agInnovation South Spring Conference Call Agenda
March 25, 2020
9:00 am – 1:00 pm – Eastern |
Participants: Damian Adams, FL, Usman Adamu, VI, Wes Burger, MS, John Davis, FL, Susan Duncan, VA, Henry Fadamiro, AL, Robert Gilbert, FL, Bob Godfrey, VI, George Hopper, MS, Robert Houtz, KY, Dean Kopsell, FL, Sherry Larkin, FL, Steve Lommel, NC, Nathan McKinney, AR, J.F. Meullenet, AR, David Monks, NC, Allen Moore, GA, Saied Mostaghimi, VA, Lesley Oliver, KY, Keith Owens, OK, Sam Pardue, GA, David Ragsdale, TX, Randy Raper, OK, Tim Rials, TN, Mike Salassi, LA, Nathan Slaton, AR, Bob Stougaard, GA, Michael Toews, GA, Hongwei Xin, TN
Executive Director’s Office: Eric Young, agInnovation South and Donna Pearce (recorder)
Other guests: Max Martin, NRSP6 Representative, Don Jones, Cotton Inc., and Gary Jackson, ASRED Representative
Action Items:
S1 |
Agenda – Approved (Hongwei Xin/Bob Houtz)
Fall Meeting Minutes – Approved (Saied Mostaghimi/Sam Pardue)
Interim Actions – Approved (George Hopper/JF Meullenet) |
S7 |
In a subsequent electronic vote in May, a revised S-9 budget request of $510,421 of off-the-top funding for FY ’21 was approved. |
S8 |
S-1067 project will be submitted to the Science and Tech Committee as the Southern region nomination for the national award – Approved |
S11 |
FY’20/21 budget – Approved (Saied Mostaghimi/Bob Houtz)
Increase Cotton Winter Nursery assessment by $10,000 – Approved (Saied Mostaghimi/George Hopper) |
Minutes:
Zoom Connection Information – https://ncsu.zoom.us/j/972132451
Meeting ID: 972 132 451
One tap mobile:
1-929-205-6099 – 972132451 US (New York)
1-669-900-6833 – 972132451 US (San Jose) |
9:00 am |
Welcome – Keith Owens |
9:05 am |
S1 |
Approval of:
- Minutes from September 25, 2019
- Agenda
- Interim Actions
- Appointed Hongwei Xin, TN, as ESCOP representative on the NC-FAR Board of Directors
- Appointed Robert Houtz, KY, Administrative Advisor for SCC85, “Consumer Horticulture Extension, Research, and Education Coordinating Committee
- Appointed Michael Salassi, LA, as the Southern Region Representative on the Southern Rural Development Center & Operational Advisory Committee
- Appointed Robert Gilbert, FL, as the Administrative Advisor for SCC33, “Cooperative Variety Testing Programs”
- Appointed Hongwei Xin, TN, as the Administrative Advisor for SAC02, “Animal Sciences”
- Appointed Michael Salassi, LA, as the Administrative Advisor for SERA18 “Rice Technical Workers Group”
- Appointed Paula Agudelo, SC, as the Administrative Advisor for S1070, “Working Group on Improving Microbial Control of Arthropod Pests”
- Appointed Michael Salassi, LA, as the Administrative Advisor for S1072, “U.S. Agricultural Trade and Policy in a Dynamic Global Market Environment”
- Appointed Henry Fadamiro, AL, as the Administrative Advisor for S1080, “Improving Soybean Arthropod Pest Management in the U.S.”
- Appointed Bob Godfrey, VI, as the Administrative Advisor for S1086, “Enhancing sustainability of beef cattle production in Southern and Central US through genetic improvement”
- Appointed Susan Duncan, VT, to serve on the Multistate Research Committee
- Appointed Steve Lommel, NC, as Southern Region Administrative Advisor for NRSP-8 “National Animal Genome Research Program”
- Appointed Nathan Slaton, AR, to serve on the Southern SARE Administrative Council as a representative of the Southern Region Experiment Station Directors effective February 2021
- Appointed Bob Houtz, KY, as Administrative Advisor for SERA47 “Strengthening the Southern Region Extension and Research System to Support Local & Regional Foods Needs and Priorities”
Action Taken:
- Agenda – Approved (Hongwei Xin/Bob Houtz)
- Fall Meeting Minutes – Approved (Saied Mostaghimi/ Sam Pardue)
- Interim Actions – Approved(George Hopper/ JF Meullenet)
|
9:10 am |
S2 |
ESCOP Actions – George Hopper
In meeting discussion:
- ESCOP approved the investment manager TD Wealth
- ESS members will receive an electronic ballot in about 2 to 3 weeks to vote to allow us to move forward with actually investing the funds
- The vote will be taken now, but TD Wealth will not invest until the market has stabilized
- Ernie Milton has agreed to draft a Infrastructure letter from ESCOP to send to the Policy Board
- Working on how to develop a strategy that would allow us to get Infrastructure funding in an appropriations request
|
9:20 am |
S3 |
Questions on “Written Only” ESCOP Committee Reports
In meeting discussion:
- STC – Are the directors using the Roadmap one-pagers? Yes, with state and federal decision makers
- DCC – Henry Fadamiro is Chair-elect and will become Chair January 1, 2021
|
9:40 am |
S4 |
NRSP 4, Facilitating Registration of Pest Management Technology for Specialty Crops and Specialty Uses (renewal) – Sherry Larkin
|
9:50 am |
S5 |
NRSP 6, The US Potato Genebank: Acquisition, Classification, Preservation, Evaluation and Distribution of Potato (Solanum) Germplasm (renewal) – J.F. Meullenet and Max Martin, NRSP 6 Project Manager
|
10:10 am |
S6 |
NRSP 9, National Animal Nutrition Program (renewal) – Lesley Oliver |
10:20 am |
S7 |
S-9, Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Utilization – Bob Stougaard
In meeting discussion:
- Bob will take the S9 budget back to the germplasm collection’s director to see if they can decrease operations line to make up for the salary increase needed
- An electronic vote will be taken on the revised budget request when it’s available
- In a subsequent electronic vote in May, a revised S-9 budget request of $510,421 of off-the-top funding for FY ’21 was approved.
|
10:40 am |
S8 |
MRC Report – Nathan McKinney
Action Taken:
- S-1067 project will be submitted to the Science and Tech Committee as the Southern region nomination for the national award – Approved
|
10:50 am |
S9 |
Cotton Winter Nursery and CottonGen Database – Don Jones, Cotton Inc. |
11:10 am |
S10 |
Executive Director’s Report – Eric Young |
11:20 am |
S11 |
FY 20/21 agInnovation South Budget
Action Taken:
- FY’20/21 budget – Approved (Saied Mostaghimi/Bob Houtz)
- Increase Cotton Winter Nursery assessment by $10,000 – Approved (Saied Mostaghimi/George Hopper)
|
12:20 pm |
S12 |
Executive Director search update – Steve Lommel
In meeting discussion:
- Three candidates; Bob Godfrey, Shirley Hymon-Parker, and Gary Thompson
- Interviews will now be by Zoom rather than in person
- Would like COO’s on the call as possible
- Will send out each candidate’s application packet before interviews
- A decision on who to hire will be made on the call after the last interview
|
12:40 pm |
S13 |
2020 Fall ESS/ARD/AES Meeting and Workshop, September 28 – October 1, Baltimore, MD – George Hopper and Eric Young
In meeting discussion:
- Theme: Inclusive Excellence
- Monday – reception @ 6:00 pm
- Tuesday and Wednesday – Workshop sessions and business meeting
- We will have a half day meeting on Monday from 1:00 to 5:00 pm to cover Best Practice sessions and hear from Regional Center Directors
|
12:45 pm |
S14 |
2021 and 2022 Spring Meetings Discussion – Eric Young
In meeting discussion:
- Spring 2021 meeting will be held in Auburn
- Spring 2022 Joint ASRED/agInnovation South meeting will be held in Texas
- Administrative Heads would like to have another Southern mini Land-grant meeting in Spring 2022, sometime in late April to early June
- Directors support having a mini Land-grant in 2022
- Final decision will be made at S-AHS meeting in Aug
|
12:50 pm |
S15 |
Resolutions – Lesley Oliver |
12:55 pm |
S16 |
Comments on campus responses to coronavirus – All
In meeting discussion:
- TX
- Letter to students doing field research indicating they can travel because ag is essential function
- No new research being started
- MS
- Similar to Texas
- Restricted travel out of state
- In-state travel by approval, but no meetings
- Campus is closed, but employees allowed on
- Ag research is continuing
- LA
- Work from home for most
- LSU closed for 3 weeks
- Research on outlying stations will continue
- AL
- Similar to others
- Extension activity on stations
- Animal facilities operating on rotating skeleton crews
- VA
- Not closed yet, trying to figure out what critical research is
- Some commodity groups want to know if they should continue funding research or students
- FL
- Not closed, but only essential activities continue
- Maintaining critical resources
- VI
- Anything living is cared for normally
- Academics are all on-line now
- TN
- Many similarities
- Maintaining regular communications up and down reporting lines
- NC
- Shutting down non-essential research in lab and field
- Budget will be impacted cause not spending much
- OK
- Will be 2 ½% return of budget due to drop in oil prices
- GA
- Two outlying campuses are under shelter in place
- No new research or sampling processes
- Only essential research continuing
- Conference centers are hurting cause all meetings are cancelled
- AR
- Similar to others
- Outlying stations and campus are closed
- Will be some sort of state budget returned to state
|
1:00 pm |
|
Adjourn @12:40 p.m. |