January 2013  

Other News & Articles

Why Galaxy?
Sonja Koukel (NM), Vice President for Professional Development

Galaxy IV is happening  September 2013 in Pittsburg, PA. If this is your first Galaxy, it will be an experience you’ll not soon forget.

Reflect, Relax, Resolve, and Renew
Cynthia R. Shuster (OH)

We are all part of a dizzying pace that takes a high toll on our energy and our time.  Every day, we find places to go, things to do, and more tasks to discover and/or uncover at work.  With increased home and work schedules, we need to set aside time for reflection.

Treasurer's Update
Peg Ehlers (IN)

Happy New Year! Thank you for all of your effort towards getting your membership information submitted.  At this time we have more than 1,715 members. If you have a member who submits his/her dues, please accept it and continue to send the information to the National Office. Best wishes for a productive and successful year.

Galaxy Selects Environmental Friendly Convention Center
Carolyn Wissenbach (PA), NEAFCS Liaison to the Galaxy Committee

The David L. Lawrence Convention Center (DLCC) is located in the hub of Pittsburgh’s cultural, business and entertainment district. It is the only convention center in the world to receive LEED Gold certification in new construction. For the DLCC to be awarded Gold LEED certification, six building elements stand out: its unique design, the ability to preserve water, the use of a natural air environment, the abundance of daylight, its downtown location and the center’s ability to recycle.

Public Affairs Notes
Debby Mathews (AL), VP for Public Affairs

PILD Scholarships applications are coming in! Five states have already applied, and a total of twenty $150 scholarships will be awarded by March 15. As you consider applying please remember that this is intended to encourage first time attendees to participate in the Public Issues Leadership Development Conference. So, if you’ve been to PILD before, please let someone else from your state apply. The deadline to apply for a PILD scholarship is March 1.

Job Postings
Jody Rosen Atkins, NEAFCS Executive Director

I am pleased to report that NEAFCS has added a 'Job Openings' section to its Web site.  If you have an open position that you think would be of interest to NEAFCS members, please send the following information to [email protected].  We must have all of this information to post the job.  Please allow up to 72 hours for the position to be posted.

Meet the Board
Susan Cosgrove, VP Member Resources

I am an Area Agent for Family Resource Management for twenty-one counties in the southeast district in Mississippi. Eleven of these counties have just been added to my area this month, so I am anxious to visit the coastal area. My office is in Newton County, Decatur, MS.

President's Message

Happy New Year!

I hope you had an opportunity to relax a little over the last couple of weeks, enjoy time with family & friends, and re-charge for the important work that you will be doing in 2013.

Dwain and I took some vacation time to enjoy time with our children and grandchildren, work on some home improvement projects, attend some wonderful holiday concerts, and re-connect with friends. We’ll be extending the holidays and celebrating with my sisters and their families (some from as far away as Massachusetts and Florida) on the first Saturday in January.

Things are moving full speed ahead for the Galaxy IV conference. I hope you are making plans to attend the conference in Pittsburgh, PA, September 16 – 20. This unique conference offers the opportunity for each of us to interact with all Extension program areas while celebrating the diversity of the individual associations.

Information is being added frequently to the Galaxy website http://www.jcep.org/galaxy-htm. Many volunteers will be needed to make the event run smoothly. Opportunities to volunteer and registration information will be available on the website in May. Check the website once in a while to see what is new between now and May.

Registration fees for Galaxy IV will be $450 through July 15, $525 July 16-August 31, with on-site registration set at $575. An important thing to note is that hotel reservations will be made through your conference registration rather than separately. NEAFCS members will be headquartered at the Renaissance Hotel with overflow in the Doubletree Suites. Some board meetings, pre-conferences and other events will take place in the association hotel. Register early to be assured of being housed in the Renaissance Hotel.

I know this is a busy time of year for many of you. You are catching up with work that accumulated while you took some time off, working on end-of-the year reports, setting goals for 2013, and getting back into the swing of your programming.

When I started Extension work, we used to have a couple of times during the year when things were a little slower and we could tend to things that had been waiting for attention at a time without so many distractions. However, over the years, it seems like we have moved to a schedule of just working at a faster pace all the time.

As you begin 2013, please take time to read the article in this edition of eNews submitted by our Program Development Chair, Cindy Shuster. Cindy offers great information about how to put our work into perspective and be even better at what we do.

Keep in mind that your attitude can make all the difference in the work you do, the relationships you have, and how happy you are. Stay positive and set the tone for others around you. Creativity, inspiration, and energy are born out of a positive attitude.

Wishing you all the best in 2013,

Carol