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President's Message - Becoming a Brand New You
Karen Munden (VA), President 
Welcome to a Brand New Year and a Brand New You. During the holidays, I hope you had the opportunity to spend time with your family and friends. More importantly, I hope you took time to rest, relax and reflect. I hope you pondered over the past year and the possibilities the New Year will bring. I hope you thought about how you could be more involved with your State Affiliate and National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS) and how you could have a positive impact on these associations.
While you were thinking, you may have told yourself that they are doing just fine and really do not need my help. Well, I would say, everyone possesses special skills, knowledge, and abilities that can help move the association forward. I hope you start to view your State Affiliate and NEAFCS as a big puzzle and there are many pieces of these puzzles that are needed to be in place to ensure the survival, effectiveness, efficiency and relevance of these associations. You are a piece of this puzzle and you may be the missing piece.
Did you tell yourself, you have too much work to do for your own programming and you do not have the time for anything else? I realize as Family and Consumer Sciences professionals it seems there is never enough time to do additional tasks. I believe being an involved member of your State Affiliate and NEAFCS is just another part of your professional career. We often make time for things we feel that are important in our lives. I hope you view your State Affiliate and NEAFCS as important. These Family and Consumer Sciences associations are the voice of our profession. NEAFCS ensures FCS professionals are in contact with leaders at the national level as well as with leaders from other Extension associations. In addition, the mission of NEAFCS is to educate and recognize Extension professionals who influence the quality of life for individuals, families and communities.
Did you tell yourself, you are new to Extension and do not really have anything to offer your State Affiliate or NEAFCS at this time? The truth is NEAFCS as well as your State Affiliate needs everyone to make a contribution. No matter if you have been in Extension for many years or only a short time you are needed and wanted. Being involved with your state and national association can be highlighted on your Vita and may also help propel you in your pursuit of professional promotion and/or salary increase.
I know at this time you may ask, so how can I help? I am so glad you asked. First, I say step outside of your comfort zone and offer your assistance, even if you do not hold an office in your State Affiliate. You may consider running for a State or National Office. You may also consider serving on a National Committee. Some committees only meet quarterly while others may meet monthly. Serving on committees have several benefits; first, you will meet and work with people across the nation; second, you may find new friends that become friends for a lifetime; and third, you will to gain new knowledge both personally and professionally. Running for a State or National office will help you gain the confidence in knowing your skills, knowledge, and abilities are well suited for the Family and Consumer Sciences profession. I Thank You and Encourage You to become a Brand New You both Personally and Professionally. Again, welcome to a Brand New Year and a Brand New You.
Remember to look for the Hershey Kiss in this newsletter for your chance to be entered into the drawing for a FREE Annual Session Registration. Email me the location at [email protected] and please put Kiss in the subject line. Good Luck! Congratulations to December’s winners Holly Jay and Cheryl Spires. Candace Heer and Melissa Rupp came in at the same time, so Congratulations to them also for December. Congratulations goes out to November’s winners Lorrie Coop, Jessica Faubion, and Jennifer Lobb.
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A Leadership Opportunity for You!!
Lora Lee Howard (KY), Immediate Past President 
NEAFCS is looking for individuals to step up and say yes, to serve as officers of our association. This year we are looking for leaders interested in Vice-President for Awards and Recognition, Vice- President for Public Affairs, Treasurer and President- Elect. All are two-year terms except President-Elect which is three years.
These positions will be filled during our business meeting by election. Southern and Central Regional Directors will be filled in the respective regional meetings by elections. If you are interested in any of these positions please let a member of the nominating committee know.
Nominating committee members are Linda Law-Saunders- NY, Joanne Kinsey-NJ, Kathy Dothage-MO, Peggy Ehlers-IN, Glenda Hyde-OR, Gisele Jefferson-CO, Molly Alexi-NC, Cristin Sprenger-VA. If you have questions about responsibilities for one of the positions please review the policies (click here), there you will find job responsibilities. The candidate form can be found in forms (click here).
Serving our association is an opportunity to give back to the association and an opportunity for your own personal growth. If you have any questions please contact me or one of the nominating committee members. Please complete all the requirements and send to me post marked by May 1, 2019. My email is [email protected]. I am looking forward to hearing from you.
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Submitting an Award-Winning Application
Susan Routh (OK), Vice President for Awards and Recognition
It is that Time of Year! Award application “season” is in full swing. Here are some tips to remember while preparing your award-winning application:
- Review the New, Interactive 2019 Award Manual. Read general requirements, application criteria, and the judging sheets included in the Manual.
- Contact your state affiliate Vice President/Chair of Awards and Recognition about state affiliate deadlines. Please note: To be considered for a national or regional award, your award-winning application must be advanced by the state affiliate’s VP/Chair of Awards and Recognition for the national/regional competition.
- Review the 2018 Award Winners. You may see award winning tips in these winner’s applications.
- Review the Award Instructions and the 2018 Award Training Webinar hosted by Keishon Thomas, GA, and Diane Reinhold, IL.
Write your application and ask peers to review your application. Once you are ready, upload and submit all required documentations. Best wishes for a successful 2019 Award-winning season!
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Reminder: Impact Statements and PILD Scholarship Applications Due Soon
Julie Garden-Robinson (ND), Vice President of Public Affairs & PILD Planning Team Member
Reminder: Impact Statements and PILD Scholarship Applications Due Soon
- We need your impact statements. NEAFCS Impact Statements are used broadly throughout the U.S. The NEAFCS Impact Statement Portal is open until Feb. 1.
- PILD first timers may be eligible for one of the 20 ($300) NEAFCS 1st Timer's scholarships. Contact your affiliate President if you wish to be considered for the state PILD team and this award. Only one scholarship is available per affiliate. Complete apps are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
See the NEAFCS.org website for details and a link to the online submission portal.
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Extension Leadership Conference is Right Around the Corner! 
Ellen M. Bjelland (ND), Central Region Director & Dianne Gertson (TX), Southern Region Director
Happy New Year! As we turn the calendar, we note that the annual Joint Council of Extension Professionals Extension Leadership Conference is coming up soon! We have been working on programmatic items for the two time slots designated for association business. This is what we have to-date:
Wednesday, February 6 – 3:45 p.m.
- Welcome from President Karen Munden (VA) and President-Elect Roxie Price (GA)
- Celebrating the 85th Anniversary of NEAFCS
- Servant Leadership: Implications for Extension Work
Thursday, February 7 – 3:00 p.m.
- Small group discussion of the Annual Session post-survey
- Wrap-up
If you have a suggested topic for our time together, please contact us at [email protected] or [email protected].
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Annual Session 2019: Pre-Conference Sneak Preview
Denise Continenza (PA), Tri-liasion, 2019 NEAFCS Annual Session
Greetings, fellow NEAFCS Members! My name is Denise Continenza, and I am one of the tri-liaisons for the 2019 annual session. I have been a member of NEAFCS for 17 years, and I am so excited to bring all of you to my home state. We have many of the main events planned, and now that the New Year is here, we will begin working hard on all the finer details. Each month in the newsletter, we will be rolling out some “sweet” news about the upcoming events in Hershey, PA.
Plan to come early so you can attend the pre-conference sessions. One of our own Eastern region members will be presenting a workshop on “Financial Action Steps and Milestones for Different Ages and Stages of Life”. Dr. Barbara O’Neill (NJ) is Rutgers Cooperative Extension’s Specialist in Financial Resource Management. She is also a certified financial planner who has received much external funding and recognition for her programs of excellence. Best of all, she is a member of NEAFCS who knows what extension educators face daily in their work with families and individuals as well as in their personal lives.
Dr. O’Neill will be providing participants with an action-packed and enlightening workshop that will take a different approach to financial management. Participants will understand how one’s generation affects their financial management practices. They will also learn about recommended action steps at the different age-based financial milestones. Participants will come away with learning activities that they can replicate with clients as well.
Financial management is something that is not just for retirement; there are steps all along the way that lead toward financial health and well-being. Come early and see what you can do now- for yourself and those whom you serve- to build a secure financial future!
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2018 Silent Auction a Success!
Mamie Thompson (OK), Past Chair, NEAFCS Awards and Recognition Support Subcommittee
Wow, what a turnout! “Thank you” does not feel like enough but know that it is from the bottom of our hearts that the Award Sponsorship and Support subcommittee expresses our gratitude to EACH of you who contributed to the 2018 Silent Auction in San Antonio.
Even before Annual Session began, you had to choose and bring auction items. And you put your hearts into what you brought. From the macadamia nuts from Hawaii to the scarf from New York (and all treasures in between), your donations lit up the Exhibit Hall and brought in over $5000 for future awards for our members!
Also, we would like to say a simple but VERY heartfelt thank you to the members who donated their time in San Antonio to the huge task of pulling off the Silent Auction. We appreciate each member who received items, stood ready to answer questions during the auction, bagged and tagged the sold items, and got everything into the right hands when it was all over.
The 2018 Silent Auction was profitable, fun, and built great team spirit. We are grateful to have been a part.
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Consider Joining the Exhibit Committee
Cindy Schlenker Davies (NM), Vice President for Member Resources
As the New Year begins, it is a great time to think about joining a national NEAFCS committee.
I have served on several national NEAFCS committees and I have made new friends from around the country, I have been able to give back to our wonderful association and felt more connected to the work of NEAFCS.
At this time, we are seeking more volunteers for the Exhibit Committee. Holly Jay, (MT) is doing a great job getting this committee moving for the 2019 Annual Session in Hershey, PA. The goal of the Exhibit Committee is to provide innovative professional development opportunities and resources for Extension Family and Consumer Sciences professionals through relevant exhibits, seminars and resource information.
Elizabeth Lane, Conference Planner, is a tremendous help working side by side with the Exhibit Committee. To join login to the website and select Member Resources and then select Join a Committee.
This year there is a $50 finder’s fee for any member who brings in a new exhibitor to Hershey! This $50 will go towards your 2019 annual session registration.
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What I Learned from My 1st Annual NEAFCS Pre-Conference on Diversity
Shailja Mathur (NY), Diversity Subcommittee Member
I am a second-generation Cooperative Extension Educator. I grew up across two continents and four different states which has served as the basis for my interest in Diversity. Although, I have now spent almost two decades doing Community outreach through Extension, this was my first NEAFCS Annual conference. I was honored to receive the 1st place National Mary Wells Diversity Award on behalf of my team for working with the South Asian population on Stroke Prevention in New Jersey. Enthusiastically, I signed up to be part of the Diversity subcommittee.
It was an amazing pre-conference session by Dr. Ninfa Pena-Purcell from Texas A&M. She discussed the pivotal role we play as Extension educators to improve population health. Together as a group we explored social identity leadership to mobilize communities and we practiced social identity mapping. I am sharing some key takeaways from her presentation addressing disparities in Cooperative Extension Programming.
- Diversity is necessary for positive, transformative change to occur in multicultural communities.
- Diversity is the mosaic pattern of equality through difference.
- Inclusion is the feeling of belonging to a group - you become a part of the “we”.
- Leadership is essentially a sense of shared social identity or “we-ness”.
- Diversity initiatives require accountability and action that is intentional and transparent.
As Extension agents, we are charged with fostering relationships where everyone feels included. We must deliver evidence-based education and not compromise on the fidelity of the program but make a conscious effort to bring together groups of people with different histories, perspectives, values and cultures. Thank you for an inspiring session!
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85th Anniversary - Resolving to Keep NEAFCS Relevant
Theresa Mayhew (NY), 85th Anniversary Celebration Committee Member
When you make your New Year's resolutions this year – and if you have not already -- resolve to keep NEAFCS relevant in your work, your community and your state. The work we do with individuals, families, organizations, groups and agencies is important, needed and, many times, life-changing. Take pride in and credit for what you do.
Our members are the collective wind beneath our professional development organization's sails. You have heard that saying that a rising tide lifts all boats. As we navigate our way in to and throughout the New Year and beyond, here are some ways you can resolve to lift us even higher:
- Submit Impact Statements that document outcomes and the depth, scope and reach of your work
- Attend the PILD conference -- learn how to advocate more effectively to elevate NEAFCS's message/visibility with elected officials at all levels as well as other key leaders/movers and shakers
- Develop tag lines describing NEAFCS’s value to attach to the end of press releases and on social media platforms
- Refer to the 85 ways to celebrate NEAFCS turning 85 list and pick at least one idea to carry out monthly during 2019 (you can find the list on our website). Take the challenge and send your report to 85th anniversary committee chair Debby Mathews at [email protected] by September 1
- Submit an award application -- toot your own horn and/or those of your colleagues and collaborators
- Celebrate in person at Hershey – as a concurrent or poster session presenter, committee member, national or affiliate officer, or as a life, partner, student or active member. You will not want to miss the festivities!
In the words of C.S. Lewis – “There are far, far better things ahead than anything we leave behind.” Happy celebrating and resolving!
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Meet the Board: Vice President for Member Resources
Cindy Schlenker Davies (NM)
Happy 2019! I am honored to be your Vice President for Member Resources. I had the privilege of serving as the Western Region Director from 2012-2014 and it is a privilege to be able to serve on the national board again.
I was born and raised in New Mexico, The Land of Enchantment. I took a ten-year detour and lived in the Seattle area where I met and married my husband Patrick. I convinced Pat the sun was better than the rain and we moved to Albuquerque with our two sons and one on the way. My three sons are now adults and launching their own careers and families.
I began my Extension Career with New Mexico State University in 2005, which was the best career move of my life. At this time, I am the County Program Director and an FCS agent in Albuquerque. I have 27 full and part time staff who take up most of my time. I have held on to the Food Preservation programs and I teach a lot of canning classes in my county and others counties in New Mexico. The Master Food Preservation program is currently my major program.
Another passion of mine is mentoring new agents and helping them as they begin their extension careers. I hope to move the mentoring efforts forward as your VP of Member Resources these next two years.
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