Extension Updates

To assure that all of you are kept up to date on a regular basis, the three regional directors and the state Extension Administration Office provides bi-weekly Extension Updates. This forum is for all Extension announcements, so if you have something to distribute, please forward it to Lori Bates with FOR EXTENSION UPDATE noted.


July 3, 2014

On Behalf of JoAnn Powell:


Happy Fourth of July All! Hoping each of your finds plenty of reasons to celebrate our many freedoms and enjoy a three day weekend.

Merit Increases Effective July 1

Thanks each of you for your good work in 2013. July 1 is when merit increases based on 2013 performance evaluations kick in. Increases will be realized in July paychecks. The charts below provide an overall look at salary and rating distribution by region and statewide.

Merit Increase Regional Analysis

Tours

Many counties will be participating in or offering tours this summer; here are a few. Thanks to each of you to opening your programs and sharing your good work with others:

  1. Douglas County - July 23. Tour of the Colorado Agricultural Leadership Foundation facility in Castle Rock. Through education, CALF works to connect kids and community to agriculture; learn more at www.thecalf.org/. Extension is a primary partner. Looking to potentially add a tour of Hidden Mesa—Douglas County’s experimental orchard and vegetable garden. More information to come. Contact is Jane Rozum, Douglas County horticulture agent, at jrozum@douglas.co.us or 720-733-4807.
  2. Provost’s Tour – July 29. Provost Rick Miranda will be visiting the Jefferson, Denver and Boulder County Extension Offices. Staff and stakeholders will be showcasing programs and projects of local value at each stop.
  3. RamTour 2014 – August 14 & 15. The 2015 CSU Ram Faculty Engagement Tour will be heading through the Front Range and Peaks and Plains regions August 14 and 15. CSU Extension agents are collaborating with community partners to showcase their projects along the tour route. Proposed stops for this year include program visits in Adams, Park, Chaffee, and Fremont Counties. The tour is a two-day traveling seminar designed for recently hired and newly tenured faculty, new administrators, and/or new student leaders. The tour takes participants through a Colorado region to meet CSU community partners, talk with current CSU students and alumni, and learn from regional leaders. The tour is a chance for participants to meet other faculty from across CSU who may be future partners for teaching, research, or engagement activities. The tour is led by CSU Provost Rick Miranda and CSU VP for Engagement Lou Swanson.

Thank a Farmer Video – Martha Sullins & Marisa Bunning

Claudia Meister, a grad student in the School of Public Health, recently completed this “Thank a Farmer” video as part of her MPH capstone project. Please take a look:


From Marisa, “It was such a good experience to watch this project evolve—from an idea in a meeting with Claudia and Martha a few months ago to this great video, thanks very much for all your contributions. This project highlights the potential of partnering with students in the School of Public Health—please let us know if you have other project ideas.

Annual Report (AR) and Plan of Work (POW) accepted by NIFA – Jan Carroll

We received notification of acceptance of our 2013 Annual Report (AR) and 2015 Plan of Work (POW), both submitted jointly with the Experiment Service (AES) on April 1. Far from falling into a “black hole,” our documents are reviewed word-for-word by a liaison in DC. Her comments compliment many of our processes, and continue to ask for reports of actual behavior change and, whenever possible, how our work has affected conditions. You can see both documents at:

Conflict of Interest Webinar

Linda Schutjer from the Office of General Counsel and Lou Swanson will present a short webinar about Conflict of Interest on July 24 at 1:30 pm. They will be discussing the conflict of interest and conflict of commitment from the university’s perspective. The session will be held in University Square, Room 4.

To connect, go to: http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/colodac.
Phone bridge - 970-491-2612.

Searches

Nutrition Programs Supervisor Extension Agent, North Central Counties. Please join us in welcoming Jane Burnett who will start July 8. Jane is a registered dietician with a bachelor’s in food and nutrition / dietetics from Iowa State University. Jane grew up on a farm, tended livestock and gardened with her family.

El Paso County 4-H Youth Development Extension Agent. We will be interviewing Laura Fuller and Shay McNeil on July 8 & 9. Search committee members are: Barbara Bates, Jean Glowacki, Todd Marts (El Paso County Community Services Department), & Kim Morrison. Search is chaired by JoAnn Powell.

Larimer County 4H Youth Development & FCS Extension Agent. Position closed June 27. Search committee members are reviewing application materials. Search committee members include Jean Glowacki, Pam Harrol (Larimer County Extension Advisory Committee Member), Julia Hurdelbrink, & Laurel Kubin. Search is chaired by Kevin Miller.

Office of Community & Economic Development Project Manager. Interviews are July 10 & 11.

Congratulations!

…to Kathy Wolfe, Larimer County 4-H Youth Development Agent on her retirement from Extension.

Benzel Jimmerson with new son

…to Luann Boyer, Morgan County Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, as she retires from Extension. Wishing each of you the best in your new adventures.

…to Benzel Jimmerson in the Denver County Extension office. Benzel welcomed a new son, Benzel Amir Kali Jimmerson, to his family on June 28.

…to Joanne Littlefield for recently becoming the president Susie Hutton, Joanne Littlefield, and Elisa Shackeltonfor the Association for Communication Excellence. Pictured are Susie Hutton (CSUE video intern), Joanne Littlefield, & Elisa Shackelton.

Condolences

…to Curtis Utley and his family. Curtis recently lost his father. Services were held June 27 at the Northglenn United Methodist Church. Messages can be sent to Curtis at 4435 Pierson St, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033

What’s Happening in the Front Range Region

13th Annual Colorado Dairy Youth Extravaganza in Weld County.
13th Annual Colorado Dairy Youth Extravaganza in Weld County. A record 114 youth from Colorado, Wyoming, and Arizona participated.
4-H Science Out of School program in Larimer County.
4-H Science Out of School program in Larimer County.
School aged children learning about nutrition from Annie Hernandez in Larimer County.
School aged children learning about nutrition from Annie Hernandez in Larimer County.
2nd Annual 4-H Mountain to Metro Adventure Camp.
2nd Annual 4-H Mountain to Metro Adventure Camp. In Denver, youth used multiple modes of transportation to get from south Denver, to the Capital, to the 16th Street Mall, and finally to Confluence Park where they finished their amazing race. Twenty-four kids from Clear Creek, Gilpin, and Denver counties participated.
4-H Mountain to Metro Adventure Camp at O.K. Corral.
4-H Mountain to Metro Adventure Camp at O.K. Corral. While in the mountains, youth visited a cattle ranch, walked through an old cemetery, and spent the night at the Gilpin Community Center –complete with bon fire, scary stories, and s’mores.

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