TUESDAY MORNING NOTES - October 9, 2012

Tue Oct 9 08:53:39 MST 2012

TMN submittal:
http://cals.arizona.edu/extension/tuesday/form/submittal_form.html 

Tuesday Morning Notes 

October 9, 2012

FROM THE DIRECTOR:

The changing of the seasons always seems to bring about a sense of ending,
renewal, and remembrance.  For me, that seems to be particularly true in the
fall.  This fall is no different and my reflective tendencies were recently
stimulated by a sign I saw in Yuma a few days ago announcing the 40 year
reunion for the class of 1972 from Yuma High.  That sign reminded me of what
I was up to 40 years ago.

Forty years ago this fall I was playing football for a small college team in
south central Kansas.  I learned a lot from that experience, many of those
lessons are not appropriate for comments intended for prime-time reading,
but many of the lessons gained from that experience pertain directly to our
professional work.  Most notably perhaps was the valuable lessons I learned
regarding the benefits of teamwork.  Coming off of a high school football
career that involved a team with an overall losing record, and some
familiarity with the dysfunctions of a team, I found myself in the fall of
1972 on a college team with serious intentions of a championship and a clear
expectation that I step up to my duties and perform in a manner consistent
with the prevailing attitude of the team.  As it turned out this team
actually did go undefeated in our conference and we earned the league
championship and went on to play in a small college post-season bowl game.
This team performed very well as a unit and I learned the lesson first-hand
of the essential elements needed for a full team effort.  My role was
relatively small on that team but the impressions and results were clear to
me and I have seen these ingredients successfully repeated many times in my
professional life and I have also witnessed the failures of capable groups
that did not perform well as a team.

Last week I was reminded of the benefits of good teamwork when I attended
the Valley Forward Awards Ceremony, sponsored by the Salt River Project
(SRP) in Scottsdale where the accomplishments of many groups were recognized
for their achievements and contributions to environmental sustainability.
This event provided me the honor of witnessing the Master Watershed Stewards
Program team from Maricopa County Cooperative Extension receive the top
award in their class for Environmental Stewardship and they also secured the
top award, the President's Award, for the overall best project.  Summer
Waters, the project leader in Maricopa County, was the primary recipient but
this recognition was truly the product of an outstanding team effort due to
the well-coordinated and productive efforts of all program participants.

In CALS, and certainly in Cooperative Extension, we recognize and promote
the organization and direction of teams of professionals.  In saying that I
am fully aware that functional and productive teams are not formed by an
administrative mandate.  I see good teams as a function of three basic
elements: 1) a collection of individuals that recognize the common need to
address a given problem or issue, 2) an ability of the team members to bring
a specific and complimentary skill to the team effort, and 3) the desire and
willingness of the team to work together in a coordinated manner.
Administrators can try to assemble the first two elements of this formula
but the third, and perhaps the most crucial element, must be forged by the
members of the team.  

In conclusion, I can see a pattern stemming back to my early days on the
football fields of Kansas to the recent experiences in CALS Cooperative
Extension and see the true value and need to promote and encourage effective
teams.  As we move ahead in CALS Cooperative Extension, I want to be clear
of my intentions to promote and encourage good team efforts and I will do
all I can to support these efforts in their formative processes.
Nevertheless, I also recognize the essential need for the individuals to go
beyond the theory and potential of good teams and make the effort to work
together in a cohesive, functional, and productive unit.  My compliments go
out to not only the Maricopa County Master Watershed Stewards Program team
but also to all of the outstanding teams we have in CALS and Cooperative
Extension.

FOCUS ON FACULTY:

The National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences made the
following awards the week of September 24:

*	Joyce Alves (Apache County) - National Continued Excellence
*	Juanita Waits (Navajo County) - National Distinguished Service
*	Patty Merk and Team of External Collaborators (Maricopa County) -
Educational Technology, Second Place-Western Region Winner
*	Patty Merk and Team of Internal Collaborators (Ashley Dixon, Angie
Castro, Jessica Rubenstein and Heidi Moreno, Maricopa County) - First Place,
Marketing Package Award-Western Region Winner

Congratulations!

O'BRIEN ENDOWMENT AWARD CALL FOR PROPOSALS:

There is a little over 2 weeks to submit a proposal for the College of
Agriculture & Life Sciences (CALS) James P. & Shirley J. O'Brien Endowment -
deadline for proposal submission is Friday, October 26.  For detailed
information, go to the Proposal Submission Guidelines
<https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/resourcefil
e/resource/scrofts/ProjectProposalGuidelines.pdf>  and/or the Endowment Gift
Agreement
<http://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/resourcefile
/resource/scrofts/O%27Brien_Gift_Agreement.pdf>  or view previous award
winners
<http://extension.arizona.edu/state/james-p-shirley-j-obrien-endowment-award
> .  It is important to note that there was an incorrect file loaded for the
submission guidelines and that has been corrected - so please recheck the
guidelines
<https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/resourcefil
e/resource/scrofts/ProjectProposalGuidelines.pdf> .  Also note that this
award differs from the "Shirley O'Brien Diversity Award" offered through
CALS.  If you have any questions, contact Steven Crofts
<mailto:scrofts at cals.arizona.edu>  (520.621.7145).

WESTERN EXTENSION LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM: 

The Western Extension Leadership Development (WELD) planning committee is
seeking candidates for WELD VII, a 15-month leadership program, which
includes a one-week seminar in San Diego in February 2013, and a second
one-week seminar in May 2014.  This leadership opportunity is designed for
Cooperative Extension professionals in the Western United States. The WELD
program consists of four dynamic learning experiences:  a personal
leadership inventory and assessment; a leadership seminar covering
leadership styles, defining direction, working together through teams,
community action process, ethical decision-making; an individual innovative
leadership project with support and resources, such as a case study
documentation and mentoring relationships; and a capstone seminar during
which participants share their innovative projects.  For more information
and intern applications contact Dan McDonald
<mailto:mcdonald at cals.arizona.edu>  or Steven Crofts
<mailto:scrofts at cals.arizona.edu> .  Completed applications are due to Jeff
Silvertooth for consideration for forwarding to the WELD VII planning
committee by November 7.

TECH TIP OF THE WEEK:

CALS personnel who use webmail for travel or other reasons now have a new
option.  CALS Communications and Technology (CCT) announced a new webmail
system with a cleaner and more user-friendly look.  To use this, go to
<https://mail.cals.arizona.edu> https://mail.cals.arizona.edu and sign in
with your CALS account as always.  However, this new system lacks tools for
setting a vacation reply message or changing your password.  While CCT works
on some other tools for these tasks, you can use the tools in the old system
( <https://calsmail.arizona.edu> https://calsmail.arizona.edu).  For further
information or if you have questions, please contact CCT
<mailto:lab at cals.arizona.edu>  (520.621.2489).

UPCOMING EVENT:

October 24 is the second annual Food Day, a nationwide celebration and
movement toward a more healthy, sustainable, and affordable food system.  It
is a national day of action, education, and advocacy celebrated on October
24 every year.  There are a number of ways to participate in Food Day on or
around that date - host a candidate forum, hold a film screening and
discussion using Food Day's Film Screening Guide
<https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/foodday/pages/80/attachments/original
/1348257011/FoodDay2012_FilmGuide_v2.pdf?1348257011> , promote Food Day's
message, bring a farmer's market to campus or showcase local foods, or
publicly announce plans for this year's Food Day.  For more information, go
to the Food Day website <http://www.foodday.org/>  or contact Avi Schlosburg
<mailto:aschlosburg at cspinet.org> .

Jeffrey C. Silvertooth
Associate Dean

Director for Economic Development & Extension
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
PO Box 210036
Tucson, AZ  85721-0036
520.621.7205
520.621.1314 (fax)

To submit tips, suggestions, ideas for changes and anything that could help
us be more effective, use  the "Director
<http://extension.arizona.edu/state/directors-suggestion-box> 's Suggestion
Box" - all submissions are anonymous.  

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