Comments by Provost Bruce Mallory at Cooperative Extension Annual Conference 2006

Thank you for inviting me to join you, even for a few minutes today.  It is especially significant that this celebration of the achievements of Cooperative Extension is happening today, at this hour.  Later this afternoon, the University will announce the appointment of the interim president who will serve after Dr. Hart departs for Philadelphia in July and during the process of searching for the next president.  Such transition is terribly important and challenging for a University.  And it is in this context that we are reminded of the importance of continuity, deep roots, and clear values that must be sustained over the long term.  Of course, Cooperative Extension represents all of these—continuity, deep roots, and clear values.

Your goals reflect the core mission of this land-grant university to:

• foster development of competent individuals and strong families
• strengthen New Hampshire communities
• conserve and protect land, water and open space
• strengthen the economic impact of agricultural, forest and marine industries

You have been engaged in this work for decades, and your work has evolved along with the social, economic, agricultural, and community changes that our state has experienced so rapidly during that time.  The renaissance of agriculture that the state is enjoying, the success of organic producers, new developments in aquaculture, regional planning for sustainability, attention to the needs of families and children (especially young children and adolescents) are all areas where Cooperative Extension has played a central role in linking the University to the needs of New Hampshire. At the heart of Cooperative Extension are core values that guide your program initiatives.  You advocate for rational decisions made at the community level by informed citizens who have the tools necessary to participate fully in policy decisions and local, grassroots initiatives.  Your commitment to participatory democracy is so important in a nation and world that is increasingly complex and where the power of multinational entities, both corporate and political, requires the balancing of citizen action.   You understand that the fundamental unit of both sustainability and change in our society is the family, and you understand that the place that supports families’ ability to succeed is the local community.

I am proud to be associated with Cooperative Extension, and I want you to know that Dean Pike and I have been having very specific discussions about ways to connect CE more directly to the Office of Academic Affairs at UNH.  The details of that connection will be communicated in the coming weeks.  Our goal is to create even greater synergies between the applied research and demonstration programs in CE and the academic and research activities of our 6 schools and colleges. I am sure that this work will benefit the University as well as the state.

Best wishes for a wonderful remainder of the day and thank you again for all of your good work around the Granite State.