Adept faculty and staff, council members, and volunteers are crucial for success in ISU Extension and Outreach. Washington State University Extension, which also is moving toward a university-wide extension system, has focused on this concept of being a rainmaker. At Washington State, a rainmaker is someone who through his or her skills and abilities can bring people and resources together to meet the challenges facing extension now and in the future. Rainmakers are continual learners. They have an area of expertise, but also must be entrepreneurial and capable of working in multidisciplinary teams. They must be competent in establishing partnerships, able to empower constituents, and adept in developing relevant educational programs. Subject matter specialization is desirable, but “big picture” thinking is required.

Washington State even has published an extension rainmaker job description (http://ext.wsu.edu/careers/Rainmaker.pdf). Potential rainmakers must have appropriate academic degrees, but most of the job description lists the skills, abilities, and attitudes that rainmaking requires. However, rainmaking can be learned. These attributes can be gained through professional development.

ISU Extension and Outreach encourages and supports professional development and growth in faculty, staff, council members, and volunteers, because we seek to be a dynamic organization — and to become the university that best serves its state. As you plan for your professional development, think about what skills you can build upon so you can make a difference for Iowans. Let’s make it rain. See you there.

– Cathann

About a dozen years ago, chimpanzee authority Jane Goodall and illustrator Alexander Reichstein created a beautiful children’s book based on the fable of the eagle and the wren. But the fable, which I first heard from my father, has always been one of my favorites. (My daughter is named, in part, for the little wren.) According to the story, all the birds got into an argument about who could fly the highest and bragged about their accomplishments. So the wise owl declared a contest to determine how high each bird could fly. All the birds began flying, but one by one they tired and dropped out of the contest, until only the eagle was left high in the sky. However, when the eagle was as high as he could fly, a tiny wren crept out from among the eagle’s feathers and flew high about the eagle. When the surprised eagle asked the wren how she flew so high, she replied, “You carried me all the way. I couldn’t have flown so high by myself.”

Today the story of the eagle and the wren reminds me of the partnership between our county offices and Iowa State. None of us can fly very high by ourselves. We all need an eagle. We need the help of other people. We are able to accomplish more because we are working together. I am thankful for our partnership and the commitment and dedication of all our faculty and staff and 900 council members throughout the state. I am confident we can reach new heights together. See you there.

– Cathann

“Be bold.” — ISU President Steven Leath

In a recent blog post Seth Godin said that nonprofits are obliged to innovate, but often hesitate. They feel caught in a double bind: their funders want them to be cautious, but also daring. Their work is too important to risk failure or to play it safe. So what’s an organization to do?

In Extension and Outreach, we’re lucky, because President Leath has given us permission to break out of this conundrum. He says we can be bold. In his video message during annual conference, President Leath said, “We rely on you – your expertise and your contacts – to identify and develop bold new partnership ventures that will help us better serve the people of Iowa.”

He also said, “I want others to come to us expecting to partner, and us to be willing to look at any and all possibilities as long as they maintain the integrity of our academic enterprise.”

That sounds like an open call for innovation. So try. Try again. Be bold. See you there.

– Cathann

During President Leath’s installation address in September, he noted that Extension and Outreach’s signature issues focus on the needs of our state, initiatives of the Governor, and priorities of Iowa State University. He pointed out our continuing efforts in agriculture, food and nutrition, environmental sustainability, community development, business assistance, and K-12 youth outreach. He also noted our work in support of the Governor’s STEM initiative and Healthiest State initiative. These are ways we build the capacity of the university.

At our annual conference, President Leath again expressed his confidence in our work and reminded us that Extension and Outreach plays a key part in the bigger picture that is Iowa State University. He said the faculty and staff of Extension and Outreach are the university’s front line when it comes to creating partnerships. He emphasized that the work of Extension and Outreach is central to the university and essential for Iowa State to become the university that best serves its state.

Extension and Outreach is not a separate organization; we are an integral part of Iowa State. However, our clients may not always recognize that Extension and Outreach and our programs such as 4-H, IPM, and CIRAS are all part of a larger portfolio of Iowa State University. They may view extension work as something that only their county does, or as a distinct organization only focused on one issue or audience. It’s our job to help them understand our connection to the university.

Extension and Outreach is embedded in Iowa State University. However, we must expand this embedding even further — so President Leath, the Board of Regents, the Iowa Legislature, and the people of Iowa cannot even imagine Extension and Outreach without Iowa State or Iowa State University without Extension and Outreach. By broadening and strengthening our embedded partnership, Iowa State can become the “partnership university” — the university that best serves its state. See you there.

– Cathann

Things got problematic in our household this year. When we opened the attic to retrieve decorations we stashed during the move, I could have sworn the boxes multiplied. When did we end up with that many ornaments? And, since we are now in a new house, it was unclear where decorations would go. There was quite a hotly contested campaign between the two youngest Kresses regarding optimal placement of the tree and how to hang stockings from a very different mantel. This all left me wondering: when did celebrating and decorating get so complicated?

Ron Ashkenas, author of “Simply Effective,” contends that this happens to organizations, too. We start out with a simple goal, basic product, or manageable structure and over time, it gets more complex. We change the way our organization is structured for a variety of reasons and we have to relearn our roles. We have a proliferation in programs and services as our organization grows, which makes focusing and thus managing the whole even more difficult. As we use new and varying approaches to solve problems, we add on processes or expectations that now also have to be learned and managed.

The same conclusion I reached in decorating for the holidays applies for organizations. It’s probably wise to step back and consider if there are ways to simplify and streamline. This summer a committee of council members, Iowa Association of County Extension Councils leadership, and extension staff and administrators took a thoughtful and pragmatic look at our partnership and drafted a new memorandum of understanding. Our County Services administrative unit coordinated the effort. This MOU outlines the partnership between ISU Extension and Outreach and the county extension districts, which extension councils represent. We’ll be gathering feedback on the draft MOU from council members, staff, and other citizens. We expect to have a final agreement by next April.

The MOU is a legal agreement authorized by the Code of Iowa. However, its impact reaches far beyond the legal necessity of the document. The new MOU carries forward the work that began with our leadership summit and continues through our new strategic plan and the reorganization of Extension and Outreach administration. Every organization includes complexity: technologies and procedures, program and staff development processes, and intricate partnerships with partners and customers. All of these are complex. But we amplify the complexity when we add unnecessary layers, ambiguous roles, confused accountability, slow and unclear decisions, garbled communications, or lack of focus. Rather than bash complexity, we need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves whether we are adding to it. See you there.

– Cathann

P.S. The draft of the MOU and the archived Nov. 26 webinar are online at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/content/countycouncils/.

But a drought brings change. There’s episodic change, or step-by-step: issues of plant growth and disease, grain quality, and pre and post harvest concerns. A drought also brings systemic change, change that affects an entire system. The drought doesn’t just affect crop producers and their bushel-per-acre yield. It may more profoundly impact livestock producers who need food for their animals; if they can’t get enough grain and forages, they have to sell their stock. Livestock sales can flood the market, bringing prices down short-term, but increasing prices at the meat counter long afterward. Consumers likely will see a lot of rising prices — corn and soybeans are used in many products. If the drought continues long enough, wells and rural water systems may run dangerously low and water conservation or rationing may be on the horizon.

Over the past year Extension and Outreach also has been experiencing systemic change, as we’ve addressed how we work as well as what we do. We’ve shifted from being an ad hoc operation to an organization that acts based on shared, fundamental principles. We’re streamlining administration to better support our mission. We’re developing our business plan and documenting standard operating procedures for budget planning, collaboration, and policy management.

Our new program development process and program catalog will improve communication, coordination, and efficiencies in providing extension education across the state. New citizens advisory groups at the program level will provide more targeted citizen input. Stronger relationships with ISU deans and new partnerships with the colleges already are increasing engagement in Extension and Outreach initiatives and broadening program efforts. In addition, we’re revising the MOUs with all county extension councils and the 4-H Foundation to clarify roles and responsibilities and articulate the partnerships for the future.

That’s a lot of change in a year, but the reality is that change is part of the fabric of our work, just like the drought will be part of the fabric of our state potentially for the next couple of years. The changes are readying us for more strategic decision-making, effective program implementation, and coordinated, planned action across ISU Extension and Outreach. See you there.

– Cathann

I came across an article quoting Tim that appeared in “The Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers.” In the article he talked about the list of characteristics they look for in farmers with whom they can partner. I thought his points also made a really good list of things that we should be striving to embody as we seek partnerships with others. A good partner can access information and evaluate operations, is a good steward, is consumer oriented, sustainable, productive, and efficient. A good partner understands how to be interdependent and is ready and willing to deal with change, constantly seeking new opportunities and best practices.

In his capnote message, Tim said that the partnership between Hills Bank and Extension and Outreach works because both organizations share two basic ideas.  First, we both believe education provides an effective way to address today’s challenges and best prepare for the future; and second, we both have deep roots in our communities.  Community involvement allows the opportunity to build personal relationships. “You can always find something cheaper, but we want the relationship that goes along with it,” he said.

All in all, the Hills Bank and ISU Extension and Outreach partnership works because of both parties’ sincere interest in customer/client development, the willingness to invest resources, the commitment of time, communication, and trust — knowing the players and the ability to see from the other’s point of view. He says we share values and successes, as well as challenges. We have a shared clear mission.   Turns out the better we know ourselves, the better partner we can be. See you there.

– Cathann

Tim Smith - Cap Note speaker at NCCEA Conference from Iowa State University Extension.

Last winter Ames High School put on the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “State Fair.” You know the story: a farm family sets off for adventure at the Iowa State Fair. Set in the 1940s, it harkens to a simpler time. The lyrics “all I owe, I owe Ioway” may be a bit corny, but the musical’s feel-good message offers food for thought. What do we owe Iowa?  Iowa.  A place so committed to the idea that education is an important key to the future that our early leaders were the first to say yes to the Morrill Land Grant Act, and the first to embrace the idea of extension.

Thirty years ago, Bankers Trust in Des Moines published the book “Iowa: The American Heartland,” featuring words by well-known journalist and former Iowan Hugh Sidey. He wrote for Time magazine for nearly 50 years, covering the White House and the presidency. Sidey often came home to Iowa to hear from “real” people. He said:

“Iowa is people and land in rare harmony. Iowa is order and serenity and invitation and eternity. It is not a state that dazzles or explodes or shouts. It is not allegro or fortissimo or the clash of cymbals. Iowa is melody, the wise voice of cellos and the smooth note of the horns that knows what has gone before and believes in the future. …

“I do not know when the spell of Iowa came upon me. … Always, my heart has been drawn back to Iowa, which now I recognize to be more of a state of mind and a way of life than anything else. … The state’s best and most abundant crop is common sense, that blend of intelligence and humility that ripens into wisdom. If studied and copied, if exported in large enough quantities, if borrowed and used, if employed more and more, common sense may yet steady this tipsy world.”

Looking back over the last few months, I’d say the summer of 2012 has drawn on that abundant crop Sidey referenced. We’ve showcased our partnership with the College of Design in Iowa State’s exhibit for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, celebrated our first county centennials, coordinated a better branded Extension and Outreach presence at the Iowa State Fair, exhibited thousands of incredible 4-H youth projects, and highlighted our partnership with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences through our joint response to the drought — not to mention all those county fairs and field days.

Thank you for your long hours, hard work, and unending dedication as you provide research-based education to the people of Iowa. Thanks for everything you do to make ISU Extension and Outreach not only part of the rich history of our state, but a part of its future. See you there.

– Cathann

Together, we did some important work this year, not the least of which was articulating our fundamental principles and core values which position us well for the future.  As I reflected on the past year, three words summed it up in my mind: focus, visibility, partnerships.  I asked a few colleagues what they thought was different in ISU Extension and Outreach after this year, and I’d like to share their responses:

Iowa Beef Center Director Dan Loy says, “One year ago, many of us in Extension were still licking our wounds from budget cuts and reorganization. What we needed to get us on our feet and moving forward was a more common purpose and direction, and that is what we found. New leadership, a name change, an organizational summit that helped us focus on partnerships and research-based education, together have brought us focus as well as visibility to our efforts. On campus this improved visibility is helping solidify the importance of extension to the land-grant mission. With visibility comes accountability, but we are up to the task.”

Joyce Schoulte, president of the Clayton County Extension Council, says, “As an attendee at the summit last fall, I felt that we, out here in the county, are not only having a voice, but are being listened to. I was hesitant to attend the summit because of past experience. I am so glad that I went and that my voice was heard. It seems to me that IACEC has been given a more important role as well. There seems to be more interaction between all facets of ISU Extension and Outreach. Bottom line: I feel that we are being listened to when we have questions to ask and ideas to share.”

Dean Luis Rico-Gutierrez of the College of Design says, “ISU Extension and Outreach has become, in a very short period of time, an indispensable partner for many of our activities in the College of Design. Through innovative affiliations like ours, Iowa State University has become a more effective partner with communities, organizations, and industries, involving people directly in identifying and implementing solutions that fit their aspirations, dreams, and needs. Our work together highlights a renewed commitment to ‘extend’ the reach of the nation’s knowledge infrastructure — our land-grant institutions — to improve the quality of life in our state, the nation, and the world.”

Andrea Nelson, office manager in Polk County, says, “I think the message we’ve been embracing in conferences, blogs, emails, and webcasts in the past year is, it doesn’t matter if you’re county or state paid, field or campus based — we’re all in this together on the same team…I think we’re working on improving ourselves and ultimately a better job at fulfilling our mission.”

Region 3 Director Gary Hall says, “ISU Extension and Outreach today compared with a year ago has been marked with an increase in leadership and vision. Yes, there are many differences to point out, but the overall change would be that a new driver has gotten behind the wheel of this vehicle we call Extension and Outreach, and she is skillfully navigating her way down the roads of partnerships, campus relations, county engagement, and staff development.”

Gary’s vehicular reference reminded me of the advertising campaign, “this is not your father’s Oldsmobile.” In the late 1980s, Oldsmobile began using this slogan to try to appeal to a younger demographic. The trouble was, the slogan had no substance. Oldsmobile didn’t change; it was still your father’s car. The slogan couldn’t save the company, and Oldsmobile went out of business.

Whether you’re selling cars or providing access to education, you have to offer what customers want. That means you have to be willing to change what you do  — not just how you talk about yourself — so you’re better equipped to meet needs.  President Leath has said that he wants Iowa State to become the university that best serves its state. Extension and Outreach plays a key role in the university achieving this goal.

Program specialist Karen Lathrop says, “It is much easier to define what we do well, and it is now clear why we must say no to opportunities that don’t fit into our vision and mission. This frees up the extension professionals to focus on the relationships and things that matter most, so that we can make an impact in our communities with our clients… I feel Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is on the right path and on the cusp of something really big.”

See you there.

– Cathann

My family still calls it Decoration Day, but Memorial Day was intended to remember those who died in service to our country. Many communities still have parades, celebrations, or service events to commemorate the day.  While I worked at the Pentagon, I attended national ceremonies at Arlington — a definite reminder of the service of so many.

I appreciate the time to reflect upon service. The community aspect resonates with me as well. Bringing people together for a common purpose builds relationships and strengthens communities.

When we carry out our land-grant mission, we build relationships and strengthen communities throughout Iowa. Iowa State’s new president, Steven Leath, wants the university to be fully engaged in moving our state forward. He calls himself “a land-grant guy” and he understands that through Extension and Outreach, Iowa State University is embedded in communities across Iowa to consistently engage with citizens. Let me share a few of his recent comments:

From Iowa Public Television’s Iowa Press, 3/2/12

“I started my career as an extension person in Illinois. I have great respect and understanding of extension.”

From the Des Moines Register, 4/12/12

“I think it’s going to be hard for Iowa as a state to really go forward economically and create the jobs Gov. Branstad wants if the university is not fully engaged.”

From the Cedar Rapids Gazette, 2/11/12

“I think land grants, more than any other university type in this country, get their mission right. They’re based on high-quality education, research to benefit society, and then translating that research to effective engagement.”

From ISU Alumni Association’s Visions Magazine, Spring 2012

“[Iowa State] has done a very, very good job of transferring its innovation and faculty scholarship outside the campus where it makes a difference in society.”

“And what it really translates to when you come right down to it, it’s about relationships. They have to trust me, they have to trust the university, they have to know we’re a good partner. They’re going to have to know we’re accountable, we’re transparent, and we’ll make good partners with them. And then you build those relationships over time, across the state with different constituencies, and that’s what will make us successful long term.”

See you there.

– Cathann