70 attending annual conference
Laura	Booth	Alabama Cooperative Extension System;
Jannie	Carter	Alabama Cooperative Extension Initiative;
Donnie	Cook	Alabama A&M University;
Jean 	Dwyer 	Alabama A&M University;
Marcus	Garner	Alabama A&M University;
Chinella 	Henderson 	Alabama A&M University;
Juana	Macias	Alabama A&M University;
Donna	Shanklin 	Alabama Cooperative Extension System;
Gaines	Smith	Alabama Cooperative Extension Initiative;
Kathleen 	Tajeu	Alabama Cooperative Extension System;
Paul	Waddy	Alabama Cooperative Extension System;
Tamara	Warren	Alabama A&M University;
Carol	Whatley	Alabama Cooperative Extension System;
Reyna	Alvarez	University of Arkansas;
Celia	Boon	University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service;
Shannon	Caldwell	University of Arkansas;
Stacey	McCullough	University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture - Extension;
Cesar	Asuaje	University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Science;
Bryan	Fluech	Florida Sea Grant/ University of Florida Extension;
Nicole	Walker	University of Florida /IFAS Polk Co. Cooperative Extension;
Bridget	Washburn	Florida Dept of Environmental Protection;
Jenna	Andrews	University of Georgia;
Jorge	Atiles	University of Georgia;
Karen	Atkins	University of Georgia Cooperative Extension;
Ellen	Bauske	UGA Center for Urban Agriculture;
Jenna	Brown	University of Georgia;
Willie	Chance	University of Georgia Extension;
Sharon	Gibson	University of Georgia;
Steven	Gibson	University of Georgia;
Maria	Navarro	University of Georgia;
Joan	Pittman	Office of Institutional Diversity, University of Georgia;
Vanessa	Smith	University of Georgia;
Sam	Cordes	Purdue University Center for Regional Development- Indiana;
Rina	Castillo	Louisiana State University AgCenter;
Deborah	Cross	Louisiana State University AgCenter;
Miguel	Gutierrez	Louisiana State University AgCenter;
Pam	Monroe	Professor & Director, Louisiana Poverty Initiative;
Michelle	Rzepka	Louisiana State University AgCenter;
Jeanette	Tucker	Louisiana State University AgCenter;
Mercedes	Saint Elin	Alianzas/University of Missouri Extension/UMKC;
Bo	Beaulieu	Southern Rural Development Center;
Frida	Bonaparte	Mississippi State University;
Reuben	Moore	MAFES;
Monica	Rosas	Social Science Research Center;
Rosa	Vozzo	Mississippi State University;
Rachel	Welborn	Southern Rural Development Center;
Cintia	Aguilar	NC State University/NC Cooperative Extension;
Andrew	Behnke	NC State University/NC Cooperative Extension;
Jayne	Cubilla	NC Cooperative Extension Service;
Marguerite	Farley	Onslow County Partnership for Children, North Carolina;
Dee 	Furlough 	NC Cooperative Extension;
Art	Latham	NC Cooperative Extension;
Cliff	Ruth	NC Cooperative Extension;
Molly 	Sandfoss 	NC Cooperative Extension;
Denise	Sherrill	NC Cooperative Extension;
Julia	Storm	NC State University/NC Cooperative Extension; 
Dede	Nelson	NC State University;
Diana	Urieta	Prevent Child Abuse NC;
Donna	Weaver	College Foundation of North Carolina, University of North Carolina;
Ron	Cox	Oklahoma State University;
Mario	Magaña	Oregon State University, 4-H Youth Development Education;
Harry	Crissy	Clemson University  South Carolina;
Bill	Molnar	Clemson University  South Carolina;
Barbara	Canada	Tennessee State University;
Rita	Fleming	Tennessee State University Agriculture and Consumer Science;
Jonell	Hinsey	Tennessee State University;
Leslie	Speller-Henderson	Tennessee State University;
Joan	Jacobsen	Texas AgriLife Extension Service;
Josefa	Pena	Texas AgriLife Extension Service;
Magda	Bullock	Virginia Cooperative Extension;
                
                
                
                
                    BRIEF SUMMARY OF MINUTES OF ANNUAL MEETING:
The Future of Latino/Hispanic Programming in the South 
2009  SERA-37 Annual Conference via video conference
March 23, 2009  from 2:00  5:00 p.m. (Eastern) 
1. Welcome and Introductions: Cesar Asuaje
§	Introductions of all participants in each virtual site.
2. Review of Meeting Agenda/Additions to Agenda: Andrew Behnke
3. Annual Business Meeting:  
§	Stated objectives of SERA-37  and objectives  for the meeting  Andrew Behnke
§	Review of accomplishments of SERA-37 - Andrew Behnke
§	What SERA-37 needs to accomplish in 2009 and beyond- Andrew Behnke
§	Creating an involved membership-   Sharon Gibson
4. New Four Year Strategic Plan Discussion: Julia Storm 
§	Overview of proposed plan of task force reconfiguration-  Julia Storm
§	Executive council/ webinar task force strategic plan  Andrew Behnke
§	Training task force strategic plan Stacey McCullough
§	Immersion task force strategic plan - Julia Storm
§	Inventory taskforce strategic plan -  Ron Cox
§	Research integration  consultant group strategic plan  Andrew Behnke 
§	Questions Julia Storm	
§	Breakout to discuss ideas about a specific task force  All
§	Gather back together and discuss ideas Julia Storm
5. How to stay connected and focused:
"	Set up taskforce meetings 
"	Set up subsequent meeting
6.  Meeting adjourned at 5:00 PM
ACTION ITEMS:
§	All members:
o	Visit NIMSS web site http://nimss.umd.edu/ and register.
o	Participate in new task forces. 
o	Begin taking steps to accomplish projects decided on as a group.
§	Invitation to join New Task Forces:
o	Submit group members names and e-mails to Rachel Welborn (rachelw@srdc.msstate.edu).
                
                
                                    
                    
                
                
                
                    1.	Establish and facilitate dialogue and information exchange among land-grant representatives from the South dealing with key Hispanic issues in the region.  This was achieved via regularly scheduled conference calls, annual face-to-face meetings, and web-based conferencing.
2.	Catalogue the research and Extension resources existing within the region and beyond that focus on issues associated with the expanding growth of Hispanics in urban or rural areas.  In addition, facilitate access by land-grant faculty in the region to this important repository of information.   This resource compendium has been placed on the SERA-37 website for all to access. See: http://sera37.wordpress.com/taskforces/inventory-taskforce/
3.	Developed an in-depth survey of 917 Extension professionals in the South with a focus on Extensions Role in Serving Latinos. Data analysis is still underway but this data from 13 states points to very important gaps in services and ways that those can be remedied. 
   
4.	Designed and sponsored a training program that introduce and expand the capacity of Extension faculty in the region to work with, and deliver educational programs targeted to, the Souths expanding Hispanic population. 
 
5.	Developed strategic direction for next 4 years.
Current milestones leading to the accomplishment of these objectives:
A.	Ongoing development of SERA-37 website to facilitate communication with Southern land-grant university faculty, staff, and partners.
B.	Developed survey of Latino Outreach via Extension in the South with over 900 responses from extension staff and administrators so far. Data were collected to support development of a grant proposal for the development of a domestic immersion training program for Extension educators. Datawill be analyzed, and grant proposal and research papers are to be developed this year.
C.  Piloted a training called Bridging the Culture Divide: Inclusive Programming for Extension Professionals.  91 people attended the two day training in North Carolina from15 states. This training program included several sessions, including a review of Immigration in the US; Immigration in your state; Understanding personal perspectives, biases & assumptions; Legal issues 101; Strategies for engaging Latino/Hispanic audiences; Working together to build inclusive communities (partnerships, volunteers); a Show & Tell with invited speakers from across North Carolina; and a session on Planning your program. Presentations are posted online at http://sera37.wordpress.com/taskforces/training-taskforce/bridging-the-culture-divide/.
D.  Created searchable inventory of over 500 Spanish resources for extension professionals
E.   Developing a grant proposal for development and evaluation of a domestic immersion training program for Extension  educators focused on cultural competency, experiential learning of new Latino immigrant challenges and assets, and mentored program development with the objective of increasing Extensions capacity to for serving Latino families in the rural South. A Community Partner meeting was held  April 28, 2009 to solicit input and support for the proposal from Latino-serving organizations.
G.  Developed a Logo to market the initiative.
H.  Created an updated listserve with over 103 active members.
I.  Each of four taskforces met monthly or bimonthly via conference call to accomplish the goals of the group.
                
                
                
                
                    
                        - A framework was established for extension programming and research studies on Hispanic communities in the United States. The SERA-37 group is expanding its networking capacity and has grown to 88 registered members and is involving 20 major Universities and several project programs targeting Hispanics. 
- A common ground analysis and commitment was reached during the first SERA-37 meeting to create a formal structure capable to provide valuable information to help educators, researchers, community development specialist, government and others professionals on how to work with Hispanic communities effectively.
- We presented at the national Fall 2008 Galaxy Meeting on the subject of "immigration" entitled: "Stirring the Melting Pot:  Embracing the Challenges of Immigration."
- As a result of collaborative efforts of the SERA-37 training group task force and the pesticide coordinator office of North Carolina State University the first multi-state pesticide certification training program in Spanish was delivered in two counties in North Carolina. The program was conducted by Cesar Asuaje an extension specialist from the University of Florida with the support of Dr. Wayne Buhler the North Carolina State University pesticide coordinator and the department of Agriculture. The program was designed to transfer valuable information on teaching techniques, outreach strategies and program marketing techniques used to target Hispanic agricultural workers. 
- See attachment under Summary of Minutes for other Impacts....impacts to long for report 
                    Behnke, A. O. (2008). Expanding the Latino market niche: Developing capacity and meeting critical needs. Journal of Extension [On-line], 46(5). Available at: http://www.joe.org/joe/2008october/rb5.shtml.
Behnke, A. O., Falk, C., & Storm, J. F. (2009). Health and safety events for Latino families: Collaborating to create "El Día de los Niños Celebración." Journal of Extension [On-line], 47(2). Available at: http://www.joe.org/joe/2009april/iw3.php 
Behnke, A. O., MacDermid, S. M., Coltrane, S. L., Parke, R. D., Widaman, K. F., & Duffy, S. A. (2008). Family cohesion in the lives of Mexican American and European American parents. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 70 (4), 1045-1059.
Behnke, A. O., Taylor, B., & Parra Cardona, J. R. (2008). "I hardly understand English, but...": Mexican origin fathers describe their commitment as fathers despite the challenges of immigration. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 39 (2).
Bohon, S., Atiles, J.H., & Stamps, K. (2008). Transportation and migrant adjustment in Georgia. Population Research and Policy Review, 27(3), 273-291.
James, R., & Atiles, J.H. (2008). The transitioning nature of Hispanic renters. Housing Policy Debate, 19(1), 177-206.
Plunkett, S. W., Behnke, A. O., Sands, T., & Choi, B. Y. (2009). Adolescents' reports of parental engagement and academic achievement in immigrant families. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 38, 257-268.