Board Excellence
Information for Local K-State Research and Extension Board Members
Volume VI, Issue 1 — Winter 2016
From the Associate Director
Happy New Year! I look forward to meeting with board
and program development committee members at the
upcoming K-State Research and Extension Partnership
Meetings. These annual meetings provide a forum to
discuss continuous improvement and increased public
value across the extension system.
The five meetings will be:
• January 20 – Lawrence
• January 21 – Parsons
• January 26 – Garden City
• January 27 – Russell
• January 28 – Pratt
This year’s theme is “Leading in a Changing World.” We
will review the roles and responsibilities of the local
Extension Board and K-State Research and Extension to
assure delivery of the best possible extension programs
built on the foundations of research and knowledge
sources through Kansas State University. We also
will highlight teamwork and partnering as we aim to
strengthen program delivery and outcomes.
Each meeting will begin with coffee at 9 a.m. and
opening comments at 9:30 a.m. Adjournment will be at
approximately 3:30 p.m. Registration is due by January
11. Contact your local office for more information and to
register.
— Daryl D. Buchholz, dbuchhol@ksu.edu
Focus on Outcomes
Focus on Outcomes: Water
Last spring, K-State Research and Extension was called
upon to share their public facilitation resources as the
Kansas Water Office and the Kansas Department of
Agriculture prepared to embark on a public conversation
to gain local input to inform the regional goals of the
governor’s 50-year water plan.
Approximately 75 extension agents served as discussion
facilitators for more than 20 regional meetings. These
meetings involved more than 1,200 local people. In
addition, K-State Research and Extension provided a lead
facilitation team for each regional meeting.
As the Kansas Water Plan Goal Team shared at each of
the meetings, “these local goals set by local people have
the best chance of succeeding in managing our water
supply in Kansas.” In August, the Kansas Water Authority
accepted the regional goals for the state of Kansas.
Their leadership and service in these meetings increased
awareness of the skills and capacity for K-State Research
and Extension agents to facilitate community conversations related to the grand challenges. Many extension agents expressed gratitude for the opportunity to
improve facilitation skills and are now more confident
facilitating future community conversations.
Orientation Available for New Program
Development Committee (PDC) Members
For counties, January is a great month to provide information to newly elected PDC members about the
responsibilities of their role. Districts can plan for orientation to be provided later in the year.
The board leadership module “Program Development
Committee Orientation” focuses on the responsibilities of program development committee members by
reviewing:
• extension law,
• expectations of PDCs,
• roles of expanded PDCs, and
• effective meeting planning
This orientation module is one of 15 items listed in “Best
Practices for Agents Working with PDCs” — a go-to
resource for agents and PDC members that leads to
effective collaboration. To look at this and other PDC
resources, go to: www.ksre.ksu.edu/programming/pdc
Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service
K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
www.ksre.ksu.edu/boardleadership
Value of Extension Family
and Consumer Sciences
Extension in the North Central Region, which includes
Kansas, issued a new study that highlights the importance of family and consumer sciences (FCS) Extension
and its prevention education. The study shows how
extension educators help Americans develop skills to live
healthier and more productive lives.
In Kansas, about 400,000 people live in poverty; more
than 800,000 are obese; and about 700,000 have a
chronic disease. The study explores FCS efforts in three
broad areas that address many of these issues: Food,
Nutrition and Health; Family and Human Development;
and Family Resource Management.
Results indicate that K-State Research and Extension
Family and Consumer Sciences programs have huge
economic impacts in the state. Some examples include:
• The Kansas Expanded Food and Nutrition Education
Program results in savings in food expenditures and
future health-care costs of at least $4 million each
year.
• Kansas SNAP-Ed (Family Nutrition Program) results in
savings of at least $27 million each year.
• Kansans Optimizing Health Program provides $4 in
health-care savings for every $1 spent on the program.
• ServSafe reduces the incidence of foodborne illness
and results in savings in associated health-care costs.
• Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansans
resulted in $20.69 in savings on medical and prescription costs for each $1 spent in 2014 (a total of over $3
million saved).
In addition to economic impact, the influence Kansas
FCS Extension has on health and well-being of Kansans is
enormous. Ask your family and consumer sciences agent
to get more details.
Shawnee County was recently recognized as the
Outstanding Local Extension Unit at the 2015 K-State
Research and Extension Annual Conference. This was
the second year for the award that is designed to
recognize excellence in educational programming and
personnel and budget management. In addition to
a recognition plaque, the county received $1,000 for
program expansion.
During the past year, the Shawnee County Program
Development Committees and agents hosted four
community forums to identify issues related to K-State
Research and Extension’s grand challenges. The information gained from the forums was used to develop local
action plans.
Programming is often conducted in previously underserved communities. Planned, proactive efforts have
been implemented to build relationships with commissioners, county department heads, and news media.
Volunteers are an important component of the local
program with volunteers contributing an estimated
value of $302,300 to the program.
All Shawnee County agents are or have served in leadership roles in professional associations and are frequent
recipients of professional recognition. Current and past
board members have served on the State Extension
Advisory Council.
Grants, contracts, in-kind and financial support from local
organizations, and earnings from the Shawnee County
Extension Foundation help supplement the local budget.
Extension Professionals Recognized
Recognition of outstanding programming and contributions by faculty and staff is one of the objectives of
K-State Research and Extension’s Annual Conference.
Extension agents and staff recognized recently included:
• Diane Burnett, Marais des Cygnes District –
Outstanding Local Unit Professional
• Nutrition, Food Safety and Health Program Focus
Team – Outstanding PFT
• Barbara Ames, Wildcat District – Outstanding Mentor
• Deb Andres, Geary County – Outstanding Mentor
• Bertha Lovelle, Wildcat District – Outstanding Office
Professional
• David Key, Meadowlark District – Kansas PRIDE Partner
Award
• Rebecca McFarland, Frontier District – Katey Walker
Extension Development Fund
• Farm Bill Education Team - Outstanding Team Award
• Program Development Committee Task Force –
Outstanding Team Award
Volume VI, Issue 1 – Winter 2016
Click here for a link to the weekly K-State Research and Extension Tuesday Letter.