Cooperative Extension Service Departments
Administration
Blue Letter - May 2007 No. 3661

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From the Director • Crisis Communications • Employees of the Quarter Ending March 31, 2007 • Arkansas County Agriculture Agents Association Honors Members • Professional Organizations Host Legislative Reception • Reynolds Honored by UALR • Honorary and Memorial Gifts • Documentation, Documentation • Financial Services Year-End Deadlines • Avaya Moves to the State Office • Grants and Contracts

From the Director

This month I will continue my evaluation of Extension programs by focusing on LeadAR.

LeadAR began in 1984 through a grant from the Kellogg Foundation. J. B. Williams, who at the time was the state leader for community development, took on the role as the first director for LeadAR. LeadAR is an external training program for the citizens of Arkansas. Each seminar is held in a different location across the state and is conducted by political and business leaders, state and federal personnel, university staff and many others.

Over the past few months, you may have noticed some changes to LeadAR. This is because, in 2005, a program review of LeadAR was conducted. Dr. Waldrum pulled together a committee consisting of current and past directors of similar leadership programs in other states, members of the LeadAR advisory council and LeadAR alumni. The committee made several recommendations to make LeadAR an even stronger program than it is already.

One recommendation was to create full-time positions for the LeadAR director and program associate. In their new roles, Joe Waldrum and Dot Temple focus more on recruiting new class members, marketing the program and fundraising.

The committee made other recommendations that I am currently reviewing and determining how best to implement.

Participants say one of the greatest strengths of LeadAR is the people they meet, in both their class and those who conduct the seminars.

Another strength, according to participants, is the resources provided during the seminars. Participants enjoy learning about the resources, data, statistics and facilities that are available to them to help improve the lives of their fellow citizens.

I had the pleasure of speaking to LeadAR Class 12 during their graduation ceremony the end of April. LeadAR has trained more than 370 Arkansans to lead this great state, and I have no doubt that the program will continue to turn out great leaders.

- Ivory W. Lyles

Crisis Communications

Employees of the Quarter Ending March 31, 2007

Delta District

Steve Culp, County Extension Agent – Staff Chair, Craighead County: Steve has worked for Extension over 25 years in various counties in the Delta. Most recently, he has worked with county officials, community leaders, health care institutions and Extension supporters to get a state of the art office building built through county funds. In addition, Steve has an aggressive row crop educational program. His Master Gardener program is one of the largest and most involved programs in the state.

Cindy Eldridge, Secretary, Arkansas County: Cindy has worked for Extension for five years as secretary in the Stuttgart office of the Arkansas County Extension program. She does work primarily for the agriculture agent assigned to that office, and has at times been the only person there when changes in staff were made. She is friendly, helpful, and often goes above and beyond to help clients get the help they need.

Annette Williams, Program Assistant – EFNEP, Lee County: Annette has been a program assistant in the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program in Lee County since 1998. Since that time, she has consistently maintained the recommended number of families enrolled and is always up to date in her reporting. Annette has a positive attitude, is very creative and has a willingness to help everyone.

Ouachita District

Diane Clement, County Extension Agent – FCS, Cleveland County: Diane came to work as family and consumer sciences agent for Cleveland County in September, 2000, and has established herself as an authority on health and nutritional issues throughout the county. She is often called upon by other agencies and organizations to conduct programs and has a weekly article in the local newspaper. She conducts her FSNE program in two of the three county elementary schools. She has been instrumental in establishing four in-school 4-H clubs in the county.

Donna Crumpler, Administrative Office Supervisor, Ouachita County: Donna has worked with Extension for 18 years. During this time, she has seen many changes in her office. She and the county staff have worked through a flooded building, an office break-in and power outages, but still they manage an office that is readily accessible to the clientele of Ouachita County. Donna is always willing to give that extra effort to assist her agents and program assistants.

Robin Sinclair, 4-H Program Assistant, Grant County: Robin is a prime example of dedication to achievement. In her seven months of employment, she has formed the 4-H Adventure Club, secured and trained leaders and assisted with clubs meetings and activities. She continues to expand the county program by training teachers and 4-H members, and by teaching programs and projects in the classroom.

Ozark District

Earlene Brecheen, County Extension Agent – Family and Consumer Sciences, Van Buren County: Earlene is an outstanding county educator whose classroom experience and passion for teaching are evident in the programs she presents. She is a kind and dedicated professional who approaches clientele and colleagues alike with one goal, “How can I help you?” One of her outstanding contributions has been the “4-H Connection,” a 4-H curriculum-based program that has received rave reviews from both educators in the public schools and agents statewide.

Joyce Mendenhall, Secretary, Washington County: Joyce is a self starter with an excellent work ethic. She has the responsibility of receiving and processing all diagnostic samples along with the numerous soil samples she processes on a daily basis. Although Joyce primarily gives support to grant projects, she handles the Master Gardener support work and is very willing to assist with other projects.

Jamie Foster, 4-H Program Assistant, Fulton County: Jamie is a hard worker and a wonderful team player who is always willing to assist with Extension activities. She has assisted with the formation of three new community clubs within the past year. Her strong reputation and winning attitude have assets to Fulton County’s 4-H program and have helped recruit and maintain members and leaders. She is great with the FSNE programs in the head start centers and schools.

Little Rock State Office

Charles “Chuck” Wilson, Professor – Agronomy, Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences: In August, 2006, GMO (Liberty Link) traits were discovered in a single U.S. rice variety. This event had global implications for the rice trade and has substantially reduced our ability to export rice. Chuck has served as an expert on this issue with both state and national regulatory and trade organizations. To eliminate these traits from the U.S. rice supply, the Arkansas State Plant Board implemented restrictions on the sale of the Cheniere rice variety in December of 2006. Chuck presented this information throughout the winter meeting season to thousands of Arkansas rice producers. As the bearer of this news, he has faced many difficult situations but always conducts himself as a true professional and is a great representative of the University of Arkansas Extension Service.

Ed Erwin, Technical Support Manager, Information Technology: Ed has provided strong leadership in the development of the IT Call Center. He designed the space configuration, established the operational guidelines, researched and implemented the call center database and set up the survey that automatically prompts its clientele to rate their satisfaction with the support provided. His initiative in making the call center a reality has resulted in significantly less travel by the technical support specialists while delivering faster service to all Extension offices across the state.

Wilma Lewis, Web Development Associate, Information Technology: Wilma has developed and delivered a series of eight one-hour teaching modules on Microsoft Excel, using the Centra system as the delivery method. She also handles setting up the online surveys for Extension faculty and staff and ensures that these survey projects are completed efficiently and on time. Her technical knowledge and expertise and positive attitude make her a highly valued member of the IT team.

Arkansas County Agriculture Agents Association Honors Members

The Arkansas County Agriculture Agents Association (ACAAA) held its annual awards and recognition banquet during its annual meeting at Forrest City on March 29-30. The following awards were presented:

Distinguished Service Award – Ron Matlock, CEAStaff Chair, Benton County and Jerry Clemons, CEAStaff Chair, Clark County

Achievement Award – Cindy Ham, CEA-Agri/4-H, Franklin County, and Stewart Runsick, Area Agronomist- Rice, Jackson County

Search for Excellence in Crop Production – Stewart Runsick, Area Agronomist- Rice, Jackson County

Search for Excellence in Livestock Production – Lance Kirkpatrick, CEAAgri, Logan County, and Cindy Ham, CEA-Agri/4-H, Franklin County

Public Relations in Daily Efforts (PRIDE) Program – Team of Rex Dollar, Program Associate-Forages, LRSO, Jerry Clemons, CEA-Staff Chair, Clark County, Mike McCarter, CEA-Staff Chair, Pike County, Amy Simpson, CEA-Agri/4-H, Clark County, and Carroll Guffey, Program Associate-Natural Resources, UAM for “Registered Foresters Continuing Education Training”

Communication Awards Program Radio – Robert Goodson, CEA-Agri, Phillips County

Published Photo and Caption – Craig Allen, CEAAgri, Poinsett County

Slide Set or Computer Generated Graphics Presentation – Kenyon Branch, CEA-Urban Storm Water Education, Jefferson County

Direct Mail Piece – Jerry Clemons, CEA-Staff Chair, Clark County, Jimmy Driggers, CEA-Staff Chair, Garland County, and Mike McCarter, CEA-Staff Chair, Pike County

Personal Column – Craig Allen, CEA-Agri, Poinsett County

Feature Story – Craig Allen, CEA-Agri, Poinsett County

Newsletter, Individual – Lance Kirkpatrick, CEAAgri, Logan County

Newsletter, Team – Stewart Runsick, Area Agronomist-. Rice, Jackson County

Fact Sheet – Dustin Blakey, CEA-Agri, Sebastian County

Publication – Matthew Lane, CEA-Agri, Hot Spring County

Bound Book – Robert Goodson, CEA-Agri, Phillips County

– Stewart Runsick

Professional Organizations Host Legislative Reception

Lt. Governor Bill Halter, Secretary of State Charlie Daniels and numerous Arkansas legislators attended an evening reception in March hosted by the various Extension professional associations.

The reception provided an opportunity for Division of Agriculture personnel to meet with Arkansas’s decisionmakers and discuss issues important to the Division and to the state.

Members of AACES, Epsilon Sigma Phi, the Arkansas Chapter of the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, the Arkansas County Agricultural Agents Association and the Arkansas Association of Extension 4-H Agents organized and hosted the event.

– Elizabeth Fortune Coop

Reynolds Honored by UALR

The School of Mass Communications at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock recently honored Bob Reynolds, Director of Communications and Marketing. Reynolds received the Meritorious Service Award for his dedication to helping the students and personnel of the school. Through partnership with the school, Reynolds is providing students with the practical knowledge they need to become effective media practitioners.

– Elizabeth Fortune Coop

Honorary and Memorial Gifts

The following honorary and memorial gifts were recently received in support of programs and funds within the UofA Cooperative Extension Service. This list covers gifts received January through March, 2007.

4-H General Scholarship

In honor of Charlie Conklin – Chuck Culver

Extension Service Retiree Scholarship Fund

In honor of Judy Riley – Bernadette Hinkle
In honor of Kent Rorie – Bernadette Hinkle
In honor of Lynn Russell – Merritt and James Royal
In honor of Charles Whitaker – Merritt and James Royal
In memory of Kenneth Scott – Extension Cord Editorial Board; Bob and Sharon Reynolds

Information Technology Operational Fund

In honor of Ed Erwin – Bernadette Hinkle
In honor of Wilma Lewis – Bernadette Hinkle

LeadAR Program Fund

In memory of Mary Lawrence – Henry and Kathy Struckman

Mildred and Liz Childs CES Professional Development Fund

In memory of Mildred Childs – Elizabeth Childs

To make an honorary or memorial donation, please forward to the Development Office, Cooperative Extension Service, P.O. Box 391, Little Rock, AR 72203. To ensure that proper notification is sent, please also include in whose honor or memory the gift is made and the mailing address of the person to receive the notification.

– Merritt Royal

Documentation, Documentation

Donors need to be aware that in 2007 the IRS has new record keeping requirements for cash contributions. To qualify a cash contribution as a deduction, a donor must have documentation in the form of a bank record or written acknowledgement from the recipient charitable entity.

For Extension, we need to ensure that we provide the proper documentation our donors need to meet their charitable deduction elections. According to IRS Publication 526, written verification acknowledging gifts “must include the name of the charity, date of the contribution and amount of the contribution.” Below are additional reminders regarding required documentation for charitable contributions.

Cash Contributions

If a donor gives a cash gift that cannot be verified through a bank record (canceled check or a bank statement), we should provide written acknowledgement for that gift in a timely manner. Qualified charitable organizations – such as the UofA Cooperative Extension Service – must acknowledge in writing gifts of $250 or more.

Non-cash (Gift-in-Kind) Contributions

Regardless of value, a qualified charitable organization – such as the UofA Cooperative Extension Service – must acknowledge in writing all non-cash gifts received.

Quid-Pro-Quo Contributions

If a donor receives a good or a service in exchange for a gift in the amount of $75 or more, qualified charitable organizations must provide a written acknowledgement that provides the value of the good or service provided (the quid pro quo).

Any questions regarding compliance with documentation requirements may be directed to Merritt Royal, director of development.

– Merritt Royal

Financial Services Year-End Deadlines

FY07 Purchasing

• May 1 – for formal bid items ($25,000+) and FSNE purchases
• June 1 – for non-bid items
• June 29 – Submission of county files - enter transactions and upload June files. (Subsequent transactions should be dated in July)
• July 3 – Submission of accounts payable (invoices) and travel and personal reimbursements

P-Card Purchases

• May 15 for FSNE items
• June 15 for all other items
  • FY08 purchases preferably should not be requisitioned until July 1. However, if an order must be placed prior to July 1, please date the transaction July 1 on the requisition.

Departmental Charge Backs

• July 3 – Fax or e-mail information for charge backs such as Vehicle Report Worksheet (TRAV- 308) and Monthly Report- Mail Used (POST-347)

Grants

If your grant ends in FY07, you must ensure that all funds for the grant are spent or committed by the ending date of the grant. You MUST allow sufficient time for processing the purchase prior to that date. Purchases made after the deadlines will be charged to the FY08 fiscal year. Also, if you have grant funds, please check the status of your budget-to-actual expenditures to make sure you spend available funds by the deadlines outlined above and review the detail reports to identify any transactions that may need to be moved or corrected in FY07. For grant questions, please contact Angela Stacy at 501-671-2011 or Sheryl Baker at 501-671-2273.

Requisition Forms

• Effective May 1, the short form of the online requisition will no longer be available.

– Kyleen Hawkins

Avaya Moves to the State Office

May will be a busy and exciting time for Extension. A new Avaya telephone system is scheduled for installation on Thursday, May 24, at the state office.

Some features of our new Avaya include:

• Incoming and outgoing caller ID
• New phones with displays
• Unified voice, fax and e-mail
• Voice-Over-IP
• Disaster recovery
• Web-based management
• Call accounting software
• Improved call distribution groups (call center)
• Room to grow

On the evening of May 24, the old telephone switch will be disconnected and the new system brought online, and connected to new AT&T Smart Trunk circuits.

We will keep all our current 671-2000 through 2399 numbers and will have additional numbers available for growth. Very soon, classes will be offered through In-Service Training (http://inservice.uaex.edu) to help state office staff learn how to use our new system.

– Nina Boston

Grants and Contracts