Council Committees

Is charged with the responsibility of providing professional improvement opportunities for members in this area. As ideas for professional improvement are brought to the Committee, it will be their responsibility to determine if the idea for professional improvement is feasible, and if so, determine what course should be taken to offer this opportunity to members. corianne.mangelson@usu.edu | 385-268-6531

Is charged with the responsibility of providing professional improvement opportunities for members with responsibilities in this area. As ideas for professional improvement are brought to the Agricultural Economics Committee, it will be the responsibility of the committee to determine if the idea for professional improvement is feasible, and if so then determine what course should be taken to offer this opportunity to members. jacob.hadfield@usu.edu | 435 623-3457

Is charged with the responsibility of providing professional improvement opportunities for members with responsibilities in this area. As ideas for professional improvement are brought to the Agronomy/Pest Management Committee, it will be their responsibility to determine if the idea for professional improvement is feasible, and if so then determine what course should be taken to offer this opportunity to members.  mike.pace@usu.edu | 695-2541

Is charged with the responsibility of providing professional improvement opportunities for members with responsibilities in this area. As ideas for professional improvement are brought to the Animal Science Committee it will be their responsibility to determine if the idea for professional improvement is feasible, and if so then determine what course should be taken to offer this opportunity to members. cheyenne.reid@usu.edu  | 435-781-5452 

Is charged with the responsibility of providing professional improvement opportunities for members with responsibilities in this area. As ideas for professional improvement are brought to the Horticulture and Turfgrass Committee, it will be the responsibility of the committee to determine if the idea for professional improvement is feasible, and if so then determine what course should be taken to offer this opportunity to members. victoria.xiong@usu.edu | 435-644-4918 

Is charged with the responsibility of providing professional improvement opportunities for members with responsibilities in this area. As ideas for professional improvement are brought to the Natural Resources/ Aquaculture Committee it will be the responsibility of the committee to determine if the idea for professional improvement is feasible, and if so then determine what course should be taken to offer this opportunity to members. ashley.longmore@usu.edu | 435-695-2545

Is charged with the responsibility of providing professional improvement opportunities for members with responsibilities in this area. As ideas for professional improvement are brought to the Sustainable Agriculture Committee, it will be the responsibility of the committee to determine if the idea for professional improvement is feasible, and if so then determine what course should be taken to offer this opportunity to members. katie.wagner@usu.edu | 801-468-3178

Provides educational opportunities that help NACAA members identify, define, and educationally address issues in agriculture that impact the sustainability of agriculture operations in their areas. In addition, it encourages and trains members to carry out high impact public relations projects to enhance appreciation for and an overall understanding of agriculture. This charge includes the development of professional improvement opportunities, securing resources to fund these activities, and promoting these activities to members. Professional improvement program ideas should come from the total NACAA membership to this committee through the various state chairs. As ideas for professional improvement are brought to the Agriculture Issues Committee, it will be the responsibility of the committee to determine if the idea for professional improvement is feasible, and if so, then determine what course should be taken to offer this opportunity to members. 435-793-2435 | reganne.briggs@usu.edu

Develops professional improvement education programs that will assist members who are early in their career to maximize and successfully complete their Extension education experiences. The committee will also help train members in management positions, or those who are in other positions that might play a role in mentoring new professionals, to assist those who are new to Extension. This charge also includes the securing of resources to fund these activities and the responsibility to promote these activities to members. Professional improvement program ideas should come from the total NACAA membership to this committee through the various state chairs. As ideas for professional improvement are brought to the Early Career Development Committee, it will be the responsibility of the committee to determine if the idea for professional improvement is feasible, and if so, then determine what course should be taken to offer this opportunity to members. The Early Career Development Committee will coordinate with the host state of the AM/PIC on the first timer’s program and activities. 801-851-8464 | taun.beddes@usu.edu

The Leadership and Administrative Skills Committee strives to improve and enhance the administrative skills of all NACAA members regardless of the degree of administrative responsibility. Possible areas of focus could include working with State legislators and other local government officials, general office administration, budgetary skills, personnel management and evaluation, administering volunteers, developing position descriptions and grant writing. This charge includes the development of professional improvement opportunities, promotion of activities to all members, and securing resources to fund activities. During development of all functions and opportunities the committee shall maintain a focus on diversity and inclusivity for all members. Professional improvement program ideas should come from the total NACAA membership to this committee through the various state chairs. As ideas for professional improvement are brought to the Leadership and Administrative Skills Committee, it will be the responsibility of the committee to determine if the idea for professional improvement is feasible, and if so, then determine what course should be taken to offer this opportunity to members. 435-336-3216 | elizabeth.cohen@usu.edu

Focuses on the development of programs to assist members in learning non-traditional Extension education skills. Possible areas of focus could include electronic multi-media skills, computer networking, compressed video, electronic communications, distance education, and traditional teaching skills. This charge includes the development of professional improvement opportunities, securing resources to fund these activities, and promoting these activities to members. Professional improvement program ideas should come from the total NACAA membership to this committee through the various state chairs. As ideas for professional improvement are brought to the Teaching and Educational Technologies Committee, it will be the responsibility of the committee to determine if the idea for professional improvement is feasible, and if so, then determine what course should be taken to offer this opportunity to members. 435-695-2545 | josh.dallin@usu.edu

Enhances the communication skills and knowledge of the County Agent/Educators through promotion, training, and recognition efforts. The committee under the leadership of the national chair, conducts the Communications Award Program, working closely with its sponsors and supporters, to sharpen communication skills, encouraging interest, and sharing ideas with other Extension workers. NACAA members can apply in 13 communication award categories. Each communication category is listed in the Special Edition issue of The County Agent. 435-836-1314 | trenton.wilde@usu.edu

The objective of the Professional Excellence Committee is to showcase excellence in program efforts of NACAA members. This is accomplished by giving members the opportunity to present posters with abstracts at the NACAA Annual Meeting/Professional Improvement Conference. Another objective to this committee is to assist members with their career promotion and performance evaluations. If the member has distinguished himself/herself by becoming a national finalist in an award program, the abstract of their award-winning program will be published. In addition, abstracts from all accepted poster session entrants are published in the Annual Meeting Proceedings. Awards (dependent on donor funding) for the best poster papers in each category at the AM/PIC are as follows: Best Contributed Poster $500 and a certificate with holder and ribbon; Second Place $250 and a certificate with holder and ribbon; Third Place $150 And a certificate with holder and ribbon; Regional Award Certificate and ribbon (August 2001) and Finalists Ribbon. 435-267-1750 | beckah.esplin@usu.edu

Will assume leadership in developing suggestions for improving the public image of Cooperative Extension and the county agent/educator. This committee also implements a system whereby all NACAA award recipients receive recognition in their home community media and acknowledgment to advisory committees and supervisors. Included as recipients will be elected officers and directors, DSA and AA recipients, and professional improvement program sponsors. The committee will work with the chairs of the appropriate committees for implementation and maintenance of the system. The committee conducts the Agriculture Awareness and Appreciation Award awards program and conducts the Agriculture Awareness and Appreciation Luncheon program at the NACAA Annual Meeting. 435-797-1485 | cory.farnsworth@usu.edu

Provides leadership in the recognition of outstanding accomplishments by NACAA members including the selection and appropriate recognition of three awards programs. The committee administers, with the approval of the Board of Directors, the selection and presentation of the Distinguished Service Award (DSA), the Achievement Award (AA), and the Hall of Fame Award. These awards were created to recognize NACAA members for excellence in Extension work. They are the highest honor the Association can bestow upon one of its members. All awards applications are web based. Information and applications are on the NACAA website http://www.nacaa.com/awards/. Eligibility requirements for each of these awards can be located in Section 6 of the NACAA Policy handbook. 435-283-3472 | matt.palmer@usu.edu

Is responsible for promoting the scholarship program by obtaining funds from Extension personnel, friends of NACAA, and others interested in this effort. The committee should work with other committees with responsibility concerning the scholarship fund, thus enabling NACAA to provide scholarships to members as a means of encouraging and supporting professional improvement. Per NACAA Policy: the national chair and regional vice-chairs are not eligible to apply for scholarship (per Policy on the relationship between the Foundation Funding and the NACAA organization and the Selection of the scholarship recipients. Memorandum of Understanding between theFoundation and NACAA - Section 6-20). This committee conducts the annual scholarship auction at the NACAA AM/PIC. 435-636-3235 | steven.price@usu.edu

Promotes and recognizes quality program efforts of NACAA members, and designs methods of transferring such excellence in programming to other County Agents across the United States. This committee conducts the Search for Excellence recognition programs in 8 topic areas recognizing superior efforts in program development, implementation, and evaluation by NACAA members. The eight SFE awards are: Search for Excellence in 4-H and Youth Development, Search for Excellence in Commercial and Consumer Horticulture, Search for Excellence in Crop Production, Search for Excellence in Livestock Production, Search for Excellence in Farm and Ranch Business Management, Search for Excellence in Environmental Quality, Forestry, and Natural Resources, Search for Excellence in Young, Beginning or Small Farmers/Ranchers, and Search for Excellence in Sustainable Agriculture. 435-657-3236 | wesley.crump@usu.edu

Serves as a liaison between Life Members and members of NACAA and the Board of Directors; actively seeking resources for the Scholarship Fund and encouraging state program committees to develop programs that will enhance the Cooperative Extension Service. 435-438-6451 | mark.nelson@usu.edu