News Briefs
November 25, 2015
IN THIS ISSUE...

Jobs

Interested in a career in mosquito and vector control? Check out the MVCAC Job Board at www.mvcac.org

 

Have a Job or RFP to post to MVCAC.org?  

Requests to post job listings (no more than 500 words in length) should be submitted to the webmaster at kandosca@amgroup.us.

 
Do you have important news to share about your district or mosquito and vector issues?

If you would like your news to be included in the MVCAC News Briefs, please send press releases and/or links to relevant news articles to mvcac@mvcac.org
Mailing Address:
1 Capitol Mall
Suite 800
Sacramento, CA 95814
MVCAC Office closed 11/26-27/2015
Please note: The MVCAC office will be closed on Thursday, November 26th and Friday, November 27th for the holiday.  We will reopen on Monday, November 30th.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!
MVCAC December Planning Meeting
December 3-4, 2015
Hyatt Regency
1209 L Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

Click here to view the meeting agenda.

Click here for more information.
Resistance Workshop Survey
Please complete this survey by December 2nd
In preparation for the Resistance Workshop on Wednesday, March 2nd, 2016 the Laboratory Technologies Committee has asked any members interested in the workshop to fill out this brief survey.

There will be two sessions within one workshop offered by the MVCAC Laboratory Technologies Committee. The day will begin with the Bottle Bioassay from 8:00am - 12:00pm and a Microplate Assay from 10:00am - 2:00pm.

There is limited space available for this workshop! Please complete the survey ASAP to help ensure your slot in the workshop. 
 
Survey responses are due back by December 2nd:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BF5KTPJ

Questions? Contact Kara Kelley:  kkelley@fightthebite.net
MVCAC Corporate Member Fiscal Status Reports Reminder
We are still missing some fiscal status reports from MVCAC member districts.  If you have not yet submitted your fiscal status report, please do so ASAP.

Instructions on how to login to your district's portal account are below.  Once this updated fiscal information is received, we will send you your 2015-16 dues invoice.
  1. Login using your district login information.  This is the main login that was provided to managers a couple of months ago, if you need it resent please email us at mvcac@mvcac.org
    .
  2. Once logged in, please click the link titled: "Create Corporate Members Fiscal Status Report 2015-2016"
  3. Enter the information requested: Total Actual Expenditures, Capital/Fixed Asset Expenditures, Operational Expenditures, and your name.
  4. You will then see a confirmation page, please review the information you entered and then click "Save Changes"
  5. After clicking "Save Changes" you should receive a confirmation email.  A dues invoice will be mailed to you by the MVCAC staff shortly after you submit your information. 
Please feel free to contact the office if you have any questions or if you need any assistance logging in to or navigating the portal.  Thank you for supporting MVCAC!
General Plan Guidelines Updated
Office of Planning & Research Community Outreach Forum Dates For Review and Comments
The Update to the General Plan Guidelines Public  Draft is now available for review and comments.  The good news is that there are specific references to mosquito and vector control issues in the Public Draft. These are references that are supportive of MVCAC's general messages and are contained in Chapter 5 - "Healthy Communities" on page 223 of the Public Draft. We think this is a good initial start on OPR's part to acknowledged the concerns about mosquitoes and emerging vectors. MVCAC and the various local districts have the opportunity to offer more comments during the public comment period which ends at 5 pm December 18th. Comments should be sent to info@opr.ca.gov.
 
Also, OPR is hosting several Community Outreach Forums throughout the state until December 4th where the public can learn about the guidelines update and share additional information for OPR to consider. We would encourage all local districts to consider attending one of the Community Forums in or near your area. The date for the forums are listed below. Simply click on the link to register. If a forum in your area has already passed, you still have an opportunity to make written comments. More information about OPR's process can be found here.

Los Angeles, California Monday, Nov 30, 9-2pm

San Bernardino, California Tuesday, Dec 1, 9-2pm
Register Here for the San Bernardino Workshop

San Diego, Dec 2, 9:30-2pm

San Francisco, Dec 4, 9-2pm

Oakland, Dec 7 9:30-2pm

Santa Barbara, Dec 9 1:30-4:30pm
 

MVCAC 2016 Annual Conference
February 28th - March 2nd , 2016
Hyatt Regency Sacramento
1209 L Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
 
Rooms:
  • Single/Double Occupancy- $140 per night
  • Triple Occupancy- $165
  • Quadruple Occupancy- $190
  • Room Rate Cut-off: February 5, 2016

Updates to the schedule, click here
84th Annual Conference First Call for Papers & Posters
The Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California (MVCAC) will hold its 84th Annual Conference on February 28-March 2, 2016 at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento. You are invited to submit a paper or poster for presentation at the conference.

This presentation should be related to mosquitoes or other vectors, the disease organisms they transmit, or their surveillance and control. Presentations may be of research results, the development and testing of new methods, equipment or products, education, community outreach and the adaptation or development of new technology relating to vector research, surveillance or control.

If you are interested in presenting a paper or poster, please  click here for more information.

Symposia's being offered at the 84th Annual Conference are the following (Moderator names are included if you'd like to reach out to a symposia moderator directly):
Monday, February 29th:
1:15-3:30pm Symposium 1 - Terrestrial Invertebrates, Bob Gay:  Robert.Gay@acgov.org
3:45-5:30pm Symposium 2 - Terrestrial Vertebrates,  Bob Gay:  Robert.Gay@acgov.org
 
Tuesday Mar 1  
8:00-10:00am
Concurrent Session 1 - Community Engagement and Advocacy, Jason Farned:  Concurrent Session 2 - Operations, David Heft:  dheft@fire2wire.com

10:15am-12:15pm
Concurrent Session 3 - Information Technology and Techniques, Peter Bonkrude:  Concurrent Session 4 - Pesticides- Applications and Resistance, Steve Su: 

1:15-3:30pm
Concurrent Session 5 - Lab Innovations and Technology, Kara Kelley:  kkelley@fightthebite.net
Concurrent Session 6 - Vector Borne Disease and Emerging Vectors, Wakoli Wekesa: 

3:45-5:30pm
Concurrent Session 7 - Agency Updates, Renjie Hu:  Renjie.Hu@cdph.ca.gov
Concurrent Session 8 - Vector Borne Disease and Emerging Vectors, Paula Macedo: 

District Managers and Regional Reps - We Need Your Input On Issue Experts
The MVCAC PR Committee is in the beginning stage of developing an MVCAC Statewide Speakers Bureau. The purpose of this tool is to have an inventory of experts on a variety of issue areas that can speak proactively and reactively on issues that impact MVCAC and its members. These individuals need to be well educated on priority issues and have the discipline to speak intelligently and responsibly on behalf of MVCAC.
 
We would like your input on third party experts that your district typically uses, individuals who are not affiliated with our MVCAC, which provides an additional level of credibility when responding to inquiries. Additionally, we would like to ask for recommendations on who you use as in-house experts on the subject matters below.
 
Subject Matters Include:
  • Bed bugs
  • Climate change
  • Emerging diseases
  • Endangered species
  • Feral bees
  • Invasive species
  • IVM
  • Pesticide use and non-target impacts
  • Pesticide use and chronic disease impacts
  • Surveillance programs
  • Tick-borne diseases
  • West Nile virus and survivors
  • Wild bird species
If you have recommendations on individuals MVCAC can potentially add to the Statewide Speakers Bureau, please send their names, background information and a brief description of how they've been useful for your district in the past to: Jenny Dudikoff @ jdudikoff@ka-pow.com
 
Thank you and we are eager for your feedback.

2016 William C. Reeves New Investigator Award Application Open
Applications for the statewide William C. Reeves New Investigator Award will be accepted through  Tuesday, December 1, 2015.

The William C. Reeves New Investigator Award, memorializing Dr. William C. Reeves, who was a renowned University of California entomologist, is sponsored by the Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California (MVCAC). The award is presented to the best scientific paper submitted and presented at the annual MVCAC conference.

Please  click here for more information.
Commercial Poultry Visits by State, City, and County Personnel
Good morning all:
 
Please see the attached letter regarding field biosecurity guidelines for all State, City, and County personnel entering shell egg packing facilities, poultry harvest facilities, and poultry farms.
 
We can all do our part to protect the poultry industry, our nation's food supply, and California's agricultural businesses.  
 
Sincerely,
Annette B. Jones, D.V.M.
State Veterinarian and Director
Animal Health and Food Safety Services
California Department of Food and Agriculture
1220 N Street, Sacramento, California 95814
916.900.5000 | phone
916.900.5332 | fax