NACAA Operations

The policy handbook and by-laws of the NACAA are available on the NACAA webpage, www.nacaa.com. State officers are advised to review them so they are familiar with the information available in them for future reference.

Each year approximately 60 days before the next NACAA Annual Meeting/Professional Improvement Conference, the NACAA Secretary will request a list of voting delegates and alternates for the Annual Meeting. The number of voting delegates each state is allowed is based on your state's membership on February 15 of the year of the Annual meeting/Professional Improvement Conference.

State Secretaries should work with their state officers to select voting delegates prior to time the NACAA Secretary requests the information. Information needed includes: name, address, city, zip code, phone number, fax number and e-mail address.

States are allocated Voting Delegates based on one for the first 40 and one additional for each 30 thereafter or a fraction thereof.

(A full and detailed handbook for the Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference is found on the NACAA webpage.)

• Purpose
• To provide professional improvement opportunities for members as they strive to improve the effectiveness of their respective programs.
• To encourage high standards of professional performance.
• To provide stimuli and incentive on the part of the members to develop new methods, new approaches, and new projects.
• NACAA Board of Directors is responsible for the Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference. The Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference Committee follows direction of the Board.
• Selection of Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference sites.
• NACAA Voting Delegates select location.
• Board may present to region facts regarding Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference invitations.
• Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference workshop to be held under direction of the Board at Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference to insure understanding of Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference policies. Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference Committee for the coming year and committees to be responsible for Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conferences during the next three years should attend. The designated Past President from the region where the next Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference will be held will carefully review the entire Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference Policy to the group in attendance.
• Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference budget to be prepared and all bills approved by NACAA President and be paid by NACAA Treasurer who shall be Treasurer of the Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference.

NACAA Committees
Many NACAA programs are conducted by the committees of the association. The committee structure and duties of the committees are found on the NACAA webpage under the "Committees" link. State officers should be aware of these committees and encourage members to apply for positions when openings occur in their region.

Committee Structure
The structure offers much diversity in terms of content and professional opportunities for members along with enhanced flexibility for growth as NACAA strives to be an asset to its members. The committees offer something for everyone; the new extension agent/educator, the mid-career Extension agent/educator, and the full-term Extension agent/educator. Any structure should be built using a strong, broad-based, and solid foundation. The structure for NACAA is built on three foundation blocks that are the basic components of NACAA's professional enhancement areas: Program Recognition, Extension Development, and Professional Improvement.

Program Recognition Council
This component contains the award based programs that have been a historic and traditional part of NACAA. Members can enter competitive contests that highlight the following areas: Communications, Extension Programs, 4-H & Youth, Professional Excellence, Public Relations, Recognition and Awards, and Scholarship. As new competitive awards programs are introduced they would be placed into this block. All programs in this component are expected to identify sponsors and secure adequate funding to operate each award activity. Where possible the sponsor's funding should include all committee expenses.

Program Recognition Council Committees:

• Communications
• Recognition & Awards
• Scholarship
• 4-H & Youth
• Search for Excellence
• Public Relations
• Professional Excellence

Extension Development Council
This component is designed to enhance our members in the area of general extension training. One common thread among NACAA members is the fact that we are all Extension Agents/Educators. Therefore it is imperative that our organization strengthen and continue to offer training on how to become a better extension professional. This is the one area that effectively separates NACAA from other subject specific professional organizations. The Extension Development committees are not subject matter specific, but rather cover broad, general extension related topics that focus on the following: Public Relations and Agriculture Issues, Early Career Development, Administration Skill Development, and Teaching and Communications Skills. Each of these broad headings is a Committee.

Extension Development Council Committees

• Agricultural Issues and Public Relations
• Early Career Development
• Administrative Skills
• Teaching and Educational Technologies

 

Professional Improvement Council
Over the history of NACAA its members indicated a need for more opportunities to present and receive specific subject matter information. This component of the NACAA committee structure was created and designed to better fulfill this need and the NACAA mission: ".. to further the professional improvement of our members...",as written in the NACAA mission statement. This area is devoted to enhancing the opportunities for our members to become more knowledgeable and competent in subject matter areas in which they work. Examples of training activities that are included within this category include: discussion groups, seminars, refereed papers, demonstration sharing, study tours, and interstate/international exchanges. Six broad, fundamental subject matter areas were identified that encompass the vast majority of work done by Extension agents/educators across the country. That list includes: Agronomy & Pest Management; Agricultural Economics and Community Development; Animal Science; Natural Resources, Aquaculture/Sea Grant; Horticulture & Turfgrass; and Sustainable Agriculture. Each of these six broad subject matter areas comprises a Committee. Additional committee categories can be added in the future or existing areas modified to better meet the needs of NACAA members. Each of these broad subject matter committees may have numerous advisory groups beneath it as are deemed necessary. Examples of advisory groups under the Animal Science Committee might include: Range/Pasture Management, Bio-Technology in Livestock, Beef Nutrition, Dairy Breeding, Swine Genetics, Rotational Grazing, and Animal Waste Management. This short list is not meant to be all inclusive.

Professional Improvement Committees: (may not exist in all states)

• Agronomy & Pest Management
• Agricultural Economics & Community Development
• Animal Science
• Natural Resources , Aquaculture/SeaGrant
• Horticulture & Turf grass
• Sustainable Agriculture

 

These Council categories and their associated committees provide new opportunities for NACAA members to make regional and national presentations relative to their individual work experiences. This committee structure provides opportunities for NACAA members to develop and implement regional and even national programs within their discipline that meet objectives and goals contained in their annual Plan of Work (POW).

Chairs and Regional Vice-Chairs of most committees are appointed to serve two years.

• How to select members to recommend for appointments to National Committees.
  • They should want to serve on the committee.
  • They should answer correspondence and complete assignments promptly.
  • They should have had experience as active and effective workers in their State Associations.
  • Attendance at past AM/PIC's would be highly desirable and appointees should at least attend AM/PIC for two (2) years following appointment.
  • National committees can function more smoothly, if the member you appoint is serving as Chair of the corresponding State Committee.
• Recommendations of State Presidents are very important as an aid to the NACAA Board in selecting Regional Vice-Chairs on committees. Provide the following information for the member being recommended.
  • List the number of years served on the National Committee for which member is being recommended.
  • Offices held in State Association.
  • Committees served on in State Association and list of years served as Chair.
  • National AM/PIC's attended.
  • General Extension program activities.

(State Associations might want to set up a reference file to record this information on the more active members, worthy of consideration as Regional Vice-Chairs or National Committee Chairs.)

**Years in the Vice-Director and Director columns indicate the years for which the Vice-Director and Director serve at the NACAA Annual meeting/Professional Improvement Conference. Year in the nominate column indicates the year in which the state must bring forth the name of the Vice Director designee to the regional meeting and delegate session of the NACAA Annual Meeting.