Board Excellence Newsletter, July 2024

Delivering the Promise Update

The initial phase of Delivering on the Promise — an effort by K-State Research and Extension and K-State’s Office of Engagement to gain feedback from community members at 84 sites in Kansas — has concluded.

Tim Steffensmeier and I want to thank the 30 local units that hosted the 84 meetings with internal stakeholders, and extension users and non-users at 28 sites across the state. We would also like to thank our community facilitators as well as those from Roots and Legacies who facilitated those meetings.

Local groups that hosted meetings included both rural and urban units across the state. There were single-agent local units and local units with very large staffs hosting these discussions. Despite the differences and diversity of the local units, participants responded consistently when asked about how extension and the rest of Kansas State University could better serve the people and communities of Kansas.

Operationally, our participants expressed surprise by all that extension offers. Some of the questions we heard:

Once the rest of the university becomes active in engagement, how will we communicate how we can help people and communities?

Will Kansas State University work with other education providers and organizations across the state?

Also, a consistent message from users and non-users is that the communication from stakeholders to and from the university should run through the local unit staff.

Some common concerns expressed by the participants include healthcare, childcare, senior care, economic development, entrepreneurism, broadband and housing. This corresponds well with the conversations that occurred at President Linton’s regional community visits and with the information we are receiving via our K-State 105 initiative.

Agriculture and 4-H youth development programs were not mentioned much except in one more urban local unit. This does not mean that these topics were not important to the participants or that we should de-emphasize them. Many of the participants were from agricultural backgrounds and many were engaged in our 4-H youth development programs.

We need to remember that the context of these discussions was not what extension does well, but how Kansas State University — as a whole — can better serve the people, industries and communities of Kansas.

This was the first phase of the Delivering on the Promise process. Additional phases include:

The initial phase of Delivering on the Promise brought forward a lot of ideas about how Kansas State University can better serve the people and communities of Kansas. I have received input from local unit hosts that the discussions were exciting.

While the full impact of our Delivering on the Promise process will not be clear for a few more months, we can expect the nature of extension work to continue to evolve to meet the needs of Kansans. In addition to educational programming, extension professionals may be called upon to engage with community leaders and coalitions to help address complex issues such as housing, childcare, and health access. I encourage local boards to support agents in this work and help them prioritize and make room for new, impactful endeavors.

I hope that we build upon that excitement as we continue the Delivering on the Promise process. After all, Delivering on the Promise is about determining and addressing the needs of the people, industries and communities of Kansas. Isn’t that what extension and Kansas State University’s land-grant mission is all about?

It is a pleasure to announce that Amy Sollock accepted the position of Western Regional extension director beginning July 7, 2024. 

Sollock began her career with K-State Research and Extension in 2004 as the county extension director / agriculture and natural resources agent for Trego County. She has since served as:

• 4-H youth development extension agent for Ford County.
• County extension director / family and consumer sciences agent for Edwards County.
• Most recently, a 4-H Youth Development extension specialist supporting local units in southwest Kansas.

Sollock’s educational credentials include her bachelor’s degree in agricultural and environmental communications and education from the University of Illinois and her master’s degree in agricultural education from Oklahoma State University.

Sollock’s devotion to the people of western Kansas has served as the foundation for her career in extension and, we are confident, will drive her success as the new western regional extension director.

Chris Onstad, associate director for field operations, wishes to thank Jami Clark and the search committee for their diligence in recruiting, screening and interviewing applicants for this position. Serving on a search committee is often complex and challenging work, so he extends his gratitude to Aliesa Woods, Jonathan Aguilar, Crystal Bashford, Aaron Hyland, Sandra Johnson, Anne Lampe, Lacey Noterman, Kristin Penner and Kurt Werth for their efforts on the committee.

Please take a moment and welcome Amy to her new role representing and leading the western region!

K-State Research and Extension administration is pleased to announce a 2% percent increase to the state’s salary contribution rates for local units.

• For the first two positions in each county (or corresponding number of counties in a district), the value of the state contribution has increased to $19,760.
• Additional positions appropriated to local units will receive $12,194 per agent.
• Agent positions that are fully funded by the local unit will continue to receive $1,500 per agent.

The new KSRE contribution rates begin in July 2024, so the funds will accumulate in local units' accounts until raises are given, normally in the next calendar year. These figures can be used to build 2025 budgets.

Contact Chris Onstad, associate director for extension field operations, with questions.

Risk management is important in all activities. Each of us has an obligation to protect our clients from unreasonable risk. Discussing risk management ahead of time helps us affirm that events are being conducted in the safest manner possible.

A risk management plan ensures that the risks have been identified and evaluated and that a plan is in place to mitigate them. When incidents do occur, a good plan can help minimize their impact.

Does your team have a risk management plan for your county fair and, if so, do you know the plan?

Having a risk management discussion prior to the fair is an excellent idea. All extension staff, board members, and fair board members should understand the plan and all be on the same page.

You can find more information and resources for Risk Management on the KSRE Board Leadership Modules webpage.

Please begin thinking about nominations for the State Extension Advisory Council elections this fall. You may even want to put it on an upcoming board meeting agenda to draw the attention of those who might be interested.

Each extension local unit gets to vote for up to two nominees from their respective region (eastern, central or western) or one member if you are from the metropolitan units with populations over 100,000.

There’s no need to submit nominations yet, but please begin thinking about the nomination process as it will be here before you know it. Nominations for the elected terms will be due at the beginning of November so that voting can be done at December board meetings.

SEAC meets in Topeka in February and at a rotating location in August, with occasional opportunities for further involvement. The term lasts three years and comes with an opportunity to visit Washington, DC, to attend the Public Issues Leadership Development national conference.

Learn more about the SEAC on the KSRE State Extension Advisory Council website. Please contact Chris Onstad with any questions.

The task of building a good board is about more than just filling slots. It is about finding leaders who have skill sets and perspectives that align with our organization’s mission.

Now is a great time to think about potential turnover on your board and program development committees and who might be qualified to fill those slots. An important factor in the sustainability and efficiency of your local unit is getting highly qualified and enthusiastic volunteers to serve on the board and program development committees (PDC).

Overwhelmingly, people want to serve on boards of organizations that make a difference. Identifying the right leaders to serve is essential for success.

The Recruiting Board and PDC Members module is a great tool to help your board explore characteristics of high-quality board members and where you might find them in your community. When boards and PDC’s are representative of the community, they are more likely to offer and design extension programs that are inclusive of all community members. Having boards and PDC’s that reflect the demographics of the local community is a vital part of civil rights compliance.

As you recruit new members, be clear about the role of the board and what the expectations of being a board member are. Refer to the Extension Board Member Position Description, which provides a comprehensive set of expectations, qualifications, and time commitment necessary for the position.