North Dakota JCEP Meeting Notes
April 25, 2007
IVN Network

Attendance: Mike Rose - NDAEA past president, Steve Sagaser - NDAEA president elect, Dave Rice - NDAEA president, Macine Lukach - NDEAFCS president, Donna Anderson - NDEAFCS vice president, Ellen Bjelland - NDEAFCS past president, Gerald Sturn - NDAE4-H YW president elect, Jackie Buckley - NDAE4-H YW president, Marcia Hellandsaas - NDAE4-H YW past president, Peggy Anderson - ESP past president, Willie Huot, ESP president-elect and Duane Hauck

Absent: Randy Wald - ACE State Representative, Terry Gregoire - ESP president, Vanessa Hoines - NDEAFCS president-elect

Meeting Notes: Minutes of the last meeting were accepted.

Comments from Duane

Final Budget
Duane summarized highlights of our budget that DC Coston emailed us. The total budget for REC and extension is a 19 million dollar increase. This is the most positive budget in our history.

We are encouraged to tell community clientele who contacted legislatures concerning our budget to thank them for their support and to thank legislators.

SBARE
We want to set the stage to move forward positively. Three meetings will be held on June 23, in early August and in September. At these meetings, a 3 phase process will be undertaken:
1) In-depth discussion on Extension/Ag research
2) Analyze discussion from first meeting and propose century code language change
3) Identify a more organized process for SBARE to prioritize and bring forward budget proposal

This legislative session SBARE realized that the process of prioritizing was important and they allowed for flexibility. For example, parenting and irrigation were not top priorities on the list for funding.

Vacated Position Updates
- Extension agronomist position vacated by Duane Bergland is filled and new staff person will be on board by July 1
- Extension plant pathologist position is filled as of April 1
- Sugar beet specialist position -  2 people currently being interviewed
- 4-H specialist position vacated by Carrie Stark is close to being opened for recruitment - interviews will take place the third week of May

Association Reports:
- ESP - Peggy reported that new committee assignments are being made. Attendees of the national meeting September 10-14 in Charlson, SC will be shadowing as we will begin to prepare to host the national meeting in 2009.
- NDAEA - The national meeting will be in July in Grand Rapids. A record number of agents plant to attend, according to Dave.
- NDEA4-H YW - Jackie reported that a few agents are planning to attend the national meeting in Atlanta. 
- NDEAFCS - Macine reported that their national meeting will be held in St. Paul in mid September. Vanessa Hoines is our new president-elect and will be joining us but was unable to be present today. 
- ACE - Randy has e-mailed this report: Becky Koch received a bronze award in educational project for her work with the online course USDA's Roles in National Response Plan for the Extension Disaster Educational Network (EDEN). Bruce Sundeen won silver in electronic media, audio, for targeted publics. Randy Wald won the bronze in video news and features for a video news release about studying the state's oldest Bur Oak tree that had to be cut down. North Dakota ACE members awarded the honor of Communicator of the Year to Kathleen Tweeten. Five members will attend the national meeting in Albuquerque June 16-19 with three serving as presenters.

4-H Contacts to Complete Survey
Jackie encouraged us to encourage 4-H contacts to complete a survey on CSCCS materials distribution.

Next Meeting
10 am on August 23 in Carrington