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Dates
Announced for 2005
Texas Rural Summit
August
30 - September 1, 2005
The
Texas Rural Summit dates have been set for August 30-September
1, 2005 at the Doubletree Hotel in Austin, Texas. Room rates
are $80.00 for single, $100.00 for double. TRP and Texas Rural
Health Association again are partnering on this opportunity
to bring resources to rural Texas citizens.
Dennis
Engelke Recognized with 2004 Ron Schaffer Award
In
recognition of their excellence in service to rural America,
Dennis Engelke of Texas and Dianne McSwain of Washington, DC
were honored with one of the National Rural Development Partnership’s
(NRDP) most prestigious marks of distinction, the Ron Schaffer
Award. Engelke’s award was presented August 30 at the
NRDP Annual Conference in Oklahoma City, OK. McSwain’s
award was presented at the National Rural Development Council
(NRDC) September 13 meeting in Washington, DC.
The
Ron Schaffer Award was established in 2000 to honor Professor
Ron Schaffer, a founding member and advocate of the National
Rural Development Partnership. It is given to individuals who
embody “the values necessary to build a national and state
rural development partnership that meets the diverse needs of
rural America.” Nominations are made based on three categories:
1). Efforts to overcome barriers; 2) Collaborations and partnerships
facilitated by the applicant; and 3) Positive impacts the recipients
have made on their community, region or state.
Dennis
Engelke served as Director of Member Services for Texas Electric
Cooperatives for 26 years. His duties included coordinator and
instructor of director and employee training, director for the
Government-in-Action Youth Tour for 25 years, and facilitator
of rural community and economic development activities. In December
2003, Engelke was hired as Director of Member and Employee Relations
at CoServ, an electric cooperative serving six Texas counties
in the North Dallas Metroplex area. In June 2004, he became
CoServ’s Director of Marketing and Communications. Engelke
is the immediate past Chair of Texas Rural Partners, Inc., and
serves as President of Partners for Rural America. He has also
been active in leadership positions in the National FFA Alumni
Council, Boy Scouts of America and United Way. Nominators emphasize
that “Mr. Engelke is known for his dedication to rural
America, and his ability to bring people together around a common
goal.”
Dianne
McSwain brings over 20 years experience in the provision of
social services to her Special Assistant to the Director position
with the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs at U.S. Health
and Human Services (HHS). Since it’s inception, McSwain
has represented HHS on the NRDC, the Washington, D.C. arm of
the NRDP. She served as the chairperson of the Council for two
years and leads the Partnership's initiatives to develop a mechanism
for rural input to the federal policy and regulatory process
in welfare reform and health care issues. McSwain has also been
instrumental in the formation of the Secretary’s Rural
Task Force, the HHS intradepartmental effort to improve communication
and coordination among HHS programs serving rural America. Nominators
define McSwain as “a champion for diversity and inclusiveness
within the NRDP.” She has worked tirelessly to bring absent
partners to the table for discussion and action.
The
2004 Ron Shaffer Award recipients, Dianne McSwain and Dennis
Engelke, embody the true spirit of the Ron Shaffer Award. Moreover,
they successfully get to the very heart of what the National
Rural Development Partnership works to achieve.
Call
for Nominations:
Leadership
for a Changing World is seeking nominations of community
leaders across the country who are successfully tackling tough
social problems. Seventeen outstanding social justice leaders
and leadership teams who are not broadly known beyond their
immediate community or field will receive awards of $100,000
to advance their work, plus $15,000 for learning activities
that will advance their efforts. The program seeks to encourage
a public dialogue that recognizes a wide variety of leaders
and leadership models as authentic and important to social progress.
To this end, the program includes a major, multi-year research
initiative and numerous forums to bring awardees together with
other leaders to share experiences, address specific challenges,
and explore opportunities for collaboration.
Leadership
for a Changing World is a program of the Ford Foundation, in
partnership with the Washington-based Advocacy Institute and
the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New
York University. Nominations will be accepted by the Advocacy
Institute through January 7, 2005. Leaders must be nominated
by someone who is well acquainted with their work and can attest
to their qualifications.
To
find out who the 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 Leadership for a
Changing World awardees are, to request a brochure, or for more
information on the program, go to www.leadershipforchange.org
Specific questions can be submitted via email to info@leadershipforchange.org,
phone (202) 777-7542, or by writing to Leadership for a Changing
World, Advocacy Institute, 1629 K St., NW, Suite 200, Washington,
DC 20006-1629.
USDA
Publishes Agricultural Internet Marketing Guide
The
U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced the release of
a new publication designed to assist agricultural producers
in marketing their products via the Internet. How To Direct
Market Farm Products on the Internet provides basic information
to farm direct marketers who are interested in selling their
products online or using a Web site to publicize their farm
or products.
www.ams.usda.gov/tmd/MSB/msb.htm
For
all the unsung heroes in rural America . . .
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