Last week, when I was in Berkeley, I met not only with the CE Specialists but spent the better part of the morning with the Nutrition Policy Institute. Of course I knew Lorrene Ritchie and knew of Pat Crawford's work but it was really nice to sit down and put names and faces to the incredible number of projects going on across NPI. This group really has it together and is ahead of the curve in my book. They've had a lawyer on board at NPI for some time now and he helps them translate their research into policy by making sure their message “doesn't put lawmakers to sleep”. It sounds like an obvious member of a team but who else really prioritizes such a position within a group of nutritionists? If you don't know anything about NPI, be sure to take a look at their website or Twitter feed @UCnpi . It's a large group with the vast majority of the group soft funded. The enthusiasm was contagious, but if you know Lorrene this doesn't surprise you. Not even a small earthquake during our visit (3.4, if I recall correctly what Pat reported) could shake this group from the energy they have for their work.
Today UC ANR had its annual meeting with President Napolitano. A good meeting; I was surprised how fast 90 minutes went by. The recommendation of developing a 5-yr strategic plan didn't come up (thank goodness!). Instead we talked about where we are with implementing the recently developed plan and talked about budget projections and expenditures. AVP Tu Tran fielded those questions and, as always, did a fabulous job recounting numbers that I could only begin to remember. UC ANR is quite fortunate to have someone with his business acumen.
Wednesday and Thursday this week I will be down at the Forbes Ag Tech Summit near Salinas. If I have been to Salinas before it was just driving through. More importantly, I haven't been to the Summit before so I am anxious to see what that is about and then see what ideas come out of it for me. I like to spend some time with people outside of my usual crowd; it gets me to think a bit differently and better appreciate how others think. I will be sure to have a post about any ideas the Summit conjures up. Who knows, I might even remember to take a photo. I meant to do that at NPI but good intentions don't guarantee follow through. It will be enough though if I walk away with a clever idea, like having an attorney on staff for a policy institute.
I am hoping to get to at least a few county offices over the summer. My visits to offices thus far have proven very useful and I look forward to getting to every office before June 2018 hits. I already have a fair bit of other travel booked through mid-fall but visits to the counties are a high priority for me. It's the best way to see, firsthand, all of the ‘NPI-like' programs we have in UC ANR.