Governor Moore announced last week that Maryland has successfully met or surpassed nearly all of its pollution reduction targets set under the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement to improve water quality. This is really something to celebrate! No doubt this success is attributable, in part, to a strong state Maryland Nutrient Management Program that is a partnership between the Maryland Department of Agriculture and University of Maryland Extension. In addition, I hope that the new cross-college minor, Chesapeake Bay: Watersheds and Water Resources, leads to even greater success for the Bay!
Congratulations to Missy Welsh who received the 2026 national NACTA Educator Award from the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture! Missy was honored at the annual conference in Starkville, Mississippi, for her innovative teaching and leadership in agricultural education.
It’s hot out there! I enjoyed the bit of reprieve we had last week while attending the Howard County Fair. It was great to see friends I had met last year at the event and learn what they have been busy doing. I need to do some follow up with a few people. The same is true following the Montgomery County Fair luncheon. While the weather was not as pleasant, the chance to reconnect with partners and friends was welcomed.
This week I will attend the Agriculture Law Education Initiative (ALEI) Advisory Council meeting. In addition to learning about the activities and successes of the program, I look forward to hearing from our industry partners about their needs and how ALEI can prioritize activities to support the industry. Paul Goeringer and the ALEI team are widely respected across the state because of their efforts and commitment to making a difference. I see the meeting as an opportunity to celebrate successes and plan for the future.
We will do some planning around the Maryland Sea Grant Program this week as well. Given leadership changes that have occurred due to well-deserved retirements it makes sense to spend some time considering how best to position the program for the future to ensure continued success and impact that sustains coastal and marine communities.
The AGNR Leadership Team meets this week. It is hard to believe that this is our last meeting before classes start! We are busy planning New Faculty Orientation as well. After a year hiatus, we are taking a more local approach to bringing our new faculty together with the same intended outcome of helping them get to know each other and a bit more about AGNR. In between, I continue to spend time with our departments, scheduling visits to meet with both faculty and staff, often during their retreats or regularly scheduled faculty meetings. There’s a lot going on and it is all good!