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Northwest Area Executive
Jenae Prescott
Idaho
Work: (208)733-5380
Cell: (208)308-0587
Northwest Area Alternative Executive
Jessi Colgrove
Nebraska
Work: (402)223-3125
Cell: (402)806-7065
Area Chairs
Awards, Emblems, Scholarships
Kyra Hagberg, MT
Benefits
Deana Tranby, ND
Legislative
Linda Robb, NE
Membership
Lori Jones, SD
NAFEC
Greg Chewakin, NE
Negotiations
Harold Boggs, ID
Programs
Jennifer Dutton, WY
Publicity
Christy Randall, ID
Northwest Area News A Word From Your NWA Executive
Jenae Prescott
With the release of this NWA Bulletin Spring is almost upon us, or
so I most certainly hope. This winter has been one for the books
and I don’t think that goes just for my home state but for many
states across the NWA and the rest of the US. It goes to show that
we never know what will be thrown at us next but one thing is for
certain, we will persevere and brighter days are ahead.
Even brighter days are what I see in store for NASCOE. We have
such amazing leadership in place and even though we are in an
uncertain place with who will be our FSA management team, we
are blessed to have a sound NASCOE team in place. I want to
thank you all for allowing me to serve the NWA as your Executive
and the opportunity to work with such amazing people.
My favorite time is upon us; State Meetings, Negotiations, Rallies
and Baseball…not necessarily in that order! I love getting to travel
around the NWA visiting our membership and spreading the word
of how incredible NASCOE is and opportunities such as being able
to travel to DC and advocate for our membership is what makes
this job even more fulfilling. My job is to represent the NWA and I
feel that this is when I get to do just that, it is an honor and I find it
very rewarding to represent such a wonderful group of fellow
coworkers and friends.
April 2017
NASCOE Myths: Debunked Jessi Colgrove, NWA Alternate Executive
There are many reasons that FSA employees choose not to be NASCOE members and those reasons can be as varied as the employees themselves. In the last issue of the NWA newsletter I discussed “but I don’t want my membership dues to pay for you to go on trips”. This time, we will focus on “something happened that upset me”. It seems that there are two different ways that members can get sideways with NASCOE…either a state or national board makes a decision that members disagree with, or something adverse happens that is out of NASCOE’s control. As a board, we aren’t infallible. We are only human and we try to do our best but sometimes we can miss the mark. Unfortunately, these errors can cause members to drop their membership…sometimes to prove a point, or sometimes because the decision we made really goes against someone’s belief system. Here’s the thing though, you need to let us know and give us a chance to make it right. As a member, it is your responsibility to give feedback to your elected representatives and we are only as good as the response we get from membership. Help make us better! A member should never feel like the only way to express their disagreement is to cancel their membership. Several years ago, FSA was forced to close offices and enact a reduction in force (RIF). Understandably, this was extremely upsetting to everyone involved. NASCOE fought for our members because that’s what we do. Our voices and opinions were heard but we were unable to stop these actions. Negative things are sometimes going to happen to FSA employees, but isn’t that all the more reason to belong to the association that looks out for your best interests? Dropping your membership because something bad happened is like refusing to ever ride in a car after you’ve been in an accident. The car’s safety features may have worked to protect you from harm but the accident happened anyway. As an association, we can’t fix everything but that doesn’t mean that we won’t try. As we head into the uncertainty associated with a new Presidential administration, we need support from our members now more than ever. Can you imagine the impact we would have at the state level if we could tell our new SED’s that 100% of county office employees are members? That’s HUGE! When the association spoke, the state office would listen. Similarly, we can have the same impact at the national level! With NASCOE membership levels at varied rates across the country, it is difficult for us to have the kind of impact that we need in order to negotiate for what we want. If you have never been a member, please consider joining us. Dues are inexpensive and adding your voice to ours will strengthen our numbers and our impact. If you are a lapsed member, I ask you to give serious thought to re‐joining NASCOE. If you are unhappy about the way things have been run, contact me. I would be happy to visit with you and address your concerns. This change in administration is a critical time for our association and for FSA employees…help us protect our jobs and benefits.
PROGRAMS REPORT
Jennifer Dutton, Chair
Hello NWA Membership!
My name is Jennifer Dutton, I am from Southwest Wyoming and I am honored to serve as your NWA Program Chair.
The primary focus of Programs has been to better communicate with Membership as well as the Nation‐al Office. Dana McKinney is currently our National Program Chair and she has done an excellent job of improving the communication with what happens once that ‘submit’ button is pushed by you.
As of January 20, Programs has received 53 submissions, the NWA submitted 4. Members that have sub‐mitted items are always notified by email once a response is received. As always, all submissions with responses can be viewed on the NASCOE website by any employee. You may also click on the “Follow” button located on the NASCOE Website and you will receive an email anytime a response is received. This is a very effective way to keep up to date so you don’t have to continually check the site!
Please continue to send in submissions, its one avenue to help improve our work situation, plus we have the hands‐on experience and can see what would work best in our situations or make it easier for us to serve America’s agricultural producers. Submissions can be made online at www.nascoe.org/forms‐downloads/programs‐submission/ or by contacting Dana McKinney (National Programs Chair), Jennifer Dutton (NWA Programs Chair) or your State Programs Chair.
State Program Chairs are:
Harold Boggs – Idaho
Molly Greene ‐ Montana
Heather Amateis – Nebraska
Deanna Tranby – North Dakota
Phil Morton – Oregon
Doug Hofer – South Dakota
“There are 350 squirts in a gallon of milk”
NASCOE has some great benefits to offer their members!! Please take some time and check out the different benefits!
Benefits
Deana Tranby ,Chair
Dillard Financial Solutions
Dillard Financial Solutions is the official benefits provider for NASCOE. NASCOE members are eligible to receive free one‐on‐one retirement and benefits analysis to assist with long‐term financial planning. DFS also offers numerous re‐tirement and insurance products to meet the needs of NASCOE members. For more information, please visit http://
dillardfinancialsolutionsinc.com/nascoe/benefits/ https://nascoe.org/benefits/
NASCOE Educational Benefits Guide, NASCOE Benefits Brochure, NASCOE Benefits Flyer NASCOE Benefits Provider Overview, TSP Options
Working Advantage Employee Discount Program https://www.WorkingAdvantage.com
Please contact your state benefits chair for login information
Current Government Cell Phone Discounts
Each cell phone company offers different discounts for NASCOE members so make sure you check out these discounts on the websites listed above!
AT&T: https://wireless.att.com/business/enrollment SPRINT: http://now.sprint.com/save/
T‐MOBIL: h p://business.t~mobile.com/government/employee‐discounts
US CELLAR: http://uscellular.com/partner
VERIZON: https://www.verizonwireless.com/discount‐program/#
AirMedCare Network Affinity Group Membership Discount for NASCOE MEMBERS
Please see the NASCOE website under benefits to obtain information on this wonderful benefit offered to Nascoe Members!
Gym Discounts and Dental/Vision Plan Discounts
See your current health insurance providers for the discounts offered for gym, dental and vision plans!
COMING SOON!! UPDATED INFORMATION ON GAS STA‐TION DISCOUNTS, AAA DISCOUNTS, COSTCO AND
SAM’S CLUB MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNTS!!
PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS ON BENEFITS!! IF I AM UNABLE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS, I WILL CONTACT
SOMEONE THAT CAN! IT IS IMPORTANT WE ALL UTILIZE ALL THE BENEFITS THAT ARE OFFERED TO NASCOE MEMBERS!! SEE YOU
ALL IN LINCOLN, NE FOR THE NW AREA RALLY!!!
DEANA TRANBY – NW AREA BENEFITS EXEC – [email protected] or cell#: 701‐228‐8201 or home# 701‐228‐2247
JM MARKETING
JM Marketing has great benefits to offer NASCOE members! Please check out the website for Free Benefits, Dental, Vision, Cancer, Critical Illness, Life Insurance, Accident, Long Term Care, Identity Theft and Retirement Ser‐vices! They also offer Pay
Check Direct!
www: jminsuredirect.com
Awards, Scholarships, and Emblems
Kyra Hagberg, Chair
Happy almost spring everybody! I say almost spring as we are experiencing snow again. But there is life
popping up everywhere for our livestock producers: baby lambs, calves and I witnessed the baby chicks
yesterday at the farm store… Spring is in the air!
With spring comes the news of scholarship application results. I am very excited to announce this year’s
winners of the Traditional Scholarship and the Open Continuing Education Scholarship.
This year’s winner of the Traditional Scholarship is Tigh Renken. Tigh is a senior at Bertrand Community
High School in Bertrand, Nebraska; and is the son of Richard and Annette Renken (PT Buffalo‐Sherman
County FSA). Tigh states he will continue his education at the Fort Scott Community College in Fort
Scott, KS majoring in Agriculture to where he will begin his educational career to become a specialist in
Animal Genetics. Congratulations and Good Luck Tigh!
This year’s winner of the Open Continuing Education Scholarship is Coleman Forst. Coleman is a junior at
Kansas State University; and is the son of Jerry (PT Gage County FSA) and Theresa Forst. Coleman states
he is majoring in Agricultural Economics and will better his education with the Kansas State University
Center for Risk Management Research and Education to pursue a career as a grain merchandiser. Con‐
gratulations and Good Luck Coleman!
Spring also brings recognition of the uncelebrated. I am, also, pleased to announce the 2017 Distin‐
guished Service Award Winners in the categories of DSA‐Service to Community and DSA‐Service to FSA‐
Agriculture. (Cont.)
(Cont) Awards, Scholarships, and Emblems:
Happy almost spring everybody! I say almost spring as we are experiencing snow again. But there is life popping
up everywhere for our livestock producers: baby lambs, calves and I witnessed the baby chicks yesterday at the
farm store… Spring is in the air!
With spring comes the news of scholarship application results. I am very excited to announce this year’s winners of
the Traditional Scholarship and the Open Continuing Education Scholarship.
This year’s winner of the Traditional Scholarship is Tigh
Renken. Tigh is a senior at Bertrand Community High
School in Bertrand, Nebraska; and is the son of Richard and
Annette Renken (PT Buffalo‐Sherman County FSA). Tigh
states he will continue his education at the Fort Scott Com‐
munity College in Fort Scott, KS majoring in Agriculture to
where he will begin his educational career to become a spe‐
cialist in Animal Genetics. Congratulations and Good Luck
Tigh!
This year’s winner of the Open Continuing Education
Scholarship is Coleman Forst. Coleman is a junior at
Kansas State University; and is the son of Jerry (PT Gage
County FSA) and Theresa Forst. Coleman states he is
majoring in Agricultural Economics and will better his
education with the Kansas State University Center for
Risk Management Research and Education to pursue a
career as a grain merchandiser. Congratulations and
Good Luck Coleman!
Spring also brings recognition of the uncelebrated. I
am, also, pleased to announce the 2017 Distinguished
Service Award Winners in the categories of DSA‐Service
to Community and DSA‐Service to FSA‐Agriculture.
This year’s Area winner of the DSA‐Service to Community
is awarded to Larry Evans of Minden, Nebraska. Larry
serves as the County Executive Director for Kearney Coun‐
ty where he has been for 14 years. Larry was nominated
by his co‐worker, Mona, who noticed his tireless work with
the producers of their county; along with his dedication to
coaching American Legion Baseball for six years; serving
on the City Council (2010‐present); and to his church. Lar‐
ry says his wife, Nancy, is his supporting factor which al‐
lows him to be so active in the agency and his community.
Mona Fassler states, “One thing greatly appreciated about
Larry is the way he serves in unexpected ways that are un‐
heralded.” Congratulations Larry!
This year’s Area winner of the DSA‐Service to FSA‐
Agriculture is awarded to Tim Divis of Wahoo, Nebraska.
Tim serves as the County Executive Director for Saunders
County. Tim was nominated by Jessi Colgrove, who no‐
ticed all of the amazing things Tim does for the Agency:
County Operations Trainee Trainer, National Office Audit
Support for OBF, created and presented district HIP train‐
ing, 2014 Regional Administrator’s Award, National FSA
Cooperative Agreement ranking team member, member
of the National Managerial Cost Accounting Working
Group, Nebraska Workforce Engagement Task Force, and
the 2016 State and County Fellowship Program Fellow.
Jessi states, “Tim is viewed as a leader in his district and is
always
availa‐ Sending thoughts for warmer weather, but no fires, and wishing you all a
Happy Start to Spring!
Kyra Hagberg
Publicity
Christy Randall, Chair
Thank you to those that contributed articles to this newsletter. It is not easy gathering the infor‐
mation and making it all fit together.
My assignment for this issue was to write an article about my past year’s experience with battling ter‐
minal brain cancer with my brother. As I began to write the article, I realized that there is just too
much information to it. So I decided to touch on the basics.
My 43 year old brother was diagnosed with Category IV Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) on April 18,
2016. The evening of January 2, 2017, he won his battle, at home, with me by his side. As his only
sibling, I took on the role of primary caregiver which wouldn’t have been possible without the leave
donation program. I am so thankful for all of the people that donated leave to me.
I have experienced so many ups and downs this last year. I have dealt with medical bills piling up, no
insurance (due to being on L & I with no income during the insurance signup period), appealing a
Medicaid denial, applying for Social Security Disability, finding free clinics that help with medication,
applying for charity, finding medical specialists, and the list goes on and on. Anyone going through
this, please reach out to me, day or night. I am more than happy to help and I certainly don’t want
people wasting time on research that has already been done.
If you or your family have experienced the loss of a loved one, I would encourage you to search this
website https://www.griefshare.org/ and see if there is a group near you. My son, niece, nephew and
I currently attend this class and it is helping us tremendously. I also encourage you to utilize the re‐
sources that USDA provides us through the Employee Assistance Program. Loss is not easy and it
makes you view others that have endured loss in a whole different way.
Thank You!
Northwest Area Rally April 27-29, 2017
Lincoln, NE
“The longest recorded flight of a chicken is 13 seconds.”
Are you up to date on where to find information?
Check with your local President to see if your State organiza‐
tion has a Facebook page.
Make sure that your email address is current and that you are
receiving information from your State President as well as
your Area Executive.
https://nascoe.org/
Get involved! YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!
Search NASCOE NEWS on Facebook