Introducing Second Monday Live

John Lawrence’s message from Dec. 23, 2019

Before I begin today’s “did you know,” I’d like to wish you and your family a happy and safe holiday season. Thank you for all that you do for ISU Extension and Outreach and the people of Iowa. I am extremely proud of our organization and the hardworking staff, faculty and volunteers who make us successful. I am looking forward to some down time, and I hope that you also unplug and enjoy time with friends and family.


One of the themes from the Internal Communications Task Force is to create opportunities for two-way feedback between field and campus to improve relationships and effectiveness. One way we are responding to this theme is with a new opportunity for our staff and our leadership team to interact via a monthly Adobe Connect conversation. We’re calling it Second Monday Live. Did you know?

  • Second Monday Live will take place the second Monday of each month at 10 a.m. and run for about 30 minutes.
  • Each month a different member (or members) of the leadership team will briefly share an item of interest and then we will discuss it together. In my “Did You Know” email message the week prior to each session, I’ll send you the link, announce who will be sharing and briefly describe the topic.
  • Four times per year (one per quarter) the Second Monday Live will be an open forum with the leadership team. During these sessions we will discuss relevant topics that you provide.
  • All Second Monday Live sessions will be archived. If you can’t watch a session live, you can watch it later at your convenience.

Our first Second Monday Live is set for Jan. 13. Gary Taylor will talk about Community and Economic Development’s rural housing readiness assessment, and Deb Sellers will talk about a new product from Human Sciences, a print program catalog. Both concepts were mentioned during the 2018 Listening Sessions.

We are adding a Second Monday Live topic category to the Virtual Suggestion Box where you can offer ideas for topics we should discuss. You also can share your ideas directly with members of the leadership team. We look forward to hearing from you and sharing these casual conversations to enhance communication, build trust and foster a sense of community in our organization.

MOU revision process

A committee has been meeting to review and update the Memorandum of Understanding between Extension Districts and ISU Extension and Outreach. The MOU clarifies our partnership and the roles and responsibilities of each partner. The goal is to share the revised MOU with the Iowa Extension Council Association board at their Jan. 11 meeting. Following their approval, the MOU will be sent to extension councils for review and signing by June 1, 2020. The committee members are:

  • Bruce Clark, Black Hawk County Council.
  • Jamie David, Taylor County Council.
  • Jayne Lupkes, Worth County Council.
  • Joy Prothero, Mahaska County Council.
  • Lori Donahoe, Johnson County Council.
  • Terry Maloy, IECA executive director.
  • Paul Gibbins, Polk County executive director.
  • Britney Rosburg, Emmet County program director.
  • Alan Ladd, region 17 director.
  • Gene Mohling, region 15 director.
  • Andrea Nelson, assistant vice president, County Services.
  • Tiffany Magstadt, County Services.
  • Andrea Lutter, Extension Finance.
  • John Lawrence, vice president, ISU Extension and Outreach.

More notes

  • County Services has updated the extension council annual organization materials for 2020. For more information, contact your regional director.
  • On Jan. 1, 2020, the fee for new computer setups/repairs will increase from $100 to $125. As noted in Extension IT’s Dec. 3 Tech News, this is the first fee increase in over 20 years.
  • Save the date: The Office Professionals Conference is set for Oct. 20, 2020, in the Scheman Building on the Iowa State campus.

Have a wonderful holiday season. I will be back in your emailbox with a new “Did You Know” message on Monday, Jan. 6, 2020.

— John D. Lawrence
Iowa State University Vice President for Extension and Outreach

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