2023 Professional Development Conference

Conference registration has ended. Email jakynjen@uga.edu for availability.

Conference Details

Dates

Monday, May 1 – Wednesday, May 3

Location

Southeastern Technical College
3001 E 1st St, Vidalia, GA 30474

Important Dates at a Glance

• ✓February 1 – Conference Registration Begins
• ✓February 13 – Requests for letters of support for NAE4-HYDP awards due to GAE4-HYDP President Jeffrey Burke (jburke@uga.edu)
• ✓February 27 – Vice President and Treasurer Leadership Request for Administrative Approval form due to Dr. Laura Johnson
• ✓March 1 – Deadline to submit workshop proposals
• ✓March 10 – State and National Awards applications are due
• ✓March 24 – Accepted workshops’ applicants will be notified
• ✓April 1 – Room blocks end; late fee added to registration
• ✓April 7 – Vice President and Treasurer nomination packets due to Dinah Rowe (d2rowe@uga.edu)
• ✓April 11 – Committee Chair-Elect nominations due to Megan Powell (megan.powell25@uga.edu)
• ✓April 17 – Registration ends

Conference Registration

Registration for the annual meeting will begin Wednesday, February 1. Registration will close on Monday, April 17.

Full-Time registration options include:

• Full-Time Member – $175.00
• Full-Time Non-Member – $200.00
• Full-Time Life Member – $125.00

Part-time registration options include:

• Tuesday Only – Includes Breakfast, Breaks, Box Lunch, Educational Sessions, Tours, and Dinner – $125.00
• Tuesday Only Life Member – Includes Life Member Luncheon & Program at 9 Columns, Tour, and Dinner – $75.00

Guest tickets are available for:

• National Awards Dinner – $50.00
• State Awards Brunch – $25.00

Agricultural Tours

From onions to olives, Toombs and surrounding counties have an abundance of diversified agriculture! Tuesday afternoon of the conference will feature group tours to locations unique to the region. Visit, learn about, and maybe even go home with a little bit of Vidalia! Choose one of the following options when you register.

• SOLD OUT Watermelon Creek Vineyard: Learn about Georgia viticulture while touring the winery. Wine tasting & souvenir glass included. This tour is $20.00 per person. Registration is limited to 35 participants.
• All About Onions: Visit a commercial farm to learn how Vidalia’s famous onions are grown, harvested, and packaged for distribution. No cost or limit for registration.
• UGA Vidalia Onion & Vegetable Research Center: Gain insight into the research being conducted by UGA faculty on the taste, production, and storage of the world’s favorite onion. No cost or limit for registration.
• SOLD OUT Terra Dolce Farms & Vidalia Bees: Georgia’s climate, soil and water have proven the perfect combination for growing several olive cultivars. Visit Terra Dolce (sweet earth) Farms to learn about the olive farm and cold press olive oil production. Next, visit one of the top three commercial apiaries in the state to learn about the honey bee’s integral role in agriculture.
• R&K Greenhouses: Visit a state-of-the-art operation that provides transplants for many of the commercial vegetable growers in the region. No cost; registration is limited to 20 participants.

Hotel Accommodations

The conference room block ended April 1, but rooms are still available at our hotels.

• Holiday Inn Express 200 Michael Collins Dr, Vidalia, (912) 403-3308
• Home2 Suites, 154 Mose Coleman Dr, Vidalia, (912) 386-4570

Professional Development Sessions

A large part of this State Meeting is devoted to Professional Development. The proposal submission deadline has passed. Accepted proposals will be notified via email by Friday, March 24, 2023.

There are three submission categories:

• Program Seminars (45 minutes)
• “Tools of the Trade” Showcases (25 minutes)
• Poster Session (1 hour manned)

Proposals can be submitted in a variety of areas including

• youth development
• program development
• partnerships
• organizational systems
• access, equity and opportunity

Commercial & Educational Resource Exhibits

We’re excited to host a commercial exhibitor  and educational resource fair on Tuesday of the conference! Whether you’re looking to find a new fundraiser, make contact with someone that can provide educational resources for youth, or find a vendor for t-shirts or marketing items, you’ll be able to network with the following providers through information tables and exhibits.

• All the Fixin’s
• America Knits
• H & L Marketing
• Shuman Farms
• The Blood Connection
• The Ken Young Co.
• World Honey Market

Executive Committee Elections

The Organizational Stewardship Committee proudly presents two candidates seeking election to the GAE4-HYDP Executive Committee. Each candidate was asked to provide a summary of their formal education; professional experience; qualifications for office, including previous leadership roles, committees/task forces, etc.; and professional achievements. We look forward to hearing more from our candidates during the opening business meeting as they speak to the membership. For more information regarding elections, please contact Dinah Rowe (d2rowe@uga.edu).

Thank You to our Sponsors!

We are currently soliciting sponsorships for this year’s meeting. If you are interested in sponsoring this year’s meeting, please complete this year’s sponsorship form or contact Jeffrey Burke (jburke@uga.edu) for more information.

Platinum ($1,500+)
Gold ($1,000-$1,499)
Silver ($500-$999)	Georgia EMC
Bronze (-$500)	Georgia Farm Bureau UGA Extension Retiree Association