Committees
Standing committees and task forces are essential to EDEN’s achieving its mission. Standing committees and task forces are voluntary and open to EDEN delegates, retirees, and affiliates. Each committee elects its chair and vice-chair to serve one-year terms, with the chair limited to three consecutive terms. Elections occur by July 1 of each year; chairs will assume their roles at the close of EDEN Annual Meeting.
Executive Committee – The executive committee is comprised of the chair, chair-elect, secretary, chairs of all standing committees, ECOP, NIFA, and NOAA Sea Grant liaison, and additional regional representatives if necessary. Others may be asked to participate in executive committee meetings as non-voting participants.
The executive committee will have representation from the following regions and Extension programs: Northeast, South, North Central, West, 1890 Institutions and Sea Grant Extension Programs. If a region or Extension program is not represented by one of the officers or a committee chair, the executive committee will select a representative to serve for a term of one year.
Standing Committees – EDEN standing committees are:
The committee chair is responsible for helping the committee set its annual goals and organizing its work, which can be done at the annual meeting, by email, over conference calls or through other means. If a committee chair is unable to participate in an executive committee meeting, the committee vice-chair shall be asked to participate.
Nominating – The nominating committee is appointed by the EDEN chair in even-numbered years and is chaired by the immediate past chair. This committee presents candidates for chair-elect and secretary to be voted on per voting requirements.
Task Forces – The chair and executive committee may establish task forces for particular functions and needs. These committees will serve at the pleasure of the executive committee or until their mission is completed.
Administrative Infrastructure
The Executive Committee may act on behalf of EDEN on time critical issues. Functions to support EDEN and the Executive Committee are coordinated by a single institution and funded by a competitive grant from NIFA. Individuals funded by the grant are liaisons to the Executive Committee but have no voting privileges. The executive committee recommends funding strategies to the NIFA liaison at the start of the third year of the funding cycle.
Since 2002, EDEN has been supported by a grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture through the Food and Agricultural Defense Initiative. The award was competitively granted under a four-year agreement most recently to the Extension Foundation in 2023.
Communication
All delegates, retirees, and affiliates will be included on the EDEN delegate email list to facilitate communication.
