Posts Tagged: Anne Megaro

Annual report templates available for county offices

County report templates populated with 2021 data are available on the Government Relations templates web page. Check out examples of how some UCCE offices use the templates. These reports highlight key metrics and measured outcomes captured in UC ANR program information systems.

Use of the data is encouraged to help with the following:

• Advocacy - share with county government officials/staffers
• Accountability - can help meet local reporting requirements
• Communications - build understanding and support for UCCE programs

“These reports are fantastic – they are colorful, rich with imagery and fun to read. Most importantly, the content is easy to absorb by using infographics and photos,” said Anne Megaro, government and community relations director.

For help, please contact Christina Becker in UC ANR Program Planning and Evaluation at christina.becker@ucop.edu. There is also a recorded training at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--hQ55hLqpk.  

 

State adds 5% to UC ANR budget and more

Governor Newsom signed the first budget bill (SB 154) on June 27, and the second budget bill (AB 178) June 30. Together, these bills fund the core of the state budget. Provisions include: 

• 5% increase for UC ANR's budget (This allows UC ANR to adjust employee salaries effective July 1, 2022, as described in the May 20 UC ANR Update.) 
• $2.4 million in one-time funds for Nutrition Policy Institute to evaluate
•  “School Meals for All”
• $125 million in one-time funds for UC deferred maintenance, seismic mitigation and energy efficiency projects. 
• $185 million in one-time funds to support UC climate change research

“The state budget process is not finished and we expect several Budget Trailer Bills to be taken up in August after the Legislature returns from Summer Recess. Stay tuned!” said Anne Megaro, director of government relations.

See President Drake's comments about the state budget at https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/uc-statement-2022-23-california-budget-0.

Governor’s May Revise includes $2M for UC fire advisors

Governor Newsom released his May Revision budget proposal for 2022-23. Together with the funding proposed in the governor's January budget, the governor is proposing a total of $4.9 billion for the University of California. This total allocation represents a combined increase of $322.5 million, or 8.0%, in ongoing funding to the University's budget over 2021-22 levels, plus $607.9 million in one-time General Fund appropriations. The governor also announced a compact agreement between the governor and the university that proposes funding levels and articulates policy goals for the next five years. 

The proposal includes $2 million to support UC fire advisors, with a similar level of support intended in 2023-24.

See the UC Office of the President's story and read President Drake's statement to learn more. 

"I encourage people to invite members for tours, site visits and events," said Anne Megaro, director of government and community relations.

"Summer break is coming and they'll be in their districts in July (State Legislature) and August (Congress). Just this past week we had Senator Dianne Feinstein's staff meet with Lenya Quinn-Davidson and Matthew Shapero to learn about prescribed burns."

 

Delegation meets legislators for UC ANR Advocacy Day

A delegation of 12 UC ANR staff, academics, volunteers and stakeholders visited state legislators in Sacramento on April 19 for UC ANR Advocacy Day to share how UC ANR's work delivers local, place-based education, outreach and programming to serve communities throughout the state.

Anne Megaro, government and community relations director, and Christina Harrington, student assistant, UC Master Gardener and graduate of the UC California Naturalist Program, organized meetings with Assembly Member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, Senator John Laird, Assembly Member Devon Mathis, and staff members in many legislative offices.

The delegation thanked them for investing in ongoing funding in last year's state budget and shared their stories of serving community members, farmers, ranchers, youth and natural resource managers in their regions.

Vice President Glenda Humiston and Mark Bell, Vice Provost of Strategic Initiatives and Statewide Programs, led two teams, which included Sarah-Mae Nelson, UC Climate Stewards initiative academic coordinator; Kamal Khaira, director of CalFresh Healthy Living, UC; UCCE advisors Igor Lacan, Mae Culumber and Dorina Espinoza; 4-H Youth State Ambassadors Megna Nayar and Sara Tibbets; and Clio Tarazi, UC Master Gardener volunteer.

The teams urged legislators to support several key budget requests as part of Governor Newsom's proposed FY 2022-23 state budget. These budget commitments would support UC's much-needed capital projects at Research and Extension Centers and Elkus Ranch to expand capacity for research and programming, as well as investments for UC climate action and resiliency projects that will advance climate research and workforce development programs for students and community members. 

The UC ANR representatives invited the legislators to visit for tours and events to see UC ANR at work in their districts firsthand.

 

Advocacy is about building relationships

How do you achieve this? Communicate with all audiences throughout the year, not just during times of need. This helps form relationships as well as a deeper understanding of what it is that you do and how your work impacts the local community. This helps build a lasting relationship and a desire to support your research, programming, and services.

Many of our stakeholders know us through one program. By educating them about how our programs and academics work together – such as Master Gardener volunteers extending UC IPM information to the public or scientists with complementary expertise working together to address issues – people gain an appreciation for the value of UC ANR as a whole, not just individual programs. It's an impressive value proposition and it makes a difference in the lives of all Californians.

How should you educate elected officials?

As university employees, we may indicate our needs and ask for support with many audiences (e.g. funding organizations, boards of supervisors, donors, etc.) but we must take into consideration other factors when talking to elected state or federal officials or their staff members. 

We can, and should, educate and inform elected state and federal officials and their staff of the work UC ANR does in their districts. However, we cannot take positions on bills or ask for budgetary support without the expressed consent from the UC Office of the President. Only the regents, who have delegated authority to President Napolitano, can determine UC's official position on legislative issues.

So, what can you do if you can't ask for money? 

Share the impact of your work. Be specific! Tell a story and use UC ANR's public value statements to guide you. Sometimes a personal story about an individual who benefited from your work is easier to remember, and more moving, than total program impact to an entire community. For example, talk about your work solving a problem with a specific farmer and how it improved their bottom line, share a 4-H youth project, talk about working with a specific community partner and describe how you worked together to achieve a shared goal. Did you promote economic prosperity, develop a qualified workforce, or promote healthy people and communities? Did your partners save money? Did more 4-H youth go to college? Did participants lead healthier lives?

If we fine-tune the way we message our story and impacts, we can ensure that UC ANR will become widely known as the face of UC in communities throughout California.

For more information, see my one-pager at http://ucanr.edu/sites/Professional_Development/files/293044.pdf. Feel free to contact me at (530) 750-1218 or ammegaro@ucanr.edu.

 

 

 

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