Naming Process

I am pleased to advise you that we have selected a permanent name: The Auburn University Natural Resources Management & Development Institute (NRMDI). In addition, we are excited about the official mission of NRMDI:

Auburn University Natural Resources Management & Development Institute is dedicated to: the creation and promotion of traditional and innovative natural resource products and services, and to sustainable practices for the benefit of communities today and for the well-being of generations to come.

Our new name and mission are the products of many hours of commitment from volunteers across the state. In order to reach this name and mission, Ratcliff Strategies LLC, a strategic communications company, was retained and led a series of eight 90-minute focus groups across the state in Auburn, Huntsville, Birmingham, Mobile, and Montgomery. Each group followed a written guide designed to spark oral discussion and included handout sheets for written responses. Opinions were solicited and documented concerning names, phrases, and a mission for the Institute. Additionally, an online survey of opinions mirrored the focus group sessions. In all, input was received from more than 150 people.

Drawn from a variety of sectors including commodity groups, rural and urban business people, university faculty and staff from Auburn University and Alabama A&M University, Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) and Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station (AAES) personnel, the participants in the groups and online survey were geographically and demographically diverse in gender, race, age, income levels and rural/urban dwellers. You may view a presentation outlining the research findings and recommendations.

The research findings were presented to NRMDI 's Leadership Team, (Larry Fillmer, Executive Director; Dean Richard Brinker, School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences; Dean Richard Guthrie, College of Agriculture and Director, AAES; Gaines Smith, Director, ACES) and to AU President Ed Richardson for comment. In turn, the recommendations were unanimously accepted (President's Letter). We are confident that Auburn University's current and future leadership in areas as diverse as agriculture, forestry, bioenergy, water resources, and more are reflected in NRMDI's name and mission.

Work will now begin to establish specific goals and objectives that address the interrelationships of the units of NRMDI with external and internal organizations. The NRMDI Leadership Team is committed to developing plans and programs that establish the Auburn University Natural Resources Management & Development Institute as an institute of local and global consequence. To the many participants in the focus groups and the online surveys, we thank you for your support and your input.

Sincerely,
Larry Fillmer