We are putting the finishing touches on the new CAHNRS strategic plan. Our focus is aligning goals and strategies with plans to monitor progress toward those goals. I am proud of the work CAHNRS has put into this. Faculty and staff across the college have come together to develop a plan that is feasible and focused on the key needs of our college’s people and the people of Washington and beyond. This week, we plan to approach completion of the monitoring plan that lays out what will be measured and when, what data will be used, and our baseline metrics from which we will improve.
There are many meetings with partners on the agenda this week. One is a national meeting with Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching (CARET) members and my dean counterparts from across the country. We are gearing up for our spring meeting in Washington, D.C., followed by visits to the Hill.
It will be another interesting year for Hill visits — the current year federal budget is not approved, yet our conversations will include next year’s budget. The Farm Bill will continue to be part of our discussions. I hope we are able to meet with our new House members. The CARET members are instrumental in our discussions; they share how they benefit from our research and Extension programs, providing members with stories that demonstrate our impact. As a smaller state, we spend a nice amount of time with our elected members and have enough interaction with them each year that we make good progress on shared priorities every time we go to Washington, D.C.
It is hard to believe we are moving into the second half of January! We have a lot going on in CAHNRS that’s making the semester pass quickly. I appreciate that no snow is in the forecast this week so we can minimize weather delays. Other parts of the country aren’t faring as well. Beyond the snow in unusual places is the heartbreaking wildfire devastation in California. No matter how hectic things might be, I am grateful for our good fortune here in Washington state.