Relevance : 1. Rewrite the OPGC mission statement to comply with USDA/ARS NP 301 guidelines - 2006 HOCGC meeting .

1. OPGC External Planning Team Recommendations Relevance: 1. Rewrite the OPGC mission statement to comply with USDA/ARS NP 301 guidelines - 2006 HOCGC meeting. 2. Reduce the number of priority genera to accommodate current staff levels and available funds - 2006 HOCGC meeting. 3. Identify priority species within the revised priority genera - 2006 HOCGC meeting. 4. Revise acquisition, maintenance, and seed increase efforts to reflect reprioritization of taxa - 2006 HOCGC meeting. 5. Develop and prioritize sound acquisition targets with special consideration on native US taxa – Stopped the collection of Ohio native plants and discussed at the 2006 HOCGC meeting. 6. Integrate collaborative research projects with reprioritized target taxa - 2006 HOCGC meeting. 7. Restrict germplasm acquisition and maintenance activities to OPGC assigned genera and species - 2006 HOCGC meeting. 2006 HOCGC Meeting - Chicago 4-5 August 2006

2. Capacity: • Clarify OPGC management and administrative structure - Under consideration and planning. • Reallocate office space – Under implementation. • 10. Phase-out clonal germplasm program - Under implementation. • 11. Refocus in vitro facilities and staff to support regeneration and maintenance activities – Under consideration and planning. • 12. Eliminate the backlog of adding OPGC accession records into the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) - Under implementation. • 13. Try to obtain a staff member dedicated to IT activities - Under consideration and planning. • 14. Minimize current seed regeneration efforts until reprioritization activities can be completed - Under implementation. • 15. Maximize operational efficiencies - Under consideration and planning. 2006 HOCGC Meeting - Chicago 4-5 August 2006

3. Quality: 16. Prepare staff development plans - Under preparation. 17. Maintain and enhance OPGC visibility to professional and industry organizations- Under consideration and planning. Impact: 18. Maintain and enhance existing technical and scientific collaborations with academia and industry- Under consideration and planning. 2006 HOCGC Meeting - Chicago 4-5 August 2006

4. OPGC Motto “Your partner in herbaceous plant germplasm conservation” 2006 HOCGC Meeting - Chicago 4-5 August 2006

5. NP301 Vision Statement: “Furnishing genetic and bioinformatic tools, genomic information, and genetic raw materials to enhance American agricultural productivity to ensure a high quality, safe supply of food, fiber, feed, ornamentals, and industrial products.” Proposed OPGC Vision Statement: “Furnishing genetic raw materials and associated information to enhance American floricultural productivity to ensure a high quality supply of herbaceous ornamentals.”

6. Current OPGC Mission We work to conserve and nurture the world wealth of herbaceous ornamental plant diversity to bring happiness and health to humankind. 2006 HOCGC Meeting - Chicago 4-5 August 2006

7. NP 301 Mission Statement:“To safeguard and utilize plant, microbial, and insect germplasm (genetic raw material), associated genetic and genomic databases, and bioinformatic tools to ensure an abundant, safe, and inexpensive supply of food, feed, fiber, ornamentals, and industrial products for the United States and other nations.” Proposed OPGC Mission Statement: “To safeguard and utilize herbaceous ornamental plant germplasm and associated information to ensure an abundant and high quality supply of herbaceous ornamentals for the United States and other nations.” 2006 HOCGC Meeting - Chicago 4-5 August 2006

8. Current Goal “To build the OPGC into the world’s leading herbaceous ornamental plant genebank.” 2006 HOCGC Meeting - Chicago 4-5 August 2006

9. Current Objectives • To establish an herbaceous ornamental plant genebank as an integrated component of the USDA National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) • To build a network of cooperators with the horticultural industry, universities, botanic gardens, USDA, crop specific societies, plant conservation groups and individuals • To build and promote collaborative research in herbaceous plant germplasm conservation and utilization • To institute academic programs and short courses in germplasm conservation 2006 HOCGC Meeting - Chicago 4-5 August 2006

10. Participation in NPGS Activities • HOCGC – JH, SS, DT – Ex-officio • PGOC – JH, SS, DT • Associate Germplasm Collections Subcommittee – DT • Barcode of Economic Plants Initiative – DT • In situ Collections Subcommittee – DT • Medicinal Plants Subcommittee – SS, DT • Operational Manual Revision Subcommittee – DT • 2005 NPGS Curator Workshop Organization Committee and Regeneration Session Chair – SS • Interviewing panel cat. 4 scientist at NCGRP – DT 2006 HOCGC Meeting - Chicago 4-5 August 2006

11. OPGC Graduate Students PhD Program: BROE Michael – DNA markers (EEOB/GA)– Andreas Wolfe. CHOI, Seongjin – MRI studies of seed quality (Physics/GA)– Chris Hammel. CONTRERAS, Samuel – Seed development, dormancy, vigor and storage (Fulbright Scholar) – Mark Bennett. GESIMBA, Robert – Evaluation of Passiflora species (USAID Scholar) – Dan Struve. LUO, Jing – Species invasiveness (OSU Distinguished Fellowship) – John Cardina. MWEETWA, Alice – Phalaenopsis seed storage – Greg Welbaum (VT). PALUMBO, Rose – Pelargonium DNA markers – Guo-Liang Wang (PP). STIEVE, Susan – Rudbeckia variation – Miller McDonald. MS Program: HU, Xiaolei – Seed vigor and computerized imaging – Miller McDonald. JEONG, Ka-Yeon – Begonia evaluation – Claudio Pasian. RABARA, Roel – Seed quality and storage (Fulbright Scholar) – Miller McDonald. 2006 HOCGC Meeting - Chicago 4-5 August 2006