Epsilon Sigma Phi (ESP) is dedicated to fostering standards of excellence in the Extension System and developing the Extension profession and professional.
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In this Issue
President’s Message & Chapter Updates
– Silent Auction Donations Wanted
– Life Member Spotlight: Bob Muggas – MEWS Donors
–
PILD Report – Membership Update
– Member News
– Member Spotlight: Judith Conway Retires
– From the Archives – Upcoming Events
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President's Message
By Suzanne Driessen
One of the things I love most about being an ESP Pi Chapter member is connecting with others across our Extension system. I am fairly certain our paths would not have crossed otherwise. It is so rewarding to meet and work with such an active group of ESP annual and life members dedicated to our mission of fostering standards of excellence in the Extension System and developing the Extension profession and professional.
Your Pi Chapter Board of Directors and committee members have been busy reaching our 2017-18 goals to engage members, increase visibility, and grow membership. Highlights since the spring newsletter include:
- Chapter of Merit Program and Achievement of Membership Recognition applications were submitted for national recognition.
- Recruited Judith Conway and Roselyn Biermaier to attend the 2018 ESP National Conference, Manhattan, Kansas, October 1-4, 2018, as our Pi chapter delegates.
- Added a financial section to our blog containing financial procedures, non-profit status, budgets and more.
- Developed a new annual member professional development stipend program.
- Updated membership brochure and implemented member recruitment strategies.
Our work is not done as we plan for these events:
- Mark your calendar for the Pi Chapter ESP Awards and Membership Celebration Event and Silent Auction, October 1, 2018, 5-7 p.m. Minneapolis Marriott Northwest.
- Mark your calendar for our virtual ESP Pi Chapter Annual Business Meeting & Professional Development Session, October 15, 2018, 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Read the rest of the newsletter to learn more about our members and the work of our committees. Contact me at any time with questions, ideas, or to volunteer for a committee,
driessen@umn.edu
or
320.302.6057
.
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Call for Nominations
Election of officers takes place at our annual business meeting. We are seeking nominations for Vice-President. The Treasurer position is also up for grabs but is an appointed position. Annual and life members are eligible for these positions. To express interest or get more information about these positions, contact
jgarbow@umn.edu
.
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Seeking Silent Auction Items to Support Scholarship Fund
Our Silent Auction is back!!! Start thinking "now".... what will you donate for the auction? The
ESP Silent Auction
will be held in conjunction with our
ESP Awards and Membership Celebration Event
on Monday, October 1, 2018 from 5-7 p.m. at the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest, Minneapolis. Proceeds from the silent auction support professional development scholarships for ESP annual and life members.
What can you donate?
Here are some ideas:
- Donate items as an individual or as a group. Pooling resources can buy bigger items.
- Do you like to golf? Paint? Go to your cabin? Think about donating a basket of golf equipment, a masterpiece you've created, or perhaps a weekend use of your cabin.
- Solicit items for the auction from within your network. Restaurant, business, theater connections? Gift cards and gift baskets are a big draw.
- A pair of tickets to a sporting event, a play, a concert or museum can be golden tickets.
- Are you a gourmet cook? Host a party for the winner and 5 of their friends.
- Offer a service like cleaning the winner’s house or detailing their car.
- Do you have a hobby? Host a DIY party and teach your skill to others.
- People love to bid on things they can’t find anywhere else. Be creative to create counter bidding and ‘fun’ to raising money for scholarships.
Register a donation
To register a Silent Auction donation, complete the
In-Kind Gift/Auction Item Donation Form
here
.
Take a photo of your donation and it
email to Becky Hagen Jokela at
hagen022@umn.edu
.
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Thank you MEWS Fund Donors
Gifts to the MEWS Fund (Minnesota Extension Workers Scholarship Fund) is used by the Pi Chapter of Epsilon Sigma Phi, honorary Extension Society, to support continuing education and professional development of annual and life members.
Thank you to these 2017-18 donors:
- Mary Ann Hennen payroll deduction
- Dr. Curtis D Norenberg
Monetary donations to MEWS fund are accepted at any time.
Donate
here
.
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Life Member Spotlight
Bob Mugaas
Bob Mugaas spent his first 25 years as County Extension Agent/Educator in Horticulture for Hennepin County. His position later changed to Regional Extension Educator (REE) – Horticulture with a reassignment to the Farmington Regional Extension Center. Bob retired from that position December 31, 2011.
In Hennepin County, Bob directed the growth, management and programming of the volunteer Master Gardener Program along with providing horticultural information and programs for local businesses, organizations and residents. As REE, Bob gave statewide leadership to the development of information and programs around turfgrass and landscape management practices for protecting water quality.
Following retirement, Bob accepted a 3½ year part-time position at the Rosemount Research and Outreach Center. His primary responsibility was leading an effort in collaboration with the Minnesota DNR to initiate the establishment of an educational prairie setting called the CFANS – Discovery Prairie. The Discovery Prairie is located at UMORE Park’s Lone Rock Trailhead and currently contains a prairie overlook area as well as interpretive signage about the prairie. The mid-summer 2015 photo above (photo credit: Dave Hansen) shows Black-eyed Susan’s blooming across a portion of the newly restored Discovery Prairie.
Bob continues to be involved with horticultural activities including the establishment of a children’s butterfly and pollinator teaching garden at his church. In his own landscape, he works to (re)introduce native plants or encourage existing native plants to become more widely established. One of his home landscape goals is to showcase how native plants can be compatible and successfully grown with other (non-native) plant varieties in a home landscape. The picture below is of meadow blazingstar, a common Minnesota wildflower growing in his landscape, and monarch butterfly.
Retirement has given Bob a chance to further pursue his woodworking interests. He also enjoys the increased time to spend with his wife, Helen (also retired), as well as other extended family members and friends. Some of those activities include time for fishing and boating, attempting to stay fit through walking, hiking and some biking, wildflower photography, attending concerts, volunteering at their church as well as on behalf of the Minneapolis based National Lutheran Choir and, some travel. Needless-to-say, Bob continues to enjoy his retirement and the opportunities it provides for life-long learning, family activities, and volunteering.
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Scholarship Incentive Program for New Members
By David Werner, MEWS Fund Scholarship Chair
The MEWS scholarship committee received and approved a record number of scholarship this past fiscal year. The ten scholarships awarded marked a high not seen since 2008. Great job ESP members – keep the requests coming! The scholarships awarded this past fiscal year totaled $5,385.
This year the ESP Scholarship and Membership committee’s worked together to create a new annual member incentive program. The first 15 Extension employees, not currently members of ESP, will be awarded a $100 Professional Development scholarship if they join ESP. The funds must be used for an approved staff or professional development opportunity – and yes, this award can be combined with up to a $500 scholarship request that any and all ESP members can apply for every other year. (Members – yes this is a slight change to past practices. Previous guidelines allowed three (3) awards in a five (5) year period. The new guidelines now state you may apply for a scholarship every other year. Therefore, if you received an award during the past fiscal year (July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018) you must wait one fiscal year to receive another scholarship. The exception to this guideline is for members that receive a scholarship to attend an official ESP function such as National Meeting or PILD representation of ESP.)
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PILD Report
By Suzanne Driessen, President
As the ESP Pi Chapter President, I was our delegate at the 2018 Public Institute Leadership Conference (PILD), April 8-12, 2018, Arlington, VA. Karen Beranek, Diane DeWitte, Brian Fredrickson, Sharon Powell, Emily Wilmes and Diomy Zamora represented their respective Extension association. The Minnesota delegation spent a day on the hill. The photo above is from our visit with Senator Tina Smith.
The theme,
Cultivating a Climate of Civil Dialogue
, focused on becoming involved in civil engagement in policy and advocacy. The agenda was filled with speakers on restoring our democracy, rediscovering humanity in an increasingly polarized world, and communicating Extension’s value to stakeholders and partners.
R
ead more
here.
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Membership Updates
By Kathy Brandt, Membership Chair
Check out the new membership brochure
here
.
Watch for details on the Membership Blitz coming September 5-26. There will be ...Challenges ...Fun ...Prizes!
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Member News
What are ESP members doing this summer?
- Kathy and Brian Brandt serve up some tasty BBQ as they compete in BBQ contests across the nation. Check out the Mustang Sally BBQ team and their smoking website here.
- Roselyn Biermaier is relaxing at the camper with her family and grand children.
- Gwen Gmeinder is enjoying the smells from her flower garden and flavors from the herb garden.
- LuAnn Hiniker is training a new black lab puppy.
- Marcia Woeste is enjoying the outdoors and camp fires with family and grandkids.
- Sara Croymans will feel the thunder at the buffalo roundup in Custer State Park.
- Becky Hagen Jokela vacationed with family and enjoyed the Washington, D.C.sites.
- Jennifer Garbow is planning a trip to see her son stationed in Japan.
Send any news you would like to share in the
Member News
column to
driessen@umn.edu
.
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Member Spotlight
Judith Conway Retires
ESP Pi Chapter Secretary, Judith Conway retired on June 6, 2018. She spent the past ten years as an Extension Educator with the Extension Center for Youth Development. Judith has a Masters and Bachelor’s degree in Youth Development and a Director of Community Education Administrative Licensure.
Judith has an interesting professional history. She started her career at the University of Minnesota Minneapolis campus hospital handling direct contact, initial visits and paperwork of pediatric residents and interns from across the world. She then joined the local University of Minnesota agricultural two-year college as an interim public relations administrator under the provost handling event planning, facility coordination, media, and advisory board support.
Judith’s passion for learning and trying new things is evident by her diverse resume. She’s been a lifeguard, lifeguard supervisor, youth track coach, junior high tennis coach, bus driver, Student Council advisor, McDonald's associate, tax accountant, and real estate agent. She also worked as a Community Education Youth Service and Leadership Coordinator, as a Director of the Waseca County Collaborative, as a Parent Involvement and School Mentor Coordinator, and as a Peer Mentor for Service-Learning with the Department of Education. Out of all of these jobs, Judith acknowledges her most important job has been wife and mother of five children and nine grandchildren.
Judith plans to continue as our Pi chapter secretary in retirement. She also has a part-time online associate faculty position at a University in San Diego.
Best wishes Judith!
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Heidi Haugen has a New Job
Eleven-year ESP member, Heidi Haugen’s last day as an Extension youth development educator was July 1, 2018. Heidi is joining the Minnesota Department of Human Services as a training coordinator for Direct Care and Treatment, which works mainly with adults with developmental disabilities. Heidi is looking forward to the new challenge. However, she will miss so many Extension and ESP colleagues.
Heidi is leaving Extension on a high note. She is the 2018
ESP North Central Mid-year Career Award
recipient. Heidi is being recognized for her work to improve volunteer systems and youth worker training. As a member of the
Professional Development Committee and Volunteerism Task Force
for the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents, Heidi fostered youth development and community development by teaching staff to work with volunteers and teaching volunteers to work with young people.
Research interests focused on adult learning and learning strategies for creating strong learning environments and creating inclusive environments for young people. Heidi shared her research and findings with other professionals via15 peer-reviewed journal articles.
Congratulations Heidi on your award and new job. ESP Pi chapter colleagues wish you the best!
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I
n 1988, Deb Zak received the ESP Pi Chapter Mid Year Career. Deb retired as an Extension Regional Director in 2017.
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Upcoming Events
- ESP National Conference, Manhattan, Kansas, October 1-4, 2018.
- Pi Chapter ESP Awards and Membership Celebration Event and Silent Auction, October 1, 2018, 5-7 p.m., Minneapolis Marriott Northwest.
- ESP Pi Chapter Virtual Annual Business Meeting & Professional Development Session, October 15, 2018, 1-3 p.m.
- 2019 ESP National Conference, October 14-17, 2019, Antlers Hotel, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
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Suzanne Driessen| ESP Pi Chapter President |302.203.6057 | driessen@umn.edu |
http://blog-esp.extension.umn.edu/
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