Kentucky State University
Paul Coreil, ASRED Advisor, Louisiana State University
Beverly Howell, Family and Consumer Sciences, Mississippi State University
Lamar Nichols, 4-H Youth Development, Auburn University
Jon Ort, ASRED Appointee, North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service
Mitch Owen, Program & Staff Dev., North Carolina Cooperative Extension
Service
Thelma Sanders-Hunter, PLC Chair, Family & Consumer Sciences, Tennessee
State University
Dorothy Wilson, 4-H Youth Development, FCS, CRD, Langston University
Tony Windham, Community Development, University of Arkansas
Ex-Officio:
Ron Brown, ASRED
Absent:
Mike Bratcher, Information Technology, North Carolina A&T State
University
Nelson Daniels, PLC Chair-Elect, Ag and Natural Resources, Prairie View
A&M University
Gina Eubanks, AEA Advisor, Southern University Cooperative Extension
Frankie Gould, Communications, Louisiana State University
L. Washington Lyons, AEA
Ray McKinnie, AEA Appointee, North Carolina A&T State University
Paul Mask, Ag and Natural Resources, Auburn University
Gloria Mosby, Communications, Prairie View A&M University
Joe Schaefer, Middle Management, University of Florida
Ellen Smoak, Middle Managers, North Carolina A&T University
Guests:
Claude Bess, Oklahoma State University, for Middle Management
Kathy Ibendahl, Southern Rural Development Center
Nina Boston, PLC chair, welcomed the committee and reviewed the agenda.
Advisor's Report (Paul Coreil)
Paul Coriel reported on the recent directors' fly-in meeting in Atlanta, where bio-energy arena opportunities, specifically in the southern region, were discussed. Bio-energy has been receiving quite a bit of national attention, especially on the Internet. States are being asked to submit names of individuals to attend a SARE planning meeting in Louisville, August 30-31, to develop a three to five year plan for bio-energy programming. This will be a multi-discipline meeting of faculty in ANR, FCS, CD and 4-H. Responses are requested from states by June 28. Eric Young is involved as well.
Paul updated the group concerning the Farm Bill. Discussions are active in Congress concerning Create 21. A bill has been introduced based on the Create 21 document.
eXtension is unveiling more communities of practice at the summer meeting.
They are now at the priority 5 area in the communities of practice deployment.
The next group to be submitted to Dan Cotton will be more targeted to fill
holes that have been identified in the current offerings.
Ron Brown reported that Nancy Bull had been sent the southern region priorities for funding, community and economic development, eXtension and STEM for Youth. He also reported that EPA Region 4 will fill the liaison position partner with an 1890 representative.
John Ort added information on the E2/C2 meeting of the Gulf and Atlantic
state, where a disaster strike force was discussed to respond to assist
a state that has experienced a disaster event. They are considering mobile
units with satellite telephone and Internet connections that could be used
to establish a presence in areas where land communications have been interrupted.
Several states will be ordering equipment. Louisiana is submitting a funding
request to the legislature. A proposal will also be submitted to Homeland
Security.
Committee Reports
ANR -- No members available to present report.
COM -- Nina shared the e-mail report from Gloria. A new 1862 representative has been nominated to replace the former 1862 representative as vice chair and incoming chair for the next fiscal year. Team members are continuing to work on CECP modules. A new 1890 communications representative to the PLN will be elected at this year's meeting.
CRD (Tony Windham and Gae Broadwater) -- Tony Windham reported a very big interest in bio-fuel that is being explored by the CRD committee.
FCS (Beverly Howell and Thelma Sanders-Hunter) -- Shirley Hastings is the incoming chair of the committee. They are working with the Family Caregivers Communities of Practice partners. On July 30, there will be a one-day think tank preceding the Nurturing Conference in Atlanta, attended by national child and family development specialists.
4-H (Lamar Nichols and Dorothy Wilson) -- The committee met April 5 and discussed a laundry list of topics including Create 21 and the PLN conference.
IT (Nina Boston) -- The committee met during the June NETC/ACE conference in Albuquerque, during which there was discussion of eXtension and the mobile disaster relief unit. Texas A&M already has units, which they loaned out following the Katrina disaster. North Carolina is in the process of purchasing units. In times outside of disaster events, the units can be used to provide access to remote locations that are without broadband, enhancing the educational programs being conducted.
MM (Claude Bess) -- The middle managers held their biennial conference at Virginia Tech in April. Dr. Judith Jones helped tremendously with the conference. This year the committee will pilot the online state report process. In August, the committee will fill the secretary position. Tony Roberts will move into the chair position. They have been meeting via Centra.
PSD (Mitch Owen) -- The committee met earlier in the week. They
are making progress in CECP and want to learn what they will need to do
to move their modules to eXtension. Larry Lippke will present an overview
of the eXtension solution at the August conference, which should help answer
that question. Mitch also reported that a conference is scheduled October
23 - 25 for anyone teaching staff development, county agents and other faculty
included. The conference will focus on building new curriculum and will
focus upon: program development and evaluation, advisory leadership, and
staff development orientation.
Update on the Louisville Meeting (Kathy Ibendahl, Mitch Owen and Nina Boston)
"Building New Resource Support: Rural and Urban Opportunities"
Monday, August 27 - Thursday, August 30, 2007
Registration -- Kathy Ibendahl told the group that MSU has a new policy governing online credit card transactions. The online registration for the conference apparently violates that policy. Because of that, online credit card payments will not be accepted for the conference this year. She will be sending out the notice with the link to register online. Those wishing to pay by credit card may call or fax their information. Those paying by purchase order may print the registration information and send it in with the purchase order.
Keynote -- Paul Warner has secured Ron Crouch, Director of the Kentucky Data Center. Paul has been especially helpful in finding a keynote in a very short time after Congressman Davis declined.
Funding panel status -- Cheryl Lloyd has confirmed the North Carolina Extension Foundation as presenters for the funding session.
State reports -- Nina reported that four committees were using the online method to submit state reports, Community and Economic Development, Middle Managers, Program and Staff Development and Information Technology. The instruments are ready and Nina will distribute the links to the committee chairs.
Having no further business, the conference call was adjourned.
The next PLC meeting will be held Thursday, July 19 at 9 am Central time.