President Longstroth called the meeting to order at 10:25 a.m. in Room A of the Livestock Pavilion.

Present were Clark, Durst, Krupp, Longstroth, MacKellar, Moore, Silva, Smucker, Stevens, Varner, and Wiley. Krauskopf was not present because of the death of his mother and Griffith and Lindquist did not come because of icy roads.

1. Approval of Agenda

Life member discussion was added to number 8, Other New Business. Varner moved to accept agenda, Smucker second. Motion carried.

2. Secretary’s Report

The minutes of the November 2, 2000 Board Meeting were reviewed. Moved by Varner to accept as printed, Wiley support, motion carried.

3. Treasurer’s Report

Wiley is checking the discrepancy in the fund balance on the report of October 6. The Treasurer’s Report was presented by Wiley as a cash flow report as of 12/31/2000. The beginning balance was added to this report. Wiley reported that as of December 31 we had 52 regular and 1 associate member. Currently we have 118 paid members. We need to report our membership to the National by March 15 and our goal is to have at least 126 members. Wiley also distributed a list of people who have not paid dues as of January 26 and there were 61 names on this list. Longstroth reminded the Board to ask people on this list to plan to join.
Wiley presented a Budget Report of 9/30, 2000 to 12/31/2000. He also presented a balance sheet of 9/30200o to 12/31/2000. A question was raised as to what are the "MAEA Business Invoices" listed. Wiley is to check with Briccault. The procedure for the deposit of dues checks was also discussed. Varner moved to accept the Treasurer’s Report, second by Durst, motion carried.
Wiley was asked if he is using the Quicken Program to keep records. Varner offered to help him set the system up. It was also pointed out on the budget report the last item should read North Central Regional Leadership Conference. The new agent line item was also discussed. The $250.00 was paid to MCEA for New Agent Packets. The question was raised if we should contribute to this line item again if our last year’s contribution has not been put to use yet. The Spring Conference budget item of $3500.00 was discussed at length.
Discussion was suspended until Krupp is present to discuss his progress with planning for Spring Conference.
Discussion took place regarding the proposed budget from 11/1/2000 to 10/31/2001. It was determined that we had not formally adopted this budget. Durst moved to adopt the proposed budget, second by MacKellar. Longstroth stated that he felt the Life Member line item of $50.00 was too small. Moore moved that $250.00 of the New Agent line item be moved and combined with the $50.00 of Life Member Dues to make a total Life Member line item of $300.00. Second by Durst, motion was approved and a vote was taken to accept the motion as amended. Motion carried.

4. Regional Directors’ Reports

Southeast
Score reported that the group had just met and requested that we send e-mail reminders whenever any MAEA documents are posted on the web. The Southeast group has decided to hold monthly meetings which will be the last Friday of the month. Next month Birkey is to arrange a tour of a power plant and a tour of the baseball stadium or the eastern market will be scheduled for the following month. An educational tour or session is to be part of these monthly meetings.

Southwest
Changes in the Region:
Regional Technology Agent Ray Fast is the Interim St. Joseph County CED.
Rich Hodupp is the Regional Specialty Crop Agent housed in Kalamazoo County. Rich is working in Kalamazoo County in a Field Crops and Ag Role, and is taking a leadership role in covering specialty crops in St. Joseph, Kalamazoo and Cass Counties. He will also be continue his leadership in the Site Specific Management and work in developing new markets for the Amish community.
New Agent Arrival - Al Gaus – Berrien County Horticulture Position in the office as of January 15. Al comes to MSUE from a position at an experiment station from Colorado.
Interviews- Interviews were held for the area swine agent position which will be housed in Cass county. Dan Rajzer, Cass County CED reports that there several good candidates for the position this time and an offer will be made to one of the applicants.
Topics:
S.W. Regional MAEA Meeting. The regional directors attempted to coordinate a S.W. regional meeting in the end of December. There was no way to be able to get a sizable number of members together. We have tentatively scheduled a meeting on Friday, February 23 at the Kalamazoo Office.
Mentors:
We have several new agents in the southwest region. There have been quite a few discussions about the importance of assigning mentors to new agents as soon as possible. I have had conversations with several agents and we have tentatively formulated the following mentor relationships:
Calhoun County ANR Agent Bob Battel – Mike Staton
Jackson County ANR Agent Mike Metzger – Bill Bivens
St. Joseph County ANR Agent Marcy Strefling – Natalie Rector
Berrien County Horticulture Agent Al Gaus – Mark Longstroth
Kalamazoo District Hort Agent Jeannie Himmelein – To Be Determined

East Central
Regional Directors were not present. No report was available.

West Central
Smucker reported that the West Central Association met November 30 in Muskegon. Mira Danilovich of Oceana County was elected to the position vacated by Jerry Lindquist. Tom Rorabaugh reported on the committee recommendations on conferences. The 2001 meeting schedule was established as March 5, which will be at our Annual Meeting, April 26, September 5 and November 26. Michigan Environmental Assurance Program was discussed by Allen Krizek. Krupp reported on the West Central Region’s web site that was in process and is to up by mid-year.

UP
Clark reported that Jim Dompier is retiring effective March 1. Another position in CYF would probably be opening soon. Clark reported that Ag Staff got together recently to discuss the Regional GREENE Proposal. It is very difficult for staff to get together because of the necessity of covering so many program areas.
A discussion ensued as to refreshments for Board Meetings. Longstroth is to pick up doughnuts on his way, in the future, and Wiley will plan to bring a coffee pot to make coffee.

North
Durst reported that they are planning to meet on the 23^rd of February in the Gaylord area. Their agenda is to be Program Sharing and Program Planning with the Regional Director present and they will then hold an Association Meeting in the afternoon.

5. Committee Reports

Program Recognition
The responsibilities of the Program Committee were discussed. Stevens did the DSA and AA Award Process this year. Our DSA Awards this year will go to Ned Birkey, Andy Norman, and Van Varner. Our AA Awards go to Roberta Dow, and Mary Dunckel. All award programs submissions are due by the 15^th of March. Stevens will do the Pride and Communications Awards. Paul Marks will do the Search for Excellence Awards. Angie Eichorn will do the Search for Excellence in 4-H Youth. The Horticulture Committee is to do the Rise Horticulture/Turfgrass Study Tour. Longstroth reminded everyone that to participate in Awards your dues must be paid as of March 15^th. It has also become a policy not to report new members to National until March 1 of the succeeding year. New members are given a year free membership to MAEA, but according to our by-laws they can pay their $25.00 of National dues if they want to belong to the National Association. Jeannie Hemmelien is to do the Purcell Pinnacle Award.

Extension Development
Krupp reported on plans for Spring Training. He elaborated on the two surveys of membership which he had undertaken and the results from those surveys. From his second survey he has 27 that planned to participate and 30 had returned that survey in saying that they did not plan to participate. We are locked into Kellogg Center by contract which we must given them 180 days notice to cancel. Krupp distributed a proposed agenda and went through the agenda in detail. The Board suggested that we need more time for our membership meeting on Tuesday, the 6^th. It was suggested that that meeting be scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. It was suggested by Durst that we invite Senator Stabenow for our Monday night dinner, and that this invitation should come from President Longstroth. It was suggested that we discuss this with Acting Director Maggie Bethel when she comes to our meeting. It was decided to publicize the meeting by putting the program and registration materials in a newsletter that is to go out the first week of February. Krupp is also to send these to Longstroth to post on the web site. A line for University Account Number is to be included on the registration and it will be possible for people with these numbers to use the web to register. Krupp is also to send an addressed set of program and registration materials to counties by way of sending those to George Silva to put in the county mailboxes.

Professional Development - No report from Jim Isleib.

National Meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico – August 5-9, 2001
Durst moved to appoint Moore as our National Committee Chairman for 2001. Supported by Varner, motion carried. Moore plans to survey the membership by e-mail to find out who is planning to attend.

Wisconsin 2003 Monday dinner
Longstroth reported that he had spoken with Mahlon Petersen of Wisconsin telling him that we were willing to do the Monday night dinner. Petersen liked the idea of the fish boil and also the possibility of a ship. Durst is to follow up with McKinney to see if he can find out if the schooner from Traverse City would be available to go over to the meeting.

MCAE
MCEA is meeting this Friday, February 2. Varner is President and Longstroth will plan to attend. No one else from the Board was available to attend that day.

NACAA Business
Longstroth reviewed the NACAA Committee Positions open for 2001. Vice Chairs of the Animal Science, Horticulture and Aquaculture are open. Also the Early Career Development and Administrative Skills positions are open, as well as the Communication 4-H and Youth and Professional Excellence positions. There is an application form for these and anyone interested is encouraged to let Longstroth know if they are interested in any of these positions.

ED/NR Association
Longstroth reported on a conversation he had had with members of the proposed new association. He had invited them to attend today’s Board Meeting but they were not available and they requested that they give presentation at our Spring Board Meeting. Longstroth reminded them that they needed to have us vote in favor of forming a new organization if they are going to be recognized by MCEA.

8.  Talk With the Director:

Maggie Bethel, Acting Extension Director, arrived at 2:00 p.m. Longstroth asked her about inviting Senator Stabenow. She felt it would be well to give a courtesy call to Steve Webster’s office and also the President’s office to inform them that the Association would like to invite her to give us her perspective on ag policy. Krupp asked about Maggie’s availability to speak at our Spring Meeting dinner. She is available and Ira is to write her, giving her the time frame and the topics we would like to have her discuss. The question was raised as to whether or not we have a representative on the Fall Conference Planning Committee. Maggie told us that there are going to be two representatives from each Region, some of which are not yet appointed. Moore said that we had asked for MCEA input on that planning committee and that we felt that it would be a good idea to have this representation on the Planning Committee. Also, she will check to see if there is going to be monies donated again to MCEA to support our delegates to our National Meeting. She also detailed her proposal that is going forward on the selection process for the new Extension Director and that the proposed makeup of a committee. She would like to get this committee named in February.

She feels that Fall Conference will probably involve four days for most people. A discussion took place on procedures for this coming year’s budget. President MacPherson has made it clear that his priority is to close the funding gap between MSU and other universities. No other pet projects should be put forward. The Board our appreciation to Maggie for meeting with us.

The group then resumed the discussion on ED/NR Association. The discussion as to what the new group felt their needs were. The group felt that an appearance before the entire MAEA group and a likely vote would not be positive. The Association feels that we want to meet our member’s concerns. It was felt that the best way to do this was to have representatives of this new group come and talk about their needs with us at our Board Meeting, or to possibly have several representatives from the Association meet with them at one of their group meetings.

Longstroth reported that Juchartz, Chair of the Life Member Committee, had requested a session at Spring Meeting. It was decided to schedule this starting at 1:30 p.m. on Monday. This session is to be lead by Juchartz and the group is invited to join us for dinner and meeting with the Director that evening. Longstroth is to contact Krupp to make sure that he gets this in the program. Smucker is to make sure that the life members receive the program and registration materials for the Spring Meeting.

Juchartz also requested that a summer activity with life members be organized. It was suggested that we be sure and invite life members to our Association Regional Meetings.

Durst discussed the County Agents’ Directory and wondered about the feasibility of purchasing a quantity of these and re-selling them at a higher price to counties. Several suggested that the information the directories have is readily available on the web.

Varner reported that there are five candidates for the Dean’s position, that interviews have been scheduled with the group. He encouraged MAEA members to attend and give their comments and evaluations of the new candidates.

Clark requested that the Association consider helping him with mileage expenses for his trip down from the UP. Durst moved, seconded by MacKellar that we pay Ray’s mileage. Motion defeated. Durst moved that we pay $100.00 out of the meeting expense line of the budget to reimburse Clark’s mileage. Supported by Varner, motion carried.

Moore moved to appoint Phil Durst to apply for the Animal Science Regional Vice-Chair vacancy. Supported by Varner, motion approved.

Durst moved to adjourn meeting. Support by Varner. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 3:45 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Don Smucker
Secretary

For more information on this webpage or MAEA contact Mark Longstroth
Copyright © 2001 MSU Extension. All rights reserved.
Disclaimer, Indicia, and Linking information

Michigan State University is an affirmative action equal opportunity institution

This page was last updated on 2/14/2001