Cooperative Extension - Tuesday Morning Notes

Topics

January 16, 2024

  1. Message from the Associate Vice-President and Director of Extension
  2. Welcome New State 4-H Director Todd Kesner
  3. Onboarding Webinar Series Launch
  4. Save the Date - March 3 Film Screening
Ed Martin

Message from the Associate Vice-President and Director of Extension


Last week, the Maricopa County Cooperative Extension had a special visitor, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small. Her visit was prompted by the great work happening at MCCE in Urban Agriculture. Led by Dr. Ayman Mostafa, the program is a unique collaboration among Extension, the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA). Deputy Secretary Torres Small was given a tour of the Peoples Demonstration Farm at MCCE, then sat down to visit with stakeholders who work in the urban agriculture arena. I want to thank Dr. Mostafa and his team for putting together an excellent program that showcased just some of the program's successes. Thank you also to the MCCE faculty and staff for hosting the visit and to the stakeholders who met with the deputy secretary and shared some of their unique challenges and concerns as urban agricultural producers.

On another note, Extension is still working with senior administration to allow us to continue hiring. We have received verbal confirmation to proceed with hiring, but we are awaiting more formal written approval before moving forward. I encourage those on search/screen committees to continue their work and be prepared to move forward sometime very soon.

Welcome New State 4-H Director Todd Kesner


Please join us in welcoming Todd Kesner, the new Arizona 4-H State Director who will join Cooperative Extension on January 22.

Todd joins us from Montana State University, where he was the Director of the Montana 4-H Center for Youth Development. He has more than 18 years of 4-H experience as an agent in Michigan and Montana and has served as a 4-H educator for 30 years. He founded the 4-H Western Heritage Project in 2008 to investigate the beneficial effect of experimental teaching strategies on youth interested in learning history, which has grown to include 1,400 youth nationwide.

Welcome to Arizona Extension, Todd!

Onboarding Webinar Series Launch


The first of a series of Extension faculty onboarding webinars, Developing Dynamic Community Relationships in Extension Work, will be presented by Patty Merk, Ph.D., a 30-plus year veteran of Cooperative Extension. Dr. Merk is a programmatic Area Agent for Family Consumer Sciences in Maricopa County and has served eight years as a 4-H Youth Development Agent. She has experience as an agent in both rural and urban counties and in establishing diverse community partnerships that created positive changes.

The webinar offers an opportunity to:

  • Gain insight into the expectations for community involvement as an Extension faculty member
  • Become knowledgeable of strategies, tools, and techniques for developing dynamic community relationships to strengthen Extension work
  • Learn how to begin and sustain community dynamic relationships
  • Receive consultation regarding individual circumstances, if time allows

When: 4-5 p.m., Monday, January 29
Where: Via Zoom at https://arizona.zoom.us/j/84370710108

For more information and/or indicate your interest, please contact Patty Merk at pamerk@arizona.edu.

Save the Date

March 3
Free Soil Health Movie Screening and Panel Discussion
Includes giveaways and snacks.

When: 2-5 p.m., Sunday, March 3
Where: The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress Street,
Tucson

TEN Submission Process

Please send submissions by 4 p.m. Monday to TMN [tmn@cals.arizona.edu].
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