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THANKS
I'd like to again thank all of the members of NCACAA for having the confidence to select me as your representative on the Board of NACAA. Thus far, it has been a wonderful experience and opportunity for me. I hope that I will be able to apply what I have learned to enhance and improve NCACAA and help advance the goals of our membership. One of the key roles of the Regional Director is communication between the National Board and individual members of the Association. I am glad to forward any issues of concern to the National Board and answer questions you might have relative to Association policy.

2002 ANNUAL MEETING

North Carolina members who attended the 2001 AM/PIC in Albuquerque are to be commended. This meeting provided numerous professional improvement opportunities for our membership. If you were unable to attend, you missed a great meeting and I hope you have made plans to go to Savannah in a few weeks. The Georgia members and spouses have put together a very educational and enjoyable meeting. Tours will incorporate the highlights of Georgia agriculture, plus historic and sight seeing activities. GACAA asked me to express their appreciation for your sponsorship of the Thursday morning Breakfast. I look forward to helping you serve during that event.

For those of you going to Savannah, please note that the Southern Region Meeting will be held on Monday, July 29, from 3:30 to 5:00 PM in the Marriott Ballroom A. This meeting is an excellent opportunity to hear from those desiring to be officers in NACAA including our own George Stancil. You will also receive an update on activities in the Southern Region. Keep in mind that Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi and our Georgia hosts will be sponsoring a Catfish Dinner immediately after this meeting. Kenneth and I promise to do our best to keep a concise agenda so you can be at the front of the line! Also, if anyone is interested in taking a look at it, I have the most recent version of the AM/PIC agenda.

DSA & AA RECIPIENTS

Congratulations to last year's Distinguished Service Award recipients Ken Bateman, Nancy Keith, Richard Melton, James Parsons and Bill Skelton. Congratulations also to Cyndi Lauderdale, Jeff Vance, and Frank Winslow on receiving the Achievement Award. I look forward to congratulating this year's winners in Savannah.

ACTION TAKEN IN ALBUQUERQUE

Voting delegates approved a bylaw change allowing two representatives from each region to serve on the nominating committee in place of the Regional Directors. Voting delegates also approved increasing annual dues for regular members to $40.00. Life members increased their lifetime membership dues to $50.00. Voting delegates also approved Committee appointments and approved committee name changes: (1) Ag. Economics and Community Development, (2) Teaching and Educational Technologies Committee.

SOUTHERN REGION OFFICERS WORKSHOP

The Southern Region Officers' Workshop was held February 17-19, 2002 in Dallas with all 13 of the Southern region states represented. Members voted unanimously to continue with the flag ceremony at the Opening Session of the AM/PIC. Pat Hardesty of Kentucky and Keith Martin of Arkansas were selected to serve on the nominating committee at AM/PIC. Mike Rouse of Louisiana and Pat Hogue of Florida are alternates.

Responsibility for this workshop rotates between the member associations of JCEP and in 2003 it is NACAA's turn. I am providing the leadership for the Southern Region workshop that will be held February 20-22, 2003 in Asheville, NC at the Renaissance Hotel. It is likely that I will need some volunteers to assist with this meeting. Potential duties include: shuttle service, greeters, audio/visual equipment, and registration assistance. If you are willing to help, please send me an email message or let me know at the conclusion of this meeting.

COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS

Committees are the lifeblood of any organization but especially NACAA. There were a number of committee appointments made at the Spring Board Meeting subject to approval by the voting delegates in Savannah but no North Carolina agents were appointed. However, currently Carl Pless (Agriculture Economics and Community Development), John Dorner (Teaching and Educational Technologies) and Bob Edwards (Scholarship) are serving as Southern Region Vice-Chairs of their respective committees. I'd like to express my appreciation to these three gentlemen. The strength of our Association is the many qualified individuals such as Carl, John and Bob who are willing to assume leadership roles.

If you are interested, I encourage you to make application for national committee appointments next year. Applications can be obtained from Walter Earle. Keep in mind that competition for these positions is keen, especially in the South. The Council Chairs and Vice President review the applications and make recommendations to the Board. To be considered, you need state experience in the committee of interest. It is also helpful to have attended several NACAA AM/PIC's and the respective committee workshops provided during the annual meeting.

DATABASE

The database depends on each state keeping the information updated. It is very important to the Association that each state completes the commodity area of interest categories for the membership. One of the ways this is utilized is by providing information about upcoming professional improvement opportunities to the members.

Developing State Web Sites may be a good way to keep this updated. I encourage you to keep developing our state web site and would like to express my compliments to web master, John Dorner, and others involved for the quality of our website. I think NCACAA has been one of the leaders in the utilization of websites to help provide member services and keep folks updated on what is going on in the association.

SCHOLARSHIPS

North Carolina has contributed $16,747.58 and has received $20,455.80 in scholarships. Way to go!! The funds are there to benefit members and I congratulate those who have taken advantage of these funds to further your education or enhance your professional development. I encourage all members to make sure you have contributed $40.00 by June 30, 2001 to the fund. Also, you should consider making a donation to the silent auction in Savannah. Proceeds help build up the scholarship fund and are credited to your scholarship account. Walter Earle should/will have a list of members who have contributed to the fund and amount and you can also speak with Bob Edwards who is the Southern Region Vice-Chair of this committee. Applications for scholarships should be submitted by June 1 to the State Scholarship Chair.

NATIONAL OUTSTANDING YOUNG FARMERS AWARD

NACAA and the United States Junior Chamber of Commerce are partnering to recognize the top producers in our nation for young farmers between the ages of 21 and 39. The top 25 finalists are announced in January with four National Winners announced in February. John Deere is the sponsor for this program and is extremely pleased with the quality and number of applications that were submitted by NACAA members.

DONOR/SPONSOR STATUS

With the loss of AT&T ($30,000) and Pursell Industries ($6000) there will be no cash awards presented in the Communications Program or for the Pursell Pinnacle Award this year. The Board hopes to be able to provide these in future years when sponsorship is provided. There are a number of new sponsors this year and I encourage members to participate in these professional improvement programs. Applications are still being taken for the Forestry and Range/Pasture Seminar and Tour to be held on Saturday July 27th. The Cotton Marketing Seminar is being held on August 1st and 2nd. President-elect Steve Munks has done an outstanding job trying to find new donors to replace AT&T and Pursell Pinnacle. Currently, he has raised at least $122,750 to support this year's AM/PIC. Fund raising is an ongoing effort and Steve needs help from each of the members.

MEMBER INCENTIVE PROGRAM

At the Spring Board Meeting, recognizing the increasing difficulty of soliciting funds, the Board approved the following incentive program for members obtaining sponsor/donor support.

$2,000 - $4,999 AM/PIC Registration reimbursement
$5,000 - $9,999 AM/PIC Registration and $500 reimbursement of expenses towards AM/PIC
$10,000 + AM/PIC Registration and $1,000 reimbursement of expenses towards AM/PIC

PUBLIC ISSUES LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE

The Public Issues Leadership Development Conference was held April 28 - May 2, 2002 at the Double Tree Hotel in Crystal City, Virginia. I am probably biased since I serve on the PILD Planning Committee but I feel like it was an excellent professional development opportunity for the participants. Post program surveys back me up but there is always room for improvement. I would appreciate any feedback concerning next year's program. Participation by agricultural agents was lower than in the past and I want to help design a program that will better meet your needs. This program is open to any NACAA member and if you have the opportunity to attend I would encourage you to do so. The dates for next year's PILD Conference are May 4-7, 2003.

SOUTHERN REGION VICE DIRECTOR AND DIRECTOR ROTATION

NACAA OFFICERS & DIRECTORS

NACAA ANNUAL MEETING DATES

Officers To Be Voted On At National In Savannah

I have enjoyed my first year as your Southern Region Director and can truly say it is enjoyable representing the Southern Region. I have enjoyed visiting our members in Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, and Arizona and learning more about how things work in their states. I look forward to sharing some of the insights I have gained with you at this and future NCACAA meetings and hope that you feel free to visit with me with any questions, suggestions or concerns. Thanks again for your support and I look forward to seeing most of you in Savannah!