eNEAFCS-April 2014
eNEAFCS
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April 2014

 

Table of Contents

President's Message

Winter Board Highlights

Do You Need a Reviewer for Tenure, Promotion, or Publications?

Journal of Extension 2013 Outstanding Article

Greetings from Kentucky! WIN with Our Featured Speakers at This Year's Annual Session

What's New in Webinars

Meet the National Office Staff - Cindy Rosen






Important Dates

Members-only Webinar • April 30
Certified Food & Wellness Volunteer Web-based Training

Members-only WebinarMay 16
Social Media Webinar

Members-only Webinar • June 24

Enjoying Our Healthy Harvest

NEAFCS Annual Session • Sept 15-18
Hyatt Regency, Lexington, KY

View All Events...




 

 



National Extension Association of Family & Consumer Science

20423 State Road 7
Suite F6-491
Boca Raton, FL 33498
(561) 477-8100
[email protected]

 

 

President's Message
Kathleen Olson (MN)

I have a classic case of cabin fever!  I am yearning for some sun and a good book to read while I sit by the pool, lake or river.  Living in Minnesota, we treasure our summers!

This winter has been a doozie.  It is a throwback to the way winter once was.  I think we are all ready for spring.  Melting snow and ice everywhere on the house and in the yard indicates that a big clean-up is inevitable.

Everyone knows I believe in volunteerism right?   I often find myself trying to convince people to volunteer, talking about the benefits of giving back to our association. When I found this list I was elated!  I am going to run copies and hand it out to the doubters, you know them, the people who want to be wooed before they volunteer. This list is for all of them.

Top 10 Reasons to Volunteer

#10: It's good for you.

Volunteering provides physical and mental rewards. It reduces stress and makes you healthier.

#9: It saves resources.
Volunteering provides valuable services so more time and money can be spent on benefits for our members.  Our National Office staff can focus on the bigger issues when our board and committees are working well.

#8: Volunteers gain professional experience.
Volunteering to present a webinar or a concurrent session is valuable to our members and gives the presenter great experience presenting on a national level.

#7: It brings people together.  
We unite people from diverse backgrounds to work toward a common goal and builds camaraderie and teamwork in the Extension FCS profession.  No other profession is quite like ours in Extension FCS!

#6: It promotes personal growth.
Meeting and working together with our peers from all over the country is fun and we learn from each other, personally as well as professionally.

#5: Volunteering strengthens our association.  
All of us working together is what makes OUR association the best that it can be.

#4: You learn a lot.
It is a chance to discover hidden talents that may change your self worth, or give you needed skills for your next professional or volunteer role.  You can learn more about the functions and operation of our association.

#3: You get a chance to give back.
If you have received awards, presented a session at Annual Session or a webinar, gained from the professional development opportunities offered, now it is time to give back.

#2: Volunteering encourages civic responsibility.
Service through committee work, board work, reviewing proposals, judging awards are an investment in our association and the work you believe in.

#1: You make a difference. Every person counts!
In NEAFCS, we couldn't exist without volunteers. They are the best people in the world!  In fact, they are the ones who make the magic happen!

Kathleen Olson

 

P.S.  Look for the magic wand in this newsletter. The first 3 members to email me at [email protected] with the exact location of the wand will qualify for a chance to be placed in a drawing to qualify for a free Annual Session registration, drawn in August; this contest runs October through August to increase newsletter readership.



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Winter Board Meeting Highlights
Rhea Bentley (GA), Secretary

Rhea BentleyThe NEAFCS board met January 14-16, 2014 in Lexington, Kentucky, the host site for the 2014 Annual Session. During the first morning, the board spent time getting acquainted.  The afternoon was spent with the Kentucky Annual Session planning committee.  The Kentucky Affiliate shared what it has planned for September.  A few highlights are a visit to the horse park for the Welcome event.  For first timers, there will be an agri-tourism experience at Talon Vineyards. There are 25 options for in-depth sessions including the following program tracks:  nutrition, local foods, aging, health, community development, financial management, technology, value added products, textiles-marketing and design, textiles-fiber arts.

The board participated in s Strengthfinder’s workshop presented by Rose Fisher Merkowitz and Rebecca Nesbit, from the Ohio Cooperative Extension service. The board had the opportunity to explore their strengths and learn how they can work with others for the betterment of the organization.  This was an enlightening experience for the board members.

Christine Kniep, Chair of the Board Structure Ad-hoc Committee, joined the board meeting via conference call to present the committee's recommendations and lead discussion. The committee's recommendation was to cut the four Regional Director positions and to add one Vice President position. This would result in a reduction of board members by three. The following items were asked to be investigated further by the committee:

  • Detailed economic analysis
  • Reaction from the regions
  • Investigate how regions align
  • Annual session and regional awards impacted

It was suggested to have a forum at Annual Session.

Dr. James Henderson, UK Extension Director, greeted the group and shared his enthusiasm and support for the upcoming Annual Session in Kentucky.  President Kathleen Olson conveyed NEAFCS' appreciation of the administration's support.

The NEAFCS National Office staff presented a tutorial on how to use certain features of the NEAFCS website.  Of focus was how to use the online committee functions to facilitate team collaboration.

The board discussed future locations for the Annual Session. The 2015 Annual Session will be at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Montana is a potential location for 2016, and Nebraska is considering hosting the 2017 Annual Session.

It was a busy three days, and your NEAFCS board thanks you for the opportunity to serve you.

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Do You Need a Reviewer for Promotion, Tenure, or Publications?
Susan Cosgrove (MS), Vice-President for Member Resources

Susan CosgroveAre you preparing a packet for promotion? Perhaps you are developing new publications. In either situation, you may need reviewers. Did you know that we have a very extensive list of NEAFCS External Reviewers for Promotion & Tenure and Publications online under Links and Resources on the Member Resources tab? http://bit.ly/1hlssBb 

Roxie Dinstel of Alaska maintains this list. We appreciate her time and efforts devoted to this task. The 2014 revised list is now available with 75 NEAFCS members volunteering as reviewers. Thanks to each member who is serving as a reviewer!

External peer reviewers must be qualified to evaluate promotion and tenure candidates and must be at or above the rank to which the candidates aspire. The list specifies the reviewer’s title, description or tenure/permanent status process, rank, area of expertise and availability to peer review extension publications. This will help those seeking a reviewer determine who will best meet their needs.

This is a valuable NEAFCS member benefit if you need a reviewer or if you serve as a reviewer. Please check this out and take advantage of this resource.

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Journal of Extension 2013 Outstanding Feature Article
Luann Boyer (CO), JOE Representative

As part of its 50-year anniversary celebration, the Journal of Extension (JOE) has awarded the 2013 Outstanding Feature Award to the authors of  “A National Perspective on the Current Evaluation Activities in Extension.”  Authors are Alexa Lamm, Glenn Israel and David Diehl, all of  University of Florida, Gainesville.  In addition to the recognition, the team received a $500 cash award.

Reviewers representing each of the Extension professional associations rated all feature articles published in 2013 Journal of Extension issues.  Christine Kniep of Wisconsin was the reviewer representing NEAFCS.  Criteria included whether the article expanded or updated Extension practitioners’ research and knowledge base.   Reviewers also considered the articles’ usefulness; whether  it was based on valid and reliable information, documentation or sound concepts withy a clear focus; and implications for a wide audience of Extension professionals.  In addition, reviewers evaluated the articles on readability, such as capturing and holding the readers’ attention, and whether the authors used easy-to-understand language.

There were many positive comments by reviewers as the selected article addressed one of the critical issues of Extension programming nationwide.  Reviewer Stephen Brown, district agriculture agent at the University of Alaska Fairbanks summed it up with “I thought it was an excellent article because it addressed an important issue fundamental to all of Extension, regardless of subject matter discipline.   An issue we all wrestle with is the tendency to evaluate and report participants’ reactions to individual programs rather than documenting long-term behavior changes.”

The Journal of Extension, with the first issue being Spring 1963, celebrated  50 years this past year and implemented this Feature Article award to recognize the outstanding articles submitted by Extension professionals.  While JOE has evolved throughout those 50 years, the feature article has been a mainstay of the publication from the beginning.

Visit www.joe.org/joe/2013february/a1.php to read the 2013 outstanding feature article.

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WIN With Featured Speakers At Annual Session
NEAFCS Kentucky Affiliate

Two outstanding keynote presentations will highlight the 2014 Annual Session in Kentucky.  Our opening session speaker will feature Jon Gordon.  Mr. Gordon’s engaging talks and principles have influenced numerous leaders and teams in education, healthcare, business, and sports. Jon speaks on leadership and teamwork topics based on his best-selling books. The University of Kentucky Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Program utilized his leadership book The Energy Bus for a common reading experience across Kentucky in 2012. In The Energy Bus, Jon presents a powerful roadmap to overcome common life and work obstacles and bring out the best in yourself and your team. Whether you are a leader looking to build a positive culture, a manager trying to energize and engage your team, or someone who desires to enhance your productivity and performance, this keynote will help you create more success and enjoy the ride of your life.  His clients include The Atlanta Falcons, Campbell Soup, Ritz Carlton Hotels, Denver Public Schools and many more.

During our Wednesday General Session, Mark D. Birdwhistell will be featured.  Mr. Birdwhistell currently serves as Vice President for Administration and External Affairs for the University of Kentucky HealthCare. In this capacity he represents UK HealthCare at the local, state, and national levels, and serves as a national speaker on health care policy and Medicaid reform efforts. He has over thirty years’ experience in healthcare, with specific expertise in Medicaid policy. Health education is important to the programming efforts of all Extension personnel, whether it be through nutrition education, financial concerns, or nurturing families.  Mr. Birdwhistell will SHOW us how to PLACE the latest healthcare information in a format that will be beneficial to us as Extension Educators.

WIN, PLACE, SHOW with NEAFCS!


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What's New in Webinars
Sonja Koukel, PhD (NM), Vice President for Professional Development

Sonja KoukelGreetings from the Professional Development Webinar Subcommittee!  We continue to receive a great deal of positive feedback from members regarding the monthly FREE webinars.  Hopefully you have been able to attend some of the recent presentations such as the March offering, The Increasing Importance of Content & Strategy: Lessons Learned from Two Extension Social Media Campaigns presented by Jamie Seger (OH).  This webinar was such a hit that members asked to have Jamie back to expand on the topic. We are happy to announce that on May 16 (1:00 PM EDT) Jamie will continue sharing her knowledge and  experiences with social media campaigns and methods of tracking and evaluating the outreach as presented in the March webinar. Joining Jamie will be Sarah Baughman, who specializes in social media and web statistics and analysis at eXtension. If you were unable to participate in the March webinar, visit the NEAFCS website and log in as a member to access the archived recording.

Be sure to register for the April 30 (2:00 PM EDT) webinar, Certified Food & Wellness Volunteer Web-based Training, with Lynn James (PA) and a team from Penn State. This program offers formal certification training in a cost-effective manner using Adobe presenter and a web-based course content system. Register by visiting the NEAFCS home page.

June will be here before you know it. Watch your email for more information on the scheduled June 24 (2:00 PM EDT) webinar, Enjoying Our Healthy Harvest, with Glenda Hyde (OR) and Stephanie Russell (OR).

I will conclude this article with a BIG Thank You to the Webinar Subcommittee members who work to make these presentations possible. Leif Albertson (AK), Chair, and Julia Zee (HI), Chair-Elect, do the legwork – contacting the speakers, setting schedules with the National Office, overseeing the program delivery and, occasionally, serving as hosts. Members who have stepped up to host recent webinars include Julie Cascio (AK), Joy Dugan (IN), Vicki Hayman (WY), Gisele Jefferson (CO), and Joanne Kinsey (NJ).  Thank you all!

If you are interested in joining the subcommittee, find us online under “Member Resources.”

Want to present a webinar? Find the online application at http://www.neafcs.org/webinar-proposal.

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Meet the National Office Staff
Cindy Rosen (FL), NEAFCS Conference Planner

Cindy RosenMeet Cindy Rosen, NEAFCS Conference Planner.  She is also the VP Operations for The Association Source, LLC, the NEAFCS management company.  She came on board with The Association Source in 2010 after 25 years in hotel and travel management.  She has been working with the NEAFCS 2014 and 2015 Annual Session teams on contract negotiations, space planning, food and beverage orders, and more.

Cindy also oversees social media marketing programs for The Association Source clients.  She has developed and instructed numerous webinars on how to use social media to engage audiences and produce results.  She is author of Think Tank, a well-followed blog written to provoke thought; to encourage discussion; to share quizzical moments; and to engage readers in a dialogue during which both author and reader are the better for having participated.

Prior to joining The Association Source, Cindy worked for Renaissance Hotels & Resorts, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, PHM Hospitality Management, B.F. Saul Hotel Division, Wyndham International, and Hilton Hotels. She held the positions of Director of Sales & Marketing, Regional Director of Sales, Director of Revenue Management, Director of Revenue Management & Product Development.  She has a bachelor’s in Hotel, Restaurant, and Travel Management, a bachelor’s in English, and a master’s in English.

BaxterIn her alternate universe, Cindy is a writer, voracious reader of classic and contemporary literature, and curious of all things that influence our social, cultural, literary and political worlds.  She is also the loving mother of Baxter, a 3-year-old Jack Russell Terrier.

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