April 23, 2019
Thoughts Following PILD
The following representatives from our State Extension Advisory Council and professional associations traveled to Washington, DC last week for the Joint Council of Extension Professionals’ Public Issues Leadership Conference and accompanying visits with our federal representatives and senators:
• Don Hellwig, State Extension Advisory Council
• Sandy Jacquot, State Extension Advisory Council
• Trudy Rice, Joint Council of Extension Professionals
• Tara Markley, Kansas Association of Community Development Extension Professionals
• Dennis Patton, Kansas Association of County Agricultural Agents
• Corinne Patterson, Kansas Association of Extension 4-H Agents
• Susan Johnson, Kansas Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences
• Richard Fechter, National Association of County Agricultural Agents – President
• Jennifer Wilson, Epsilon Sigma Phi
While we encountered travel difficulties and had an unfortunate power outage that coincided with the start of the conference, it was a great conference. One major theme of the conference was innovation, and I can promise you that you’ll be hearing more about Extension innovation in future Tuesday Letters.
The other major theme focused on advocating for Extension’s and our Land Grant universities’ behalf. We learned more about our federal system, learned advocacy best management practices, and applied them when we made our visits to Capital Hill.
Our SEAC and professional association leaders did an excellent job representing us. I can share with you that the offices of the representatives and senators we visited are very positive regarding Extension and our mission. If the rest of the representatives and senators of the United States are as positive on us as ours are, we should be hearing good news once the federal budget is finalized!
As you move through this week, please take a moment and thank our professional and volunteer colleagues listed above. They did not have to go to advocate on our behalf. They wanted to represent us, and they did a wonderful job!