I was looking forward to meeting with the Pear Advisory Board last week. It didn't happen. Before the committee reached the UC ANR agenda item, the building was evacuated due to a bomb threat. That was a first for me. Sadly there were eight such threats in Sacramento that morning.

Did you know that many of the state commodity groups have UC ANR research liaisons? We met last week for a Zoom meeting. The liaisons often have responsibilities to help with the research program for their respective commodity board. The role can be time-consuming  – assisting with assembly and distribution of the request for proposals, coordinating panel reviews, and working with the board to collect project reports. Some liaisons have responsibilities beyond the research programs, such as assisting with planning annual meetings. Regardless of the responsibilities, the liaison role is key to building and maintaining relations with our partners. The time our liaisons spend is greatly appreciated!

The Western Extension Directors met for a 2-hr call yesterday. In addition to discussing the Farm Bill, we talked quite a bit about EDEN (Extension Disaster Education Network) and the resources available to some of the disaster-impacted Western states/territories (Alaska earthquake, Northern Marianas typhoon, California fires). Increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters may present a need for additional resources available through EDEN. We recognize that EDEN is a great way to showcase the impact of Cooperative Extension in communities across the U.S.

Today is the President's Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting in Berkeley. The meeting is a good chance to touch base with partners and UC ANR friends from around the state. The Development Services update is sure to be a highlight of the meeting as well as an update on the UC ANR Archives project led by UC Merced. Following the meeting, the PAC is invited to the President's residence. I will have to miss out this year to catch up on some things before the end of the week arrives. There aren't enough hours in the day with so many meetings to attend during work hours.

Before the meeting starts, I have a Zoom meeting to talk about the new federal reporting guidelines that we need to comply with to maintain our funding. Seems a bit strange to be focusing on that while we await word whether or not there will be a federal shutdown, but that's how it goes sometimes. Hopefully, the changes aren't drastic and align with our interests and strategic direction. If you thought UC ANR just made up reporting requirements, this is not the case at all. We have plenty of reporting demands placed upon us by the feds, state funders, UC, county partners, and the list goes on. Getting all on the same page may not be possible given different goals, but it is worth a shot.

If I find some free time over the winter break and find an electronic resource, I hope to review a new report that is out: Roadmap for Integrated Pest Management: Systems Thinking to Build Better IPM for All Californians. If I find it, I will be sure to let you know some of my key learnings.