Download
Items of Interest
Dr. Hunter P. Goodman Named the 2025 Bonnie Teater Community Development Early Career Achievement Award Recipient
The Southern Rural Development Center is proud to honor Dr. Hunter P. Goodman as the 2025 recipient of the Bonnie Teater Community Development Early Career Achievement Award. Dr. Goodman is an Assistant Professor of Community, Workforce, and Economic Development with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture (UADA).
On behalf of Dr. Hunter P. Goodman’s nomination, Dr. Stacey McCullough, Assistant Vice President for Community, Professional & Economic Development, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service, stated, “Her work is innovative and impactful, and she embodies everything we look for in an outstanding community development professional and faculty member.”
View the full press release and see previous Bonnie Teater award recipients.
Webinar Video SERA-47 Tea & Coffee Hour: Evaluating Consumer Preferences and Willingness to Pay for North Carolina Value-Added Agricultural Products
This study explores consumer preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for value-added agricultural products produced in North Carolina. Through surveys and choice experiments, the research assesses which attributes—
such as local origin, organic certification, eco-friendly packaging, and product labeling—most influence purchasing decisions.
Read more of the story and access the video.
To access the webinar and learn more about SERA-47, access their website at https://sera-47.extension.org/
Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC) News
Training Highlighting Impact and Collaboration at Annual NACDEP Conference
A dynamic lineup of presentations and trainings took place at the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) Conference, held from June 9-12, in Charleston, West Virginia. This event provides individuals involved in Extension and economic development with the opportunity to network, attend seminars and workshops, showcase their research and programs, and foster peer learning on various topics. At this year’s conference, SRDC, along with partners, co-hosted two pre-conference workshops, one on heirs’ property and another for community development practitioners.
Understanding Heir's Property at the Community Level
SRDC Associate Director Roseanne Scammahorn and the heirs’ property training team hosted a two-day “Understanding Heirs’ Property at the Community Level” Fundamentals Train-the-Trainer pre-conference workshop. During this session, leading educators of heirs’ property walked participants through a three-part training program to help community members take action to protect their lands. The three sections include an overview of heirs’ property, strategies for preventing heirs’ property, and key considerations in resolving heirs’ property. At the end, Land-Grant professionals who attend will, in turn, use the materials to provide training to families and communities in their home states.
The USDA defines heirs’ property as land that has been passed down informally from generation to generation. In most cases, it involves landowners who died without a will. Heirs’ property is land owned “in common” by all of the heirs, regardless of whether they live on the land, pay the taxes, or have ever set foot on the land.
The Policy Research Center at Alcorn State University, the Southern Risk Management Education Center (SRMEC), and the Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC) are anchor partners in the effort through funding from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), the Farm Service Agency, and the National Resource Conservation Service. To learn more about heirs’ property and access information on future trainings, please visit https://srdc.msstate.edu/programs/heir_property
Community Development in Practice: Foundational Skills for Extension Community Developers (CD101)
For the community development pre-conference session, Grace Langford, Extension Associate III from the Southern Rural Development Center, and collaborating partners from ten Land-Grant universities presented a 3-hour workshop titled “Community Development in Practice: Foundational Skills for Extension Community Developers.” This seminar offered attending Extension professionals the opportunity to learn core community development concepts and resources, explore methods for assessing community needs and data, and build skills and networks to enhance Extension programming. Also known as “CD101,” this programming is designed to be hands-on and applicable while helping to strengthen capacity for meaningful community and economic development.
The funding for this community development training and its project, “National Extension Development Foundations of Practice”, are supported by the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) through a multi-year grant from partner Ascendium Education Group. NCHEMS is a nonprofit, nonpartisan postsecondary education consulting organization specializing in research, development, and technical assistance that helps states, systems, and institutions adopt forward-looking/future-oriented policies and practices. To learn more about how the CD101 training serves NCHEMS’ goal of strengthening rural development through cooperative Extension, read this article: https://nchems.org/nchems-and-ascendium-partner-to-strengthen-rural-development-through-cooperative-extension/
SRDC Repository Readership Snapshot Update
In May 2025, the Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC) Repository collection had a total of 335 downloads from 57 different institutions in 38 different countries.
The repository is hosted on Mississippi State University Library’s platform, Scholars Junction, which allows users to explore published content from the SRDC and its partners. Access the SRDC’s repository.
Job Opportunity
Director, Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Auburn University invites nominations and applications for the position of Director of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. The director serves as Alabama Extension’s chief academic and administrative officer, providing vision and leadership that enhance the system’s tradition of excellence in education, research, service, and educational outreach. The director reports directly to the presidents of Auburn University and Alabama A&M University. This position will be permanently located in Auburn, Alabama.
As director, the individual selected will be responsible for leading Alabama Extension in pursuit of the system and the university’s shared values, including scholarship, instruction, and outreach. This individual will represent all departments and centers within the system by advancing all programs inside and outside the university. The director will support and advocate for all faculty and staff, both on campus and in locations throughout the state. The director will maintain a strong commitment to faculty and staff while ensuring stakeholder needs are met through the system’s various programming options. Access the application at https://ssl.acesag.auburn.edu/posannc/files/Alabama-Extension-Director-20250604.pdf
Conferences, Workshops, Trainings
2025 Community Development Society (CDS) Conference
In-person: July 6-9, 2025, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, New York
2025 Rural Sociological Society (RSS) Annual Meeting
In-person: July 30 – August 2, 2025, Hilton Salt Lake City Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
VIEW ANNUAL MEETING INFORMATION
2025 Epsilon Sigma Phi (ESP) National Conference
In-person: October 6-9, 2025, Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown, Fort Worth, Texas
ACCESS CONFIRMATION INFORMATION
2025 NETtra Conference
In-person: October 7-10, 2025, Mill Falls at the Lake Resort, Meredith, New Hampshire
The NET Awards Committee is currently seeking nominations for awards that will be recognized at the conference.
Award nominations are due by July 8 at 11:59 PM. To learn more and access the nomination form, visit https://extensiontourism.net/net-2025-awards-are-now-open/. If you have any questions during the nomination process, please contact Ann Savage at email aesavage@ncsu.edu.
2025 Professional Agricultural Workers Conference (PAWC)
In-person: November 16-18, 2025, Renaissance Montgomery Hotel and Spa, Montgomery, Alabama
2026 Southern Rural Sociological Association (SRSA) Conference
In-person: February 1-2, 2025, Omni Louisville Hotel, Louisville, Kentucky
Abstract submissions for the 2026 annual meeting open in October 2025.
VIEW ANNUAL MEETING INFORMATION
2026 Extension Leadership Conference (ELC)
In-person: February 4-5, 2026, Savannah, Georgia
2026 Public Issues Leadership Development Conference (PILD)
In-person: April 20-21, 2026, Bethesda, Maryland