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Dr. Ivory W. Lyles |
I am pleased to announce that the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees met on May 26, 2006, and approved the Division of Agriculture’s budget for fiscal year 2007. The Board also approved promotions for the Extension faculty and staff we recommended, which will take effect on July 1, 2006.
I am very happy to inform you that the Board also approved a salary adjustment for all Extension employees effective July 1, 2006.
We appreciate your dedication to Extension and all that you do for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service and for the citizens of Arkansas.
– Ivory W. Lyles
New Director of Financial Services
I am pleased to announce that Dr. Kyleen W. Hawkins, CPA, CISA, CGFM, CIA, CCSA, is the new Director of Financial Services.
Kyleen holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana; a master’s degree in business administration from Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas; and a doctorate in business administration (DBA) with a major in accounting and minors in finance and quantitative methods (statistics) from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. She is a certified public accountant, a certified information systems auditor, a certified government financial manager and a certified internal auditor. She also holds certification in control self-assessment. She is currently the vice president of the Central Arkansas Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors.
Prior to coming to the Cooperative Extension Service, Kyleen owned and managed a small training and consulting business that assisted organizations in strengthening internal controls and addressing other corporate governance issues. She also conducted numerous educational seminars for state employees, CPAs and corporate boards and executives.
Kyleen was also a professor of accounting at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) for 12 years. Her teaching responsibilities included auditing and advanced auditing, accounting information systems, financial statement analysis and international accounting. She was also a member of the graduate faculty. Other work experiences include employment as a legislative auditor in Louisiana as well as various private accounting positions.
– Bernadette Hinkle
We Asked, You Responded
The Communications department e-mailed a survey in April to all employees with several questions regarding use of the UACES Web site. The responses we received are serving as the basis for a marketing plan developed around promoting the new Web site. In coming months, additions will be made to the site. These updates will make the UACES Web site a better resource for our clients. One such change will include the ability to e-mail Extension’s news articles directly from the Web site.
The Communications department wants to make sure we’re providing the information our clients need. In order to provide that content, we will survey all employees and our clients to find out what content needs to appear on the Web site.
Just two of the new additions to the site were mentioned, but many more are planned. Be sure to read the Blue Letter and your e-mail to learn more about changes as they occur.
– Elizabeth Fortune
Breakthrough Solutions Proceeds in North Central Arkansas, Holds Conference
The purpose of the Breakthrough Solutions Program is to equip community, county and regional leaders to prosper in the 21st century economy. Since the seven-county North Central Arkansas Region (NCARED) committed to participate in the Breakthrough Solutions Program, Mark Peterson and Maureen Rose conducted informational meetings in each county along with focus groups of high school youth. With excellent cooperation from county Extension agents in the region as well as the NCARED board, the informational meetings identified challenges and opportunities in the respective counties, informed community and county leaders about the program and its benefits and shared information on raising funds.
The next step will be to hold a series of working sessions in the region for community leaders to begin to develop a strategic blueprint and action plan for the future. The program includes an in-depth economic analysis of the region conducted by Dr. Wayne Miller.
On May 18, more than 60 people attended the Second Annual Breakthrough Solutions Conference at the Brinkley Convention Center. With the theme “The Rules Have Changed – A Breakthrough Solutions Conference on Asset- Based Development,” the conference highlighted opportunities communities and regions have to identify and leverage their assets to move forward.
Keynote speaker Jerry Adams, corporate leader for economic development with Acxiom, identified key elements Arkansas communities need to embrace for successful economic development in the 21st century. Additional speakers addressed opportunities for connecting with communities in other countries, quality of life/place, broadband connectivity and economic development based on arts, crafts, natural resources and agriculture.
– Mark Peterson
Newton County 4-H Wins Regional Land Judging Contest
The Newton County 4-H Land Judging Team has returned home after participating in the 55th Annual National Land and Range Judging Contest in Oklahoma City. The group competed in the nation’s top land judging event at a site near Oklahoma City. Team 4-H members include Levi Hudson, senior at Jasper High School, Elaina Wallan, senior at Jasper High School, and David James, sophomore at Jasper High School.
Members of the Newton County 4-H team tested their individual and team skills against other land judging teams from approximately 35 states by evaluating land characteristics like topsoil, subsoil, slope and plant life. They were also required to recommend treatment to improve the land’s adaptability for certain purposes like producing crops, raising cattle or building homes.
In the regional competition, the Newton County 4-H team was declared Southwest Region Champion. In the national 4-H competition, the Newton County 4-H team won sixth place, with Levi Hudson winning ninth high point.
– Jack C. Boles, Jr.
Coastal Plain Timberland Team
The Coastal Plain Timberland Team recently held The Great Outdoors Youth Day on Saturday, May 13, in Warren, Arkansas. Over 100 youth from four counties participated. The event allowed youth to learn about and enjoy the great outdoors. Speakers were invited from several state organizations, and each one set up a learning station. The youth were separated into groups and rotated to each station. Represented were the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and Arkansas State Parks. The youth then participated in a fishing derby during the afternoon. More than 200 people, both youth and their parents, enjoyed a wonderful day of fun and learning. There were also numerous volunteers who helped with lunch, worked with the youth and were part of the success of the event.
The Coastal Plain Timberland Team is one of the pilot programs currently underway throughout the state. It consists of John Gavin, staff chair in Bradley County, Ed Brown, Agriculture/4-H agent in Calhoun County, Les Walz, staff chair in Cleveland County, and Bobby Hall, staff chair in Dallas County. The focus areas for this team are forestry management, forestry marketing and taxes, adult wildlife education and youth forestry and wildlife education. The team has planned several other events for this year that will focus on these areas.
– Ed Brown
Faculty Leadership Program Study Tour
The Faculty Leadership Program, Class Two, spent an exhausting yet rewarding week touring the Washington, D.C. area, March 18-25, 2006, as the finale to its two-year stint in the leadership program.
The 15 participants had a packed agenda of meetings, visits and appointments with Extension partners at the national level. The first day included presentations, discussions and tours at the Agricultural Research Center in Beltsville and ended with a dinner meeting with CEO Don Floyd and members of the National 4-H Council at the National 4-H Center.
Day two was devoted to meetings with Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) administration and small group sessions with national program leaders.
Day three found the FLP participants meeting and building relationships with the Arkansas congressional delegation.
The University of Maryland Cooperative Extension Service hosted the class for a series of discussions, a greenhouse tour and a tour of its Home and Garden Information Center on day four.
On the final day, the class met with representatives of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) and heard a series of presentations at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). As part of the meetings at USDA, the class met with Dr. J. B. Penn, under secretary of agriculture, who is a native of Arkansas.
Class Two will graduate from the Faculty Leadership Program in June, and recruitment for Class Three will begin in July 2006. Class Three will begin in January 2007.
– Allisen Penn
The Community and Economic Development section has created a curriculum that will help agents meet programming needs of new and mid-level leaders within their counties. This curriculum has been developed under the new ConnectAR logo, and it is intended to help Arkansas residents become stronger leaders in the community.
In order for county agents to have direct access to the ConnectAR leadership curriculum, a password-protected Web site has also been created – http://www.arcommunities.org/leadership/connectar.htm. (This Web site can also be accessed from the UAEX homepage by clicking on Business & Communities, then Leadership Development, then ConnectAR).
PowerPoint slides, worksheets and handouts have been created for the following subjects (with more subjects to follow):
Agents are encouraged to use the materials with multiple audiences, such as Extension Homemakers, 4-H leaders and youth, farm organizations, youth leadership groups, Master Gardeners, fair board members, quorum court members, etc. If you would like more information about the ConnectAR program, please contact Tammy Seefeld, instructor - community and economic development, tseefeld@uaex.edu, 501-454-9486.
– Tammy Seefeld
GroupWise Mailbox Limit Doubles
On June 1, your GroupWise mailbox size doubled to 100MB and the attachment limit climbed to 25MB. The improvement was made to keep us consistent with the Fayetteville campus standard. UA Computing Services indicated they would implement a similar change this year.
While the larger mailbox size limit will give us all more flexibility in managing our mail, we still need to be aware of the impact large attachments have on our mailboxes and archive or save them to our desktops promptly, then delete them from GroupWise. To learn more about archiving and other great GroupWise tips, go to http://it.uaex.edu and look under Helpful Information for the GroupWise section. There you will find tips and training to help you keep your GroupWise account healthy.
Tip of the Month: Do you really need to perform “Safely Remove Hardware” before disconnecting your USBconnected thumb drive? Yes! Removing it without this step can wipe out all the data on your drive.
– Nina R. Boston
Grants and Contracts
| Project Title | Award Amount | Principal Investigator | Granting Agency |
| Economic Analysis of Corn and Grain Sorghum | $5,739.00 | Dr. Rob Hogan | Corn and Grain Promotion Board |
Note: This is a revision to the Grants and Contracts listing published in the May 2006 Blue Letter.
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© 2006 |
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University of Arkansas • Division of Agriculture |
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