Northeastern IPM Center

Advisory Council Membership Guidelines, November 2008

Role of the Advisory Council. The Advisory Council (AC) will consist of a diverse array of representatives who have a stake in the mission of the Northeastern IPM Center:

The Northeastern Integrated Pest Management Center fosters the development and adoption of IPM, a science-based approach to managing pests in ways that generate economic, environmental, and human health benefits. We work in partnership with stakeholders from agricultural, urban, and rural settings to identify and address regional priorities for research, education, and outreach.

The AC will provide a broad vision and guidance to the Steering Committee and Northeastern IPM Center staff and will be a key link for the Center to stakeholder needs and priorities for pest management programs. Moreover, the AC will be an important avenue for Center outreach. AC members will explain and promote the Center to their own constituencies and beyond. Finally, the AC will afford its members the opportunity to communicate with and learn from each other.

Membership Expectations. AC members are expected to attend one annual meeting each year of their term. They read (and, if necessary, respond to) Northeastern IPM Center correspondences and act as conduits of Center activities to the particular groups they represent. In turn, they are also encouraged to give feedback to the Northeastern IPM Center from their representative group(s).

Determining New Members. The Northeastern IPM Center co-directors are responsible for seeking out new AC members when a position is open. They will accept input from IPM stakeholders and will actively seek input from vacating members, state IPM coordinators, existing AC members, and the Steering Committee. The Center co-directors and the Steering Committee will make final determinations of membership.

Size of the Advisory Council. The number of people on the AC is limited to approximately 36, excluding Northeastern IPM Center staff.

Advisory Council Composition. The AC will have representatives from the following stakeholder groups. The numbers in parentheses indicate the minimum representation. AC members can represent several categories.

• 1890 institution (1) Rotate among the potential schools every three years

• Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) (1)

• CSREES National IPM representative (1) non-rotating position

• EPA Ð national (1)

• EPA Ð regional (3) non-rotating positions plus one ongoing guest

• Extension (3)

• Food Industry Stewardship (1)

• Grower organization (2)

• IPM Coordinators from NEREAP-IPM, including the current NEREAP chair (3)

• IPM Working Group Leader (2)

• IR-4 Project (1)

• Marketing (1)

• Natural Resources Conservation Service (1) plus one guest when appropriate

• Nongovernmental Environmental Organization (2)

• Non-Land-Grant University (1)

• Northeast Extension Service Directors (1) non-rotating position

• Northeast Plant Diagnostic Network (1)

• Northeast Research Station Directors (1) non-rotating position

• Northeastern IPM Center Co-directors (2) non-rotating position

• Office of Pest Management Policy (1)

• Other related agencies (e.g., Housing and Urban Development, NASS) (2)

• Private Consultant (2)

• Production agriculture (2)

• Research (3)

• State lead agency (e.g., Dept. of Agriculture) (2)

• State Network Project Leader (2) plus one guest SNP leader as appropriate

• Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program (1)

Guests. Stakeholders outside of the official AC may audit or participate in meetings, committees, and conference calls for specific reasons if approved by one of the Center Directors. Expenses incurred may be reimbursed on a case-by-case basis.

Membership Terms. To provide fresh ideas and be inclusive of stakeholders throughout the region, AC members will be rotated. Most membership terms are 3 years, beginning with the first AC meeting attended, and are replenished in a staggered fashion. In this way, the Center will retain institutional memory while being open to new representation.

Renewal of Membership. After the initial 3-year term, the Steering Committee may request that an AC member serve an additional 3-year term. Once this second term has expired, the AC member is required to withdraw from the AC for the period of one year (beginning January 1) before seeking another renewable 3-year term.

Expenses. The Northeastern IPM Center will pay for the following expenses incurred by the AC member during travel to AC meetings:

• Reimbursement for travel by air (up to $900), train, bus, or automobile ($0.55 per mile), also including shuttles or taxis to and from the airport, train, or bus stations;

• Hotel accommodations including hotel rooms and parking;

• Food and beverages, excluding alcohol; and

• Other meeting expenses such as meeting rooms, AV equipment.

• Excluded expenses: phone bills, internet connection fees, alcohol, room service.

Travel expenses will be reimbursed by check sent to the AC member; some meeting expenses (e.g., dining) will be paid for directly by the Northeastern IPM Center when possible.

Lapsed Membership (Excusing Members). Members are considered inactive when no communication exists between an AC member and any Northeastern IPM Center staff in response to Northeastern IPM Center business either by email, telephone, or meeting attendance for the period of a year. Before excusing an AC member, the Steering Committee and all Northeastern IPM Center staff will be informed by a Center Co-director. Upon the approval of the Steering Committee, a letter will be sent to the member about the termination of membership. Members may also excuse themselves by submitting a letter to one of the Center co-directors, who will then forward the information to the Steering Committee. If possible, the departing member is encouraged to recommend a potential replacement.

Representation Contingencies. If a search for replacements to fulfill each representation category is unsuccessful after attempting recruitment of nominees from IPM stakeholders, IPM Coordinators, AC members, and the Steering Committee, the position will remain open until a representative can be found. Some categories of AC membership have only one person who can serve as a representative of their stakeholder group. These positions may remain unchanged indefinitely.

Northeastern IPM Center

Steering Committee Membership Guidelines, November 2008

As the Northeastern IPM Center's policy-setting body, the Steering Committee (SC) is the group responsible for helping to bring about a vision for IPM in the region. The Steering Committee's small size, historical perspective, and representative structure keep it nimble and enable it to provide general direction for Center work.

Membership Representation:

Representatives	# of Reps	Term
Crop Consultant or Grower Organization	1	Rotating
Directors of the Northeastern IPM Center	2	Permanent
Environmental Protection Agency	1	Rotating
NEREAP-IPM Current Chair	1	Rotating Ð 1 year term
NEREAP-IPM Member	1	Rotating
Non-governmental/Environmental Organization	1	Rotating
Northeast Agricultural Experiment Station Directors	1	Permanent
Northeast Extension Directors	1	Permanent
Office of Pest Management Policy or other Federal Agency	1	Rotating
State Network Leader	1	Rotating

Membership Terms:

Due to the stable nature of the Steering Committee, rotation is expected to be minimal, with some memberships remaining permanent. Members with a rotating position serve for three years, with the exception of the NEREAP-IPM current chair, who serves a one-year term. All other rotating members are automatically renewed for successive three-year terms unless they either ask to be rotated from the committee or are asked by the SC to step down. In this case, the Center directors, in consultation with the SC, will agree on a new member to fill the position.

Membership Expectations:

The Steering Committee gathers input from stakeholders (including. but not limited to. the Advisory Council); reads and responds to NEIPM Center correspondence; determines broad policy goals and priorities; reviews off-cycle Center grants; and provides direction for timely and effective Center management. SC members are expected to attend one annual meeting each year of their term.

Expenses:

The NEIPMC will reimburse (by check) for travel, hotel, and food expenses incurred by the SC member during travel to SC meetings. The majority of additional meeting expenses (hotel, dining) will be paid for directly by the NEIPMC when possible.