- Campuses :
- Twin Cities
- Crookston
- Duluth
- Morris
- Rochester
- Other Locations
Call for MISA Board Nominations
This is a message from the MISA Board of Directors Nominations Committee.
We seek your help in identifying individuals potentially willing to serve on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA.) The purpose of MISA is to bring together the diverse interests of the agricultural community with interests from across the University community in a cooperative effort to develop and promote sustainable agriculture in Minnesota and beyond. A term on the MISA Board is three years. You may nominate yourself or someone else to serve on the Board.
Beginning in October 2012, the following vacancies on the Board will be filled:
One (1) sustainable agriculture practitioner (e.g. farmers and ranchers); and,
Two (2) representatives of the university community with a demonstrated interest in sustainable agriculture (e.g. faculty, staff, students, Extension, Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships.)
We seek to have the board reflect diversity, especially with respect to gender, race, student status, geographic area, and occupation in the membership on the Board.
Below is detailed information about MISA, an application/nomination form, roles and responsibilities of Board members, and desired characteristics of Board members.
Please submit the application or nomination form to the MISA office by 4:30 p.m., Friday, September 7, 2012.
The Nominations Committee will continue to accept nominations until the vacancies are filled, but will be meeting the week of August 25th to begin identifying candidates for the Board.
Please visit our web site (www.misa.umn.edu) or contact the MISA office if you have any questions.
Application or Nomination Form (PDF, 12 kb)
About MISA
Roles and Responsibilities of MISA Board Members
Characteristics of Board members
About MISA
The purpose of MISA is to bring together the diverse interests of the agricultural community with interests from across the University community in a cooperative effort to develop and promote sustainable agriculture in Minnesota and beyond.
MISA is an organization of the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS,) University of Minnesota Extension, and the Sustainers Coalition (SC.) The SC consists of the following organizations:
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
Land Stewardship Project
Minnesota Food Association
Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota
The Minnesota Project
The Board consists of twelve to fifteen members. Membership on the Board shall reflect a 1/3 balance among: University representatives with a demonstrated interest in sustainable agriculture (e.g. faculty, staff, students, Extension, Regional Partnerships); sustainable agriculture practitioners (e.g. farmers and ranchers); and, representatives of the sustainable agriculture community (e.g., non-governmental organizations, business, government and citizen representatives.) We seek to have the board reflect diversity, especially with respect to gender, race, student status, geographic area, and occupation in the membership of the Board and its committees.
For more information about serving on the Board of Directors, see the MISA web site (www.misa.umn.edu) or feel free to contact the MISA office at 1-800-909-6472; 612/625-8235 in the Metro area, or contact one of the current MISA Board members via the MISA office:
Todd Arnold, Dept of Fisheries, Wildlife & Conservation Biology, St. Paul
Phil Batalden, Farmer, Lamberton
Atina Diffley, Organic consultant, Famington
Glen Hill, Director, Minnesota Food Association
Loretta Jaus, Farmer, Gibbon
Kris Johnson, Dept of Conservation Biology, St. Paul
Rob King, U of MN Faculty, Department of Applied Economics, St. Paul
Ramona Robinson-O'Brien College of Saint Benedict & Saint John's University, St. Joseph
Derric Pennington, Research Associate, Department of Applied Economics, St. Paul
Julie Ristau, Co-Director, On the Commons
Lisa Smiley, Farmer, Cannon Falls
Okey Ukaga, Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships, Woodbury
Aimee Witteman, McKnight Foundation, St Paul
Dale Woodbeck, Lakewinds Natural Foods Co-op, Excelsior
Vince Xiong, Farmer, Plymouth
Roles and Responsibilities of MISA Board Members
Serve a three year term. Nominations shall be staggered so that 1/3 of the Directors are nominated annually. Occasionally, shorter terms are available when Board members resign before the end of their term.
Participate in monthly Board meetings. Currently there are two in-person meetings and four additional 1-1.5 hour conference calls. Expenses for participation - mileage, meals, lodging, phone calls are reimbursed by MISA. A small per diem for self-employed Board members is also paid by MISA.
Serve on Board committees and task forces.
Contribute actively to discussion and critical thinking about sustainable agriculture in Minnesota and beyond. Board members participate in activities such as program evaluation, outreach, educational materials planning and review, and stimulating effective partnering between the U of M and citizens outside of the University.
Characteristics of Board members:
Supports philosophy and principles of sustainable agriculture and sustainable development.
Knowledge of sustainable agriculture and of Minnesota agriculture, or a willingness to learn about Minnesota agriculture.
An interest in citizen involvement and participation in sustainable development and in university/community partnerships.
The ability to work with diverse groups and diverse viewpoints.
Good interpersonal and communication skills.
Is a systems thinker.
Is concerned about the long-term conservation of the ecosystem.
Background:
The Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA) is a unique partnership between the University of Minnesota's College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, University of Minnesota Extension, and the Sustainers' Coalition, a group of individuals and community-based nonprofit organizations.
See Also:
