The Memorandum of Understanding documents the ongoing partnership between Iowa State University and County Agricultural Extension Districts. Every three years a special committee reviews and renews the MOU to ensure that through our partnership we continue to provide research-based or evidence-based educational programming to Iowans. Once again it is time to review and renew our MOU.
The current MOU, which expires June 30, 2023, established Structured for Success and was a significant change in the relationship between the university and extension councils. This review is about determining what we have learned since 2020 and what could be revised to improve our partnership. The renewal process will focus on seeking clarity and better defining responsibilities. It is not about starting over.
Iowa Extension Council Association Executive Director Jennifer Vit, Vice President John Lawrence, and Assistant Vice President Andrea Nelson, collaborated to select committee members, ensuring broad representation across ISU Extension and Outreach and across Iowa. Geography, role, length of tenure, size of county, model number, ability to share ideas, and other factors were considered when selecting committee members. Jennifer, Dr. Lawrence, and Andrea, along with the following individuals, will serve on the 2023-2026 MOU Renewal Committee:
- Mary Beth DeWall, Dickinson County Extension Council member
- Lori Donahoe, Johnson County Extension Council member
- Dennis Goering, Polk County Extension Council member
- Paige Grandgeorge, Wright County Extension Council member
- Terry Janssen, Region 7 director
- Holly Loan, Clayton County director
- Tom Monroe, Scott County Extension Council member
- Ben Pullen, senior field manager, 4-H Youth Development
- Hailee Sandberg, Linn County director
- Janet Smith, Region 27 director
- Jamie Thompson, Mills County Extension Council member
- Barb Wollan, family wellbeing specialist, Human Sciences
The committee’s first meeting is set for Tuesday, June 7, on the Iowa State campus. Over the next few months, the committee will seek input about the MOU and the partnership and take time to discuss potential updates while keeping our shared mission and our collective organization front and center. You are welcome to send suggestions directly to a committee member or submit comments via the Virtual Suggestion Box, accessible from the IECA website and the Office of the Vice President website. The goal is that by January 30, 2023, a final document will be ready for councils to review and sign.
Contact information for committee members, as well as the documents the committee will be using for their decision making, is available at the Memorandum of Understanding page on the County Services website.