e-Directions
November 13, 2008
Please continue to use this method of communication to keep up with Extension Service- related policies and programs.
Due to the length of this e-Directions, it has been divided into sections. Click on the section you would like to read.
Faculty and Staff Appointments
CSREES Deputy Administrator Named
Team of 18 wins national award for child safety program
eXtension Award Presented
LSU AgCenter established hotline for farm producers
Smart Bodies on “You Tube”
LSU AgCenter launches new 4-H Web site aimed at 4th-6th graders
Felknor to Retire
Community Leadership & Economic Development (CLED)
Buchanan Names REEO Division Chiefs and Provides Implementation Update
LSU AgCenter Hispanic Outreach Taskforce
Faculty and Staff Appointments:
Effective October 1, 2008, Ashley Mullens (AWMullens@agcenter.lsu.edu) was appointed Extension Associate for the Youth Wetlands Program. In this position, Ms. Mullens will be providing leadership for the statewide efforts which includes Youth Wetlands Week and wetlands restoration projects. Her office will be located in Knapp Hall within the 4-H Department. Ashley will also work with the SET mission mandate under the guidance of David Boldt. She will also serve as the state contact for the Junior Master Gardener Program.
Please join me in welcoming Casey Bond to the Smart Bodies team. Casey will be the Body Walk driver/manager for the second Body Walk. Casey is a graduate of LSU and is originally from Ville Platte. Casey’s email address is cbond@agcenter.lsu.edu.
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CSREES Deputy Administrator Named:
Dr. Deborah L. Sheely has been selected for the position of CSREES Deputy Administrator for Competitive Programs (CP). She has been serving as the Interim Deputy Administrator for CP since March, 2008. Since 2002, Dr. Sheely has been the Integrated Programs Director in CP. She also serves as the CSREES Research Integrity Officer. She joined the Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 1997 as an Assistant Program Director for the Plants Division and then became a Program Director responsible for the administration of several competitive grant programs. Before joining USDA, Dr. Sheely worked with the U.S. Agency for International Development as a Diplomacy Fellow through the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Her email address is: dsheely@csrees.usda.gov
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Team of 18 wins national award for child safety program:
Eighteen LSU AgCenter faculty members were part of a team recognized as the southern regional winner at the national Epsilon Sigma Phi conference, which was held as part of the Galaxy III National Conference Sept. 15-19 in Indianapolis, Ind. The team is responsible for designing and implementing the Overnight Chaperone Program to make sure extension agents and volunteers know proper procedures for ensuring the safety and well-being of 4-H members entrusted to their care. The team has been conducting training sessions across the state. Since the program’s inception in 2004, more than 1,200 volunteers have been trained. Evaluations have proven the program a success. Participants said they were better able to handle discipline problems and provide a safe, positive environment for youth during events that involve overnight stays.
The 18 members are: Lisa Arcemont, Debbie Bairnsfather, Joe Bairnsfather, Joe Barrett, Paul Coreil, Ann Coulon, Janet Fox, Torii Freeman, Ken Guidry, Charles Hebert, Lanette Hebert, Karen Martin, Jan Morgan, Katherine Pace, Carol Remy, Sylvia Smith, Mark Tassin and Todd Tarifa.
Full details including a photo:
http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/4H/News/events/Team+of+18+wins+national+
award+for+child+safety+program.htm
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eXtension Award Presented:
On Wednesday, October 22, 2008, eXtension, on behalf of the Cooperative Extension System, was presented with a USDA Secretary's Honor Award by Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer in Washington, D.C. The 61st annual USDA Honor Awards Ceremony honored 26 groups and 6 individual winners for exemplary service and achievements from across the country. The eXtension award went to a group lead by Ron Brown, ASRED Director and Greg Crosby, USDA/CSREES. Dr. Paul Coreil and Fred Piazza both were recognized from Louisiana.
The citation for the eXtension award reads:
For excellence in leadership and commitment to bringing Americans the best research-based, objective, and reliable information and educational resources 24/7/365 online through eXtension and the Cooperative Extension System.
The award was presented in the category of Supporting the President's Management Agenda and Civil Rights.
Team members included:
Lavon L. Bartel, Maine; Paul D. Coreil, Louisiana; Dan Cotton, eXtension staff; Carla Craycraft, eXtension staff; Elbert C. Dickey, Nebraska; Kevin J. Gamble, eXtension staff; Colien Hefferan, CSREES/USDA; Karen J. Hinton, Nevada; Lyla E. Houglum, Oregon; Betty Johnson, eXtension staff; David A. King, Oregon; Daniel E. Kugler, CSREES/USDA, Michael T. Lambur, eXtension staff; Lawrence A.Lippke, eXtension staff; L. Washington Lyons, North Carolina; Dalton H. McAfee, Mississippi; Terry Meisenbach, California; Carl W.O'Connor, Wisconsin; Frederick J. Piazza, Louisiana; Adam Siegel, Illinois; Larry W. Turner, Kentucky; James C. Wade, NASULGC; Craig H. Wood, Kentucky; Richard D. Wootton, NASULGC; and R. Stephen Wyatt, Missouri.
Source: http://www.nasulgc.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=1076&srcid=836
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LSU AgCenter established hotline for farm producers:
Increased input costs, tight profit margins and two major hurricanes created a difficult year for many of Louisiana’s agricultural producers. To help the state’s farmers, the LSU AgCenter has established a farm financial hotline to help them make financial decisions, according to Dr. Kurt Guidry, an economist in the AgCenter’s Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness. The LSU AgCenter economist said producers looking for financial management and disaster assistance information or who want individual farm financial consultation can telephone 225-578-2266 as the hotline will be in operation from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Full details can be found at: http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/communications/news/headline_news/
LSU+AgCenter+established+hotline+for+farm+producers.htm.
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Smart Bodies on “You Tube”:
The innovative use of technology is an effective way to promote our outreach efforts to a broader audience. Smart Bodies is now on You Tube and can be seen at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_bWe68Ftpc. Congratulations to all involved in making this happen.
Source: www.youtube.com
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LSU AgCenter launches new 4-H Web site aimed at 4th-6th graders:
A new Web site, Louisiana 4-H Kids’ Clubhouse, was officially launched at the State Fair of Louisiana on Oct. 29 during 4-H Fun Day, according to Mark Tassin, director of 4-H and youth programs at the LSU AgCenter.
The site at www.4-Hclubhouse.com is tailored to fourth- through sixth-graders and features nearly a hundred games, quizzes, downloadable activities and videos.
Source: Mark Tassin, mgtassin@agcenter.lsu.edu
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Felknor to Retire:
Current Louisiana Cattlemen's Association (LCA) Executive Vice President Bob Felknor has announced that he will retire in January 2009 after serving for a number of years in that capacity. I don't know the exact date of his retirement but my understanding is it will be shortly after the LCA Annual State Convention scheduled for January 9 - 11, 2009, here at the AgCenter's Parker Coliseum.
On October 3, the LCA Board of Directors unanimously confirmed the recommendation of the LCA Executive Committee to hire Mr. Robert Joyner to be the new Executive Vice President upon Bob's retirement in January. Robert has been serving as the LCA Field Services Director for the past year or two. I know you join me in congratulating Mr. Joyner on his new position. We will want to work just as closely and cooperatively with Robert as we have with Bob.
Source: David Morrison, dmorrison@agcenter.lsu.edu
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Community Leadership & Economic Development (CLED):
If you are considering a Community Leadership & Economic Development (CLED) class for your Parish, now is the time to make plans. The program is a partnership with Louisiana Economic Development and the local utilities so agents don't have to set up the program themselves but we want to be sure the AgCenter is involved at the local level.
It's not unusual for us to work with a parish or community for a couple of years before the time is right, so let us know if you need help with the planning phase. We're also getting requests for follow up programs or modified programs based on consultant’s reports or special situations. We'll be glad to work with you to adapt the program for your situation.
For additional information contact Dr. Sanford Dooley sdooley@agctr.lsu.edu or me koverstreet@agctr.lsu.edu.
Source: Karen B. Overstreet, Ph.D., 225-578-6709, koverstreet@agctr.lsu.edu
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Buchanan Names REEO Division Chiefs and Provides Implementation Update:
Dr. Gale A. Buchanan, Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics at the U. S. Department of Agriculture, has announced the six division chiefs for in the newly established Research, Education, and Extension Office (REEO).To ensure greater collaboration among these agencies and NIFA, the Under Secretary will have an expanded staff to be housed within a new Research, Extension and Education Office (REEO). The Under Secretary will be charged with preparing an annual "road map" to guide all of the USDA
science agencies.
The REEO will have six divisions, each led by a qualified division chief reporting to the Under Secretary in the following areas:
* Renewable Energy, Natural Resources and Environment, Mark Walbridge, ARS
* Food Safety, Nutrition and Health, Mary Gray, CSREES
* Plant Health, Production and Products, Catherine Parks, FS
* Animal Health and Production and Animal Products, Charlotte Kirk Baer, CSREES
* Agriculture Systems and Technology, Jill Auburn, CSREES
* Agriculture Economics and Rural Communities, Robbin Shoemaker, ERS
Source: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/
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LSU AgCenter Hispanic Outreach Taskforce:
The LSU AgCenter recently created a new Hispanic Taskforce to work collaboratively in understanding the challenges and opportunities associated with Latinos living and working in the Louisiana. The task force hopes their work will help strengthen the research, Extension outreach, and public policy work being done with Latinos in our Southern region’s land-grant university system and advance educational programs and technical assistance to meet the diverse needs of our growing Latino population.
This taskforce is a part of a Southeast U.S. initiative called the New Hispanic South that is to strengthen the capacity of the region’s land-grant universities system to respond.
The southern United States has the most rapidly growing Hispanic population in the nation. A recent report on “The New Latino South” by the Pew Hispanic Center notes that the expansion of job opportunities in the South’s meat processing, construction, landscaping, forestry and furniture manufacturing industries is serving a magnet for Hispanic immigrants into the southern states.
“In agriculture, forestry, horticulture and aquaculture there are a growing number of Latino employees and support workers. We cannot ignore the need to make sure these workers are well-trained and become successful members of the workforce supporting these vital industries in Louisiana,” said Dr. Paul Coreil, Vice Chancellor and Director of the LSU AgCenter’s Extension Service.
Source: Deborah Cross, e-mail: dcross@agcenter.lsu.edu
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