NEAFCS 2014 Slate of National Office Candidates

Eleanor (Debby) Mathews, AL

A.  Why would you like to be a candidate for this office?
I would like to be a candidate for President-Elect because through NEAFCS I have developed the skills and acquired the knowledge necessary to lead this organization. I would like the opportunity to work with the other board members to continue the legacy of excellence in leadership as well as to contemplate the future shape and form of our association.

B. If you were elected, what would be your top priority/goal for your term?
My top goal would be to increase the number of active members. Through working with affiliate presidents and state FCS program leaders I believe we could market NEAFCS effectively. In my own state, I know we could double or triple our membership through recruiting our 1890 FCS agents and specialists.

A.  Why would you like to be a candidate for this office?
I would like to be a candidate for secretary as I believe it is important for the membership to be aware of what is happening in their organization. As the secretary works with making sure the newsletter is published and relevant articles are included, that is an avenue to make this happen. It is also important to keep records of what is happening in the organization for current and future referral and I am skilled in this area. 

B. If you were elected, what would be your top priority/goal for your term?
My top priority would be working with the national office to get the newsletter published in a timely manner, prepare minutes of board and association meetings and have them posted on the website, and work with the registration committee for a smooth start to annual session. 

A.  Why would you like to be a candidate for this office?
With 24 years of Extension experience, I have come to a place in my career where I am able to contribute to the organization in a more meaningful and extensive way.  Having served on the Professional Development Committee and as Program chair, I have an awareness and perspective of how things have been and why as well as what they could be.  As a prior Western Region Director, I enjoyed being part of the leadership team for NEAFCS and interacting with members from other states more closely.  I am in a position personally and professionally once again to devote the amount of time, energy and hard work it takes to efficiently and effectively serve our organization and its constituents.

NEAFCS is an organization of our profession.  We are getting new and younger members in our ranks.  I want to help our organization to continue to be aware of the needs and wants of members related to professional development.  We have made great strides in recent years, but we need to continue to seek out ideas from our members and act on them. 

If we are to continue to thrive as a support system for our members, NEAFCS must seek out and listen to its membership and adapt and change as needed.  I have been to almost all annual sessions.  With this institutional memory and perspective, I feel that I can complement the existing leadership team through dedication, organization and inspiration.

B.  If you were elected, what would be your top priority/goal for your term?
If elected, the top priority/goal of the team would be to conduct a survey of needs and assets related to professional development.  Although we do evaluations of annual session, we should develop a higher level survey that looks at what our strengths are and what members want. We have changing membership.  We need to know what current members want as well as those that have chosen not to be members.  Is it something about professional development offerings that affect whether or not an Extension professional becomes a member?  This would be done in conjunction with the other Vice-Presidents, especially Member Resources.

Technology has been a boon to professional development offerings.  This should be continued and expanded as a way of providing professional development.

A.  Why would you like to be a candidate for this office?
The opportunity to work with other FCS professionals to share great programming nationwide would be both challenging and rewarding. Working as part of a National Board would be a new growth experience. 

B.  If you were elected, what would be your top priority/goal for your term?
My main goal would be to work with the committees and membership to develop an Annual Session and ongoing Professional Development events that invigorate NEAFCS members and allow for the development and continuation of both traditional and innovative programs, publications and other resources that meet the needs of our clients and communities.

Margie Memmott, UT

A.  Why would you like to be a candidate for this office?
Over the years NEAFCS has given me many opportunities to become a more effective professional and better individual. As VP for Member Resources, I will be able to give back to this great association and serve its members within the responsibilities of this office. Through the areas of membership, mentoring, leadership, life members, diversity, and marketing communications, I can help NEAFCS members stay connected with this association ‘family’ and reach their professional goals. I am passionate about promoting the values of Family and Consumer Sciences, embracing technology, and I look forward to enthusiastically working together to meet the challenges ahead.

B.  If you were elected, what would be your top priority/goal for your term?
I will work hard to be an effective earpiece and mouthpiece of those I represent – YOU!  To maintain and strengthen our membership, and at the same time look for opportunities for growth of the membership are priorities I will focus on. I will encourage the engagement of past, present, and future generations of FCS professionals. This can be a great partnership, as together we build upon the experience/wisdom of life members, the expertise/vision of current association members, and the enthusiasm/new approach of student and future members.

A.  Why would you like to be a candidate for this office?
Serving as a National Board member will allow me to give back to the organization and contribute to planning the future of NEAFCS and the profession. The Eastern Region Director position will give me the opportunity to learn from and work with the members and officers in the region. I hope we can share our strengths and talents across the region.

NEAFCS has provided me with many professional development, leadership and networking opportunities.  As a national board member I will learn more about NEAFCS and the Extension system which will benefit me in my Family and Community Health Sciences position in New Jersey and make me a stronger advocate for Cooperative Extension.  The experience will also enable me to be a better mentor and train others as advocates.

B.  If you were elected, what would be your top priority/goal for your term?
My top priority would be to provide ongoing communication and support to the leadership and members in the Eastern region.  I will bring the ideas and needs of the Eastern region to the Board to strengthen NEAFCS.  I also hope to encourage the members in the region to become more involved in the work and professional opportunities of our organization.

A.  Why would you like to be a candidate for this office?
I am interested in being a candidate for this office because I believe that my leadership skills could be put to good use in the support of our national professional development organization. NEAFCS has, since I joined, been an excellent source of professional development and professional networking for me. It has provided a wide array of learning opportunities and connections which I utilize regularly in the fulfillment of my professional position. I believe that Extension, and NEAFCS in particular, is poised to be a great resource to support the economic growth of our communities – and to continue to be an unbiased resource of information for our citizens. We live, no doubt, in challenging times. However I was always taught that “tough times never last, but tough people do.” I think NEAFCS is full of tough people – and that we also build the capacity in our members to be tough and tackle the hard issues. Serving as the NEAFCS Western Region Director would be a new learning and leadership opportunity for me, and I believe that I possess the qualities that will enable me to do a good job serving the members of my region.

B.  If you were elected, what would be your top priority/goal for your term?
I believe that keeping a steady flow of information between the States of my region and the National Association is the primary challenge of this position. Predecessors in this position have taken up this challenge and over the years, I think they have been successful. The means of communication have changed tremendously over the past decade and we engage in constant effort to utilize new means that will prove effective to open up this flow of information. That flow is not one way – not just from the Regional Director to the states, but from the states back to the national organization. Keeping in touch with the western region state presidents/associations and sharing their concerns and interests with the national organization is the other major challenge of this position. Being a “bridge” between groups is something that I have done throughout my professional career and a skill that I would like to utilize in this role.

A. Why would you like to be a candidate for this office?
Investing my time in the association (National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences) is a great way to give back to those professionals who have mentored me, who have supported my scholarly efforts, and helped me to develop as an Extension professional.  As part of the Extension community, I feel a responsibility to help support NEAFCS and all that it stands for. I feel this so strongly that I am willing to give of my time and skills.

B. If you were elected, what would be your top priority/goal for your term?
If elected, my top priority would be communication with Western Region members through innovative technology tools.