Tomorrow I head to Imperial County to meet with essential partners from the nearby agriculture institute at the University in Mexicali. The group in Imperial County (both UCCE and DREC) already have strong relationships with the institute; we are considering how these might expand or be formalized. Wall or no wall, there's a commitment to working together to meet the needs of clientele in the Sonoran Desert region. It's a quick trip, returning on Thursday. Friday, like every first Friday, is booked with Zoom meetings.

The budget is at the forefront of conversations these days. Even though the federal government is back to work, we know that the deadline will be here before we know it and Congress has much work to do. I haven't followed the news too closely over the last two days, but so far, I haven't heard if there have been any negotiations yet. We, along with campuses, need to continue to think about next steps should an agreement not be reached.

The state budget is early in the process, but it's never too early to think through the implications of budget proposals as we hear about them. And, it is never too soon to look for opportunities to identify sources of funds. It takes time and effort but is one of those things that we need to make room for in our schedules, likely requiring that we are willing to give something up. A few of us met for several hours on Monday to strategize how we resource current commitments and position UC ANR to increase the number of people reached with the critical, relevant programming offered all across UC ANR. Four people won't solve it; instead, the power of the collective diverse and dispersed team, all across California, is required. Ideas, assistance, strategies are welcome!

Next week is Program Council. We will continue the January discussions, focusing on programmatic units and their impact. The meeting is shorter than the usual day and a half. I'm optimistic this will leave me with time to get some draft MOUs compiled for a couple of promising new partnerships. My goal is to be inundated with such requests so if you have prospective partners for positions or programs; please drop me an email.