Board Excellence Newsletter, July 2023
Volume XIII, Issue 3
Welcome to the July 2023 edition of the Board Excellence Newsletter, your connection to important information for extension board members.
In April, Extension Board members from across the state met at five locations to discuss the agent retention plan. The plan was developed based on input and feedback from agent exit interviews, and board members at previous Partnership Meetings; and discussions with our State Extension Advisory Council, and the Joint Council of Extension Professionals. The plan addresses co-governance, 4‑H, supervisory, and job competitiveness issues.
At the April meeting, we sought input from the participating board members on two aspects of the plan.
- The first concerned consistent interpretation of our professional scheduling policy. Some local units did not allow for more flexible scheduling even when the work week had significantly exceeded 40 hours. Board members at the meeting expressed support to allow supervisors more flexible scheduling authority when the hours worked by agents exceeds 40 hours.
Some expressed concern about a few agents taking advantage of the situation. I personally believe that this issue will be rare and can and should be addressed via normal supervisory practices. - A second area of input was incentivizing an agent career ladder. A five-rung agent career ladder and three incentive plans were presented.
One incentive plan -- Plan A -- had a small bonus that would be added to the agent's base salary each time they achieved a higher rung of the ladder. While the bonus was smaller in comparison, Plan A was significantly more expensive for the system annually as the bonus was added to the agent’s ongoing salary base.
The second incentive plan -- Plan B -- provided a larger one-time bonus each time an agent achieved a higher rung on the ladder. While the one-time bonuses were larger, this incentive option was much less expensive for the system annually. - The third option -- Plan C -- offered no financial incentive for the agent.
There did seem to be consensus for preferring Plan B over Plan A. Plan C was least favorable. There was also a general concern about how well local units with lower budgets could participate in the plan, and who pays what percentage of the incentive plan.
The work on the agent retention plan is not complete. Extension administration recently met with the Joint Council of Extension Professionals on refining the criteria for an agent career ladder for promotion. And later this summer, the State Extension Advisory Council will provide additional feedback.
Agent retention is very important for our system from programmatic, expense and collegial perspectives. This plan will help increase agent retention. Thanks for your assistance and patience as we further develop this plan.
Sincerely,
Gregg Hadley
Director for Extension
After the Kansas legislature met and approved the state budget in late May, KSRE administration passed along the salary increase to local extension units. It is an approximately 2.5% increase to the state’s salary contribution rates.
For the first two positions in each county (or corresponding number of counties in a district), the value of the state contribution has increased to $19,370. Additional positions appropriated to local units will receive $11,960 per agent. Agent positions that are fully funded by the local unit will continue to receive $1,500 per agent.
The new KSRE contribution rates begin in July 2023, so the funds will accumulate in local unit’s accounts until raises are given, normally in the next calendar year. These figures can be used to build 2024 budgets.
Base salaries have also been increased to $45,000 for a bachelor's degree and $49,000 for a master's degree in order to compete with industry and surrounding extension organizations.
Contact Chris Onstad, Assistant Director for Extension Field Operations, if you have any questions.
The task of building a good board is about more than just filling slots. It is about finding leaders who have skill sets and perspectives that align with our organization’s mission.
Now is a great time to think about potential turnover on your board and program development committees and who might be qualified to fill those slots. An important factor in the sustainability and efficiency of your local unit is getting highly qualified and enthusiastic volunteers to serve on the board and program development committees (PDC).
Overwhelmingly, people want to serve on boards of organizations that make a difference. Identifying the right leaders to serve is essential for success.
The Recruiting Board and PDC Members module is a great tool to help your board explore characteristics of high-quality board members and where you might find them in your community. When boards and PDC’s are representative of the community, they are more likely to offer and design extension programs that are inclusive of all community members. Having boards and PDC’s that reflect the demographics of the local community is a vital part of civil rights compliance.
As you recruit new members, be clear about the role of the board and what the expectations of being a board member are. Refer to the Extension Board Member Position Description which provides a comprehensive set of expectations, qualifications, and time commitment necessary for the position.
Yes, it’s the heat of the summer, but please begin thinking about nominations for the State Extension Advisory Council elections this fall. You may even want to put it on an upcoming board meeting agenda to draw the attention of folks who might be interested.
Each extension local unit gets to vote for up to two nominees from their respective region (Eastern, Central or Western) or one member if you are from the metropolitan units with populations over 100,000.
In addition to the upcoming routine vacancies, there are two current vacancies in the western region. Board members from the western region who would like to fill those terms could be appointed by SEAC at their upcoming August meeting. Those interested in filling a vacancy should contact Mary Sullivan, western regional director or Chris Onstad, assistant director for Extension Field Operations.
There’s no need to submit nominations yet, unless you are considering the appointment process for the western region vacancies. However, please begin thinking about the nomination process as it will be here before you know it. Nominations for the elected terms will be due at the beginning of November so that voting can be done at December board meetings.
SEAC meets in Topeka in February and at a rotating location in August, with occasional opportunities for further involvement. The term lasts three years and comes with an opportunity to visit Washington, DC, to attend the Public Issues Leadership Development national conference.
Please contact Chris Onstad with any questions.
When parents can't work because childcare is not available, communities suffer. Tristen Cope, Chisholm Trail District family and community wellness agent and Bradford Wiles, child development state specialist share information about their recent efforts to increase childcare availability and affordability.
