On behalf of Bill Nobles:
- A New Year is Upon Us
- CSU Holiday Closures
- Peaks and Plains Region Position Review, Updates and Hires
- Agents and Specialists visiting counties – CJ Mucklow
- Getting requests for personal info about participants in your programs – Ashley Stokes
- Tackling Opioid Issues
- Congratulations to FLTI of Colorado
- Spanish and Culture Immersion Course
Tis the season to be preparing for new plans of work or updating your current plan. It is amazing how quickly time sneaks up on us to even complete reporting for year 2018. Please take some time, complete your CPRS reporting, and do not forget to add those narratives to the system. Remember December 31st is not the time to be looking for help. My guess is most campus support will be out of the office! I have listed and reviewed most of the positions filled in the latter half of 2018 and those not completed until 2019. Take a little time reflect on what you have accomplished and where you are heading into the future. I would like to point out one major possibility is faculty status for Extension. If you have not studied the pros and cons, I would suggest you do because we are asking each of the CSU funded agents to give us a yes or no vote here in the future. If you were not able to attend the zoom session just before Thanksgiving where we interviewed a panel of agents from four other states with similar systems, you can view that session on this webpage. http://extension.colostate.edu/staff-resources/extension-faculty-information/
CSU offices will be closed on the following days for Christmas and New Year’s: December 24, 25, 26, 31 and January 1.
Peaks and Plains Region Position Review, Updates and Hires
- Kim Peters is the new Las Animas County Extension Agent, Agriculture & 4-H.
- Jeramy McNeely is the new Fremont County Director/4-H/Ag/Horticulture.
- Amy Kelley is the new Morgan County Director/4-H.
- Annie Overlin is the Peaks and Plains Range Specialist located in the Pueblo Regional Office.
- Rena Howell is the new 4-H Associate in Sedgewick County.
- Barbie Garnett is the new Park County Extension Director.
- Aimee Kanode is the 4-H Youth Development and Horticulture Extension Agent, in Morgan County.
- Willie Wilkins is the new Elbert County 4-H YD & Nat. Resources Extension agent.
- Tiana Garcia is the new the 4-H/Ag Extension agent in Baca County.
- Guinevere Nelson is the new Custer County Extension Director and her start date is January 2, 2019.
- Kindra Plumb and Jamie Axtell are now classified as CSU Extension Agents.
- The Family & Consumer Sciences agent in Morgan County is in the hiring process second time around.
- Area Extension Agent, Livestock, Golden Plains Area in Yuma County is in the interviewing process.
- Southeast Area Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development/Agriculture/Natural Resources in Kiowa County, Eads, CO is ready for posting.
- Southeast Area Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development & Agriculture Business Management, Livestock/Range, Cheyenne County, Cheyenne Wells, CO is ready for posting.
- Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development, Pueblo County, Pueblo, CO is under review. As you, all know we lost Devin Engle and UCCS found her. We will miss her in Extension and wish her the best.
- Mick Livingston has announced his retirement effective January 2, 2019. Mick has been instrumental in providing outstanding 4-H programming and guidance in Kit Carson, the Golden Plains Area, and CSU Extension.
Agents and Specialists visiting counties – CJ Mucklow
Bill, JoAnn, and I have just one item to discuss and that is working or being asked to work in a county that you are not “officially” located. If you do work in a neighboring county or as a specialist and you are asked to come to do a workshop or presentation to a certain group, please let the County Director know you are there. This is not a policy issue but it is a customary issue. I have been there when State Specialists came to Routt County and did not tell me and I found out later and felt humiliated that my organization’s personnel did not inform me. So bottom line is just let the CD/AD or appropriate agent know you are going to work in their county. No one is saying you cannot be there; just inform him or her ahead of time.
Getting requests for personal info about participants in your programs – Ashley Stokes
Here is guidance Ashley received from CSU Office of General Council:
We had a question come up regarding public requests for information about people/volunteers/members in our programs and providing their personal information, such as name, emails, phone, etc. This could come in the form of either an informal request to your office (like a call or email) or an official public request for information (Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/revenue/cora).
We are appreciative of our CSU Office of General Council for providing some clear guidance on this issue. For people (adults and youth) who are participating in organized activities/programs in your county(ies), their personal information (names, contact info, age, and other personal information) is protected and does not have to be shared. If you receive an informal request, you can inform them that personal information about people in your programs is protected and cannot be released. If your office is approached with a formal CORA request, please email Ashley and together we will work with the Office of General Counsel for assistance in responding. Have any questions? Feel free to reach out to Ashley.
CSU will launch an opioid abuse prevention project for rural Colorado. We have Extension agents working with CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences to make a difference. Here is the link.
https://chhs.source.colostate.edu/csu-launches-opioid-abuse-prevention-project-for-rural-colorado/
Congratulations to FLTI of Colorado
CSU received the APLU 2018 Innovation & Economic Prosperity Talent Award, presented earlier this month at the Annual APLU meeting in New Orleans. FLTI of Colorado is one of three programs that were highlighted as part of the award, demonstrating the diverse ways CSU is developing the next generation of engaged civic leaders and global citizens.
https://source.colostate.edu/csu-honored-initiatives-in-education-and-workforce-development/
Spanish and Culture Immersion Course
I would like to share with you a professional development opportunity. Kara Harders attended the Spanish and Culture Immersion Course and developed this report. I want you all to keep in mind what your professional development funds can be used for. The story is attached, please take a minute to read. I look forward to sharing other agent accomplishments in the future.
Again, I know you all are doing great work out there in the field and I want to make sure you know how much we appreciate all that you do!
Happy Holidays!
