The new UNH President, Mark Huddleston, has been busy learning about UNH Cooperative Extension, and he already has plans to join us for two important events in September and October. While in Coos County on July 24, he visited the Extension staff in Lancaster and was very impressed with our extensive outreach efforts.

On August 2, the Leadership Team briefed President Huddleston on Cooperative Extension's programmatic, financial and strategic planning efforts that are currently underway. Following the briefing in Taylor Hall, President Huddleston noted, "UNH Cooperative Extension does some really great work for UNH and the people of New Hampshire. I look forward to helping to get that word out."

President Huddleston will be a guest of honor at a September 26th dinner hosted by our State Advisory Council, along with USNH Board of Trustees Chair Andy Lietz. He also will participate in our next combined Belknap-Carroll County Conversation October 26, tentatively scheduled at a location on Squam Lake featuring our Lakes Lay Monitoring Program (LLMP). The LLMP has grown into an internationally recognized volunteering effort, with 500 volunteers monitoring the water quality at hundreds of lakes and tributaries. Squam Lake volunteers are one of the program's longest participants and in 2008, will celebrate 30 years as a participant.

Lastly, President Huddleston looks forward to not only continuing the tradition of "County Conversations" but also seeing all our staff at our next conference on May 19, 2008.