Chapter News, January 2021
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Chapter News, January 2021
Alpha Mu Chapter
President’s Message
2020-2021
One of my all-time favorite movies is Forrest Gump. One of the
Executive Board
many things I like about the movie is a quote that the main
character Forrest Gump (played by Tom Hanks) recounts from Anthony Santiago
his mother; “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know President
what you’re gonna get”. Without getting into the debate about
whether chocolate is good for you or not, I think I understand
Brenda Schmitt
President-Elect
the point behind the analogy. I agree that in many ways life is
indeed like a box of chocolates. If each year of my life is a piece of chocolate, then I can say Patrick Hatting
each year of my life has been different. Some years have been more enjoyable than others. As I Treasurer
reflect on the year 2020, for me I can say the year has been the most unpleasant “chocolate” so Cayla Taylor
far. Would I voluntarily choose this chocolate again? The answer is NO. Would I accept this Secretary
chocolate again? The answer is YES. I would accept this chocolate again because even though
there are many unpleasantries with it, there is still much goodness in it.
Sandra McKinnon
Historian
As we reflect on the year 2020 and what it has meant for all of us at Alpha Mu Chapter of Barb Fuller
Epsilon Sigma Phi, I am reminded of how our previous president, Barb Dunn Swanson, started Member-At-Large
her first newsletter last year, “I want to start by thanking Carol Waters for serving as our Chair
Barb Dunn Swanson
the last year – and for helping to guide this ship!” Past President
In keeping with the ship analogy, let me start by saying how thankful I am to Barb Dunn- Mark Hanna
Swanson for serving as our president last year. She not only helped to guide this ship but also Life Member
made sure the ship stayed afloat and crew members' morale remained high. It’s also worth Andrea Nelson
pointing out that in the midst of navigating rough seas, somehow new members were added as Membership Chair
part of the crew! We improved our financials! We nominated many of our local chapter members
for national awards and recognitions, most notably our own President Wintersteen was honored Alison DePenning
Professional Development
with ESP’s highest recognition, the Distinguished Ruby Award! We had our first virtual book
study event with Dr. Loren Olsen, a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Vera Stokes
Association, who highlighted what it means to live a life of authenticity, respect for others, and Recognition Chair
being inclusive. These were some of the highlights of the goodness we experienced. Virgil Schmitt
Nomination Chair
I am honored and thankful for the opportunity to lead the Alpha Mu Chapter of Epsilon Sigma
Phi. No doubt, we will get to open the box of chocolates again. I cannot promise the chocolates Alan Ladd
will be pleasant this year, but I can promise there will still be much goodness in whatever Public Issues Chair
"chocolate" defines our year. Terry Torneten
Resource Development
Already I am so thankful for much goodness. I am thankful for the new executive board and
Web Links:
committee chairs, some of whom just came aboard the ship. (Continued on Page 2)
www.espnational.org
www.extension.iastate.edu/esp
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Please make sure to read a short description that each one has written about themselves as a way to get to know them and thei r vision
for ESP. There are others who have recently joined us as well. A big and warm welcome to all of you!
And to others reading this newsletter who are yet to come on board, I want to encourage you to come on board. You just have to let me
or any one of the members of the Alpha Mu Chapter of ESP know that you want to become a member, and you will be guided along.
You may ask, why should I join? You should join because ESP is your home. It does not matter whether you are in Human Sciences,
4-H, ANR, or Community and Economic Development. ESP brings us all together under one roof. We get to impact others around us
locally, broaden our influence to be engaged nationally and globally. To those who are already members of ESP, I challenge you to
bring one new member to our organization this year. The bottom line-we have FUN while learning together to improve ourselves.
I am looking forward to the year 2021. I am embracing the box of chocolates in its entirety. I don’t care what’s inside the box of
chocolates. All I know is, there’s going to be goodness! The more of us in this ship, the merrier it’s going to be! All aboard!!
Sincerely,
Anthony Santiago, Ph.D.
Extension Education Specialist
ads@iastate.edu, 515-294-7042
ESP Executive Board Member Spotlights:
ESP Recognition Applications Due Feb. 1
Applications are now open for chapter and national Epsilon Mark Hanna, Life Member
Sigma Phi recognition awards. These include:
I am a former Extension Ag Engineer and
• Ruby Distinguished Service represent ESP “life” members on the
• Distinguished Service board. I have always used my ESP
• Continued Excellence membership to help keep up-to-date and
• Early and Mid-Career Service maintain contact with families, youth, and
• International Service community, as well as agricultural
Extension program professionals. My
• Meritorious Support Service
• Retiree Service objective is to help other life members maintain contact with
former and new colleagues. Serving as chapter treasurer 32
• Visionary Leadership
years ago, I appreciate the efforts of current colleagues.
• Administrative Leadership
• Distinguished Team Sandra McKinnon, Historian
• Diversity Individual and Team
I’ve been an ESP member since 1999.
• 25 Year Tenure
I’ve served as membership committee
• Friend of Extension
chair and as chapter president (2015-
Descriptions and online applications are found here: 2016) and currently serve as the chapter
https://espnational.org/Recognition. Applications for state historian and on the national membership,
recognition are due by Monday, February 1. This allows the recruitment and retention committee. I’m
committee time to review and submit the state winners for proud to be a member of the Extension
national recognition consideration. If you applied last year and professionals’ organization. I encourage you to attend annual
did not win, please consider re-submitting your application. conferences and professional development webinars, and to
apply for awards, scholarships, and grants. ESP National has
For more information, please contact Recognition Committee a solid endowment that provides members with payback much
Chair Vera Stokes, vstokes@iastate.edu. more than the dues you pay.
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Act Now! Barb Dunn Swanson, Past President
I am Barbara Dunn Swanson! I have been a
Now is the time to update your ESP membership. Renewal
member of ESP since 1994. I was initiated in
and new member dues for the 2021 year are due February 1.
the Alpha Mu Chapter and also was a
Completing renewal memberships on time is important to our member and officer in the XI chapter of
chapter for determining the number of our voting delegates at North Carolina. I have served the Iowa
national meetings, and so we can promote opportunities to a Chapter as President and President Elect
complete roster of members. Renewal of annual memberships and am currently serving at Past President.
are $85, which includes $55 in national dues and $30 in state My reason to serve: People advancing people happens when
dues. To renew, log in at espnational.org we think beyond ourselves!
Renewal by credit card online only takes a few minutes to Barb Fuller, Member-At-Large
complete. If you prefer to pay by check, login and select that
you’re mailing in your payment to the address provided. My name is Barb Fuller, Human Sciences
Specialist in Nutrition and Wellness. I’ve
ESP is for all Extension professionals, university or county- been a program specialist for 13 years in
paid, papa-professionals, and retirees that demonstrate Southwest Iowa. I have been recently
excellence in Extension programming or leadership. elected as Alpha Mu’s Member at Large. I
have previously served ESP as President,
New members are welcome and are vital to the prosperity of chair of the awards committee, and member
an active and vibrant professional fraternity. New members of the nominating committee. As member at large, I represent
can also login and create an account. Or, if you know someone all members on the executive board. Concerns of the
that would like to see what ESP is like, invite them as your members, ideas and special projects, anything the members
guest to attend our spring meeting. wish to bring to the board, just let me know.
We’re here to help. Contact us if you have questions about
Brenda Schmitt, President-Elect
your membership or how to pay dues.
Brenda Schmitt is a Family Finance Field
Submitted by Membership Committee Chair Andrea Nelson,
Specialist housed in the Cerro Gordo
nelsonar@iastate.edu County Extension office. She has been with
Extension for more than 20 years. “What I
Membership committee members:
have enjoyed most about ESP are the
professional development opportunities.
Mark Hanna, hmhanna@iastate.edu
While membership to my professional
Dennis Johnson, djohn@iastate.edu organization provides educational
Carter Oliver, cpoliver@iastate.edu opportunities in my field of study, ESP provides opportunities
for me as a professional. It also gives me a chance to support
my organization and learn about the Extension nationwide.”
SPRING ALPHA MU CHAPTER
MEETING Cayla Taylor, Secretary
The next Alpha Mu chapter meeting will be held Spring Cayla Taylor serves as the Program
2021. A meeting date is yet to be determined. Stay tuned Development Manager for Iowa 4-H. She has
for more details to be emailed to the membership. been with Extension for 9 years and an ESP
member for 2 years. “ESP has been a great
way to grow my professional network with
Extension colleagues outside of my
educational unit. I’ve enjoyed participating in
ESP’s professional development opportunities and drafting our
quarterly newsletters to share with the chapter.”
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2020 National ESP Conference Held Patrick Hatting, Treasurer
Virtually I started as the Farm Management
Specialist in SW Iowa in 2018 and just
The 2020 National ESP Conference was hosted by New switched to the Central Iowa territory. I
York Cooperative Extension virtually on October 6-8. The also administer the ISUEO Financial
Alpha Mu Chapter received the Gold Chapter of Merit and Decision Making course which has about
Gold Chapter of Achievement in Recruitment at this year’s 200 active students. Prior to Extension, I
conference. spent 31 years as a financial advisor and
retired from the Air Force/Air National Guard after 32 years. I
Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen was live in Grinnell with my wife Kimberly and I have three grown
also recognized as the national Ruby Distinguished Service children, the youngest is currently a junior at Iowa State. I was
Award recipient. President Wintersteen was invited to present asked to join the ESP board and I thought my financial and
the annual Ruby Lecture at the 2020 National ESP service organization background could benefit ESP.
Conference, which can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEgfrtrUvNw. Anthony Santiago, President
Members shared that there was a great variety in the Anthony was born in Kuala Lumpur,
keynote and capstone presentations as well as the offered Malaysia. He is married to Shaeley with
educational workshops throughout the conference. ESP two children-Malkan (23), and Kaycia
Members can still view the recorded educational workshops (19). Anthony’s experience with
Extension began in 1998 as a graduate
and presentations from the conference here:
student and has been working full-time
https://espnational.org/2020-ESP-National-Conference.
with ISU Extension and Outreach since 2006. Anthony
The 2021 Epsilon Sigma Phi National Conference is slated currently serves as a college projects specialist and member of
to be held in Savannah, Georgia on October 25-28. Mark the Human Sciences Management Team. As the new
your calendars and begin work on conference presentation president of the Alpha Mu Chapter of the ESP, he is gladly
proposals, which are due on March 8 for the following furthering his entrenchment as an extension professional.
Anthony believes as extension professionals we are at the
opportunities:
right time at the right place in the world today more than ever
• Seminar or Research Presentations as part of before to be “useful to humanity.”
concurrent sessions
• Ignite Presentations
• Poster Presentations
2021 Extension Leadership
More information regarding the conference as well as
conference workshops and award submissions
Conference (ELC)
opportunities can be found on the 2021 ESP National
Conference website: https://espnational.org/2021-ESP- Registration is currently open for the virtual 2021 Extension
National-Conference. Leadership Conference. The Early Bird
Deadline is January 22 for the conference sponsored by
the Joint Council of Extension Professionals. The
conference will be held February 10-11. See the JCEP
website for complete details.
Please visit the ESP Extension Leadership Conference
Guidelines page to understand the role of ESP and ESP
members in this conference.
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Meet the Alpha Mu Committee Chairs
Andrea Nelson, Membership Chair
I’ve been a card-carrying member of Alpha Mu since 2012. ESP has provided many formal and informal ways for
me to express leadership and learn from my colleagues across all disciplines. I have served this chapter previously
as president and have been on the membership committee since 2016. Currently I serve on a national team of
chapter officers providing input on the ESP website redesign. I think the quickest way to learn about ESP is to
accept an officer or committee role! That is where some of my richest experiences have occurred working with
Extension colleagues statewide. I hope that we can continue to grow a vibrant chapter that will work in intentional
ways to support one another professionally and positively impact collegial work in Extension.
Alison DePenning, Professional Development Chair
I’ve worked for the professional development unit since June 2017. Prior to that, I worked as the County Director in
Story County since 2006. You might know me from professional development events like the Everything DiSC
Workplace and Emotional Intelligence workshops. Or if you were new to Extension and Outreach in the last few
years and attended New Staff Orientation. I also have had the pleasure of assisting the planning committee with the
Office Professionals Conference since joining the professional development team. I have been a member of the
Alpha Mu Chapter of ESP for many years, starting as a Member At Large and now chairing the Professional
Development committee. I enjoy the networking ESP provides, as well as the additional educational opportunities
made available to us as members. For me, providing service to groups like ESP Alpha Mu is a way of expressing commitment to ISU
Extension and Outreach and the people we serve.
Terry Torneten, Resource Development and Management Chair
I’ve been with ISU Extension and Outreach for nearly 19 years. The dedication of ESP members has given me a
guiding light over those years. I’ve enjoyed learning from fellow ESP members and I’ve discovered new
opportunities along the way. Serving ESP Alpha Mu has reinforced the Extension Professional’s CREED through
my Extension journey.
Vera Stokes, Scholarships, Grants, and Recognition Chair
Vera Stokes serves as a Human Sciences Specialist in Nutrition
and Wellness. What I’ve enjoyed the most about ESP is how it
provides an opportunity to engage with extension professionals
from various disciplines.
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Meet the Alpha Mu Committee Chairs Continued
Virgil Schmitt, Nomination Chair
My first experience with Extension was as a youth when I was in 4-H (1959 enrollment at the age of nine) and my
father was a user of Extension and an Extension Council member. My Extension employment began in the mid-
1970’s as a 4-H & Youth Leader. After graduate school and a ten-year stint teaching at a community college, I
rejoined Extension in the late 1980’s and have been in Extension ever since, beginning as a County Agriculturist and
then transitioning into my current role as a Field Agronomist. So, I have been employed by Extension in six different
decades (OMG!) and have been a participant in two more decades (OMG2). Epsilon Sigma Phi has provided me
with uplifting, useful professional development opportunities that are not specifically oriented to my subject matter,
such as practical use of educational methods and understanding client needs. I serve ESP in hope that it will help
the organization provide meaningful and useful professional development opportunities not available in other venues.
Alan Ladd, Public Issues Chair
As a regional director, I interact with staff and council members on a regular basis across all program areas. Being a
member of ESP has allowed me to relate to all staff. National meetings have presented opportunities for me to give
presentations to a broad audience and network with other Extension professionals across the U.S.
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Upcoming Chapter and National ESP Calendar of Events
January 14: Alpha Mu Chapter Board Meeting
February 1: ESP Award Application Deadline
https://espnational.org/Recognition
February 10-12: Extension Leadership Conference
https://www.jcep.org/elc
February 15: ESP Webinar Proposals Due
https://espnational.org/Webinar-rfp
March 8: Presentation Proposals for 2021 ESP National Conf. Due
https://espnational.org/Presentation-Proposals-2021
March 9: ISU Extension and Outreach Annual Conference
March TBD: Spring Alpha Mu Chapter Meeting
April 12: Public Issues Leadership Development Conference (PILD)
Arlington, VA
October 25-28: 2021 ESP National Conference
Savannah, Georgia
Epsilon Sigma Phi
The mission of Epsilon Sigma Phi is to
foster the standards of excellence in the
Extension system and to develop the
Extension profession and professional.
Editor
Cayla Taylor, Ph.D.
Chapter Secretary
cayla@iastate.edu
Connect With Us:
https://www.extension.iastate.edu/esp/
https://espnational.org/
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