February 2022

Colleagues,
 
It is an honor to return to the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service as director, and I am thankful for the opportunity to work with the dedicated people of this agency.  
 
I am here to serve the people of Texas, and I know that if you are a member of this agency, you are also here to serve — to advance production agriculture, improve family and community health, empower youth, and protect Texas natural resources. Thank you for your steadfast commitment to our state.  
 
I know we are all proud of the value AgriLife Extension brings to the people of Texas. Looking ahead, we know our organization is well positioned to meet current and emerging challenges of Texas. 
 
I look forward to getting to know you all better, and I am excited for our future together.


Rick Avery, Ph.D.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Director
UPDATES FROM AROUND EXTENSION
Strategic Plan Update:
CPA Plan Moves Forward
We extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to those that served on the Coordinated Program Area Pilot Steering Committee. Members of this steering committee spent the last year working to shape the process of moving the Coordinated Program Area concept from initiations to the development of Master Plans. As a result, AgriLife Extension has accomplished the following in the seven program areas that were a part of the pilot:
  • Examined the issues, trends and topics related to each Coordinated Program Area and prioritized issues and topics for Extension to address. ​
  • Identified, reviewed and catalogued existing educational products and activities in response to issues, trends and topics. 
  • Examined ways to better coordinate solutions to issues across the state. 
  • Created a Master Plan for future program direction, including product development, personnel training, strategies for program evaluation and measurement of the agency’s collective impact. 
  • Established best practices for the formation of CPAs and created a plan for future implementation​.

More information will be released soon on next steps related to the coordination and integration of programs.
2022 Superior Service Awards
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension leaders and award recipients came together on 
January 28, 2022, at the George Hotel in College Station.
See the awards photos on our photo repository.
COVID-19 Guidance Coming Soon
The most recent COVID-19 updates for AgriLife Extension Service Employees, including external programming and internal guidance, are located on the COVID-19 Guidance page of the Extension Employee site.

Look for updates to this guidance in the coming weeks.
Helpful Online Employee Resources
Stay up to date with employees across the state with our posting of recent Personnel Updates on our AgriLife Extension Employee Directory page.

Have you seen the 2021-2022 Specialist Directory yet?
Career Ladder Training
Each year, AgriLife Extension Service hosts a career ladder training for the Extension Program Specialist Career Ladder System. This year's training is set for March 25, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. via Teams. If you would like to attend but have not received a Teams invite, contact your Associate Department Head or Program Leader.
2022 New Employee Orientations dates
March 1-4
May 31-June 3
August 29 - September 1
November 1-4
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Update regarding the Extension web hub

We are continuing to review and approve new page designs with Extension leadership and are now ready to begin the first phase of the content gathering process. We will be reaching out to County Coordinators / Administrators the coming weeks to gather and verify current county information.
This will be a team effort and will require input from all staff in the county offices. Look for an email on this next week with details on the process! If you want to read further on the progress or stay up to date with this initiative, visit our Brand, Web and Digital Strategy page on the Extension Employee site.
In Case You Missed It:
Did you see the presentation on Designing Newsletters for Extension Education and Programming? Watch the presentation, which features the following guest panelists:

  • Dru Benavides
  • Nicole Demmer 
  • Jessica Faubion
  • Tamara Garza
  • Tyler Mays
  • Beth McMahon
  • Katie Pace

For a complete list of Tech Tuesday resources, visit our Extension Employee site.
DIGITAL EDUCATION
Update regarding the event registration system migration

As a follow up to the communication that was recently shared, please read below for vital information regarding the upcoming event registration platform migration. 
Here is what you need to know:

On March 1, we will begin utilizing an AgriLife Extension storefront in Flywire to handle event registrations during the interim period while we continue the search for a long-term solution. 
  
Please note the following details:  
  • All events active in the current system with registrations ending prior to April 30, 2022, will remain on the AgriLife Register website.
  • Beginning March 1, no new events will be published to AgriLife Register. 
  • Effective May 1, AgriLife Register will no longer be active, and customers going to that URL will be re-directed to the new site.  
  • Rosters and invoicing functionality will be modified while utilizing the transitionary platform. Our team will coordinate with event organizers to ensure support is provided during this transition. 
 
We ask that you utilize this form for all new event listing requests, and email 
agriliferegister@ag.tamu.edu for all other questions or support needs.
AGRILIFE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.
Is your contact info up to date?

Every unit and employee within AgriLife has a profile in the AgriLife People Employee Directory that provides the public and AgriLife employees with contact information. 
In preparation for our organization's web content migration to the new AgriLife Extension web hub, the accuracy of your contact information will become increasingly important, as it will be connected to the hub in a variety of ways.

The following information is provided for each unit:
  • Email Address
  • Phone Number
  • Website
  • Location
 
This information is updated by Unit Account Managers, also known as UAMs. Review your unit’s information by searching for it using the Search Directory feature in the top right corner. 

Contact your UAM if anything for your unit needs to be updated. 
 
You can review your employee profile too, by searching your name.
If any of the following need to be updated, provide your UAM with the correct information.
  • Name 
  • Organizational Role 
  • Immediate Supervisor 
  • Unit 
  • Entity 

If you do not know your UAM, you can find their contact info here. If your unit does not have a UAM listed, please have your unit head appoint at least one using the form here.
AgriLife Learn online courses are here for Texans, and they can also be valuable educational supplements to your in-person programs. Check out the latest offerings, developed by your colleagues! 
Landowners and pesticide applicators looking for aquatic vegetation management techniques or CEUs can understand the basics! Learn:

  • Why aquatic vegetation is problematic
  • Management and prevention methods
  • Effective forms of control and action
Tiffany Dowell Lashmet's award-winning course offers Texans practical and helpful information to ease their experience as a new landowner.

Former participants said the course was "the best AgriLife Extension publication and program I've seen in over 30 years involved with agriculture in Texas."
To help grow a classroom of thriving students, the new Early Childhood Learn, Grow, Eat & Go curriculum combines rich plant / garden learning, food exposure, fun brain- and body-boosting physical activities, and novel parent / school community engagement in a fun, teacher-friendly format!
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